ITD revenue is solid, state says

SANDPOINT — Idaho Transportation Department revenue has not been diminished by the novel coronavirus pandemic, thanks to increases in fuel taxes and vehicle registrations.

The user-fee increases were implemented by the Legislature in 2015 to provide additional ongoing funding for transportation. In the 2020 fiscal year, the user-fee increases resulted in $67.3 million in revenue, according to ITD.

"Our revenue is up," ITD District 1 Engineer Damon Allen said during a remotely conducted legislative update on transportation issues on Wednesday.

Local agencies also benefited from the user-fee increases to the tune of $44.8 million.

The state also received another $21.6 million through sales and cigarette taxes to sustain Idaho's Transportation Expansion & Congestion Mitigation Fund.

ITD used its share of user-fee increases and TECM revenue to fund 59 road and bridge projects across the state, eight of which were in the Panhandle, according to an October revenue report.

The number of licensed drivers in Idaho increased from 1.16 million to 1.28 million between 2016 and 2020, an increase of 10.3 percent. ITD said. The number of vehicle registrations increased from 1.68 million to 1.82, an 8.3-percent increase, ITD said. Annual miles driven went from 16.66 billion to 18.06 billion — an 8.4-percent increase — during that timespan.

The amount of freight moved by truck, however, is projected to slip from 224.59 million tons to 221.60 million tons from 2016 to 2020.

The average Idahoan drives 12,480 miles per year on Idaho roads, according to a Boise State University policy institute study updated in August.

The state contends Idaho is the fastest-growing state in the country. The state's population increased from 1.68 million to 1.79 million between 2016 and 2020. Traffic increases on the state highway system have also increased. Canyon and Ada counties saw the largest increases — 18 percent — while Kootenai County saw an increase of 8.4 percent, ITD said.

Allen said Highway 41 is in the process of being widened to four lanes between Interstate 90 and Rathdrum.

State Rep. Heather Scott, a Blanchard Republican, recommended on Wednesday using money from the state's general fund to bankroll transportation projects as more people flock to western Bonner County.

"The building has been unbelievable," Scott said of the Highway 41 corridor in Bonner County, which she added has also seen a steep increase in traffic. "I think we're going to feel the pain of that next summer."