ITD Director Named National Transportation Innovation Chairman

BOISE, Idaho – Idaho Transportation Director Brian Ness was recently named chairman of a research and innovation committee by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

“This honor is a direct reflection of the efforts of our employees,” Ness said. “Every one of them is an ambassador of this program. They consistently come up with great ideas and new and better ways to do their jobs.”

ITD’s innovation program is an employee-driven, grassroots initiative soliciting improvements from all 1,600 employees statewide. Employees at every level are encouraged to submit ideas for time and money savings and making processes more efficient.

The most recent stats for ITD’s innovation program, since its inception in 2014, include:

• 550 innovations
• $4.7M in savings/efficiencies
• 140,000 personnel hours saved
• 230 customer-service improvements

Ness said the ultimate winner is the Idaho taxpayer, as more than 1.1 million drivers use the state highway system.

Ness has been director of the Idaho Transportation Department since 2010. He recently served as president of the 18-state Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and is a 35-year veteran of the transportation industry.

He will serve as chairman of the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation through spring 2019.

Source: Idaho Transportation Department