Expect Congestion....

If You're Planning to Travel East for College Game Day in Pullman Delays are Likely... 

What is going on?

The bridge on SR26 will be closed for six weeks due to the rapid deterioration to the deck. Repairs were originally planned for Spring of 2019, but bridge office technicians have decided to move the project up in priority rather than allow the bridge to endure another winter.

The 32 mile detour around the construction site will slow down Cougar Fans and any other travelers making the trip to Southeast Washington. Be aware that construction on the SR 26 bridge is expected until November 21st, 2018.

This construction comes at a time when a large number of WSU Cougar Fans are likely to be traveling across the state for College Game Day. It is important that drivers are prepared and aware of unavoidable traffic delays.

An Expected 75,000 people are expected to arrive on the Palouse this weekend   

Between bridge repairs, College Game Day hype, and the University of Idaho's Homecoming game taking place this weekend on the Palouse, patience will pay off when you finally arrive in the pullman area. You can expect a large influx of people crowding the streets throughout the region. Stadium Way from Grimes Way to Cougar Way will be closed from Midnight -after the football game on Saturday.

Expect RV's, pedestrians, congestion throughout the region. Since 2016 SR26 and Highway 195 have had over one thousand traffic incidents. Lets not contribute to that number this weekend because we are in a hurry. The roads to the Palouse are narrow without much of a shoulder, and few passing lanes. Game Day in Pullman is not worth your life. Plan ahead, slow down, #besafecougs. 

Upcoming SR 26 Road Closure & Safety Event...

SR26 Road Closure will Cause Detour...

Traveling from Western Washington to the Southeast Region? Get ready for a six week traffic project that will cause a 32 mile detour on SR26 ...

Despite being patched, an 8-foot by 4-foot hole in the SR 26 bridge east of Othello has been placed on the immediate priority list of Washington State construction projects. Risk of bridge failure has advanced the project to Monday, October 15th with the goal of completion proposed for Wednesday November 21st in anticipation of another harsh winter.

How does this Affect You? 

October 20th -WSU vs. University of Oregon
November 3rd -WSU vs. The University of California
November 17th - WSU vs. The University of Arizona

The travel project will add approximately 15 additional minutes to the trip, if you would normally be driving through the portion of road utilizing the SR 26 bridge. Be prepared for congestion and pay attention to workers on the roadway. Detour signs will be placed along SR17, 260, and US route 395 which will add about 14 miles to your trip to southeast Washington.

How should you plan? 

Eastbound traffic will continue on I-90 until just beyond Ritzville where traffic will continue south on SR 261 until SR26. Westbound traffic on SR 26 from Pullman will turn north at Washtucna onto SR 261 to I-90.

WSU Safety Fair 

Don't have a lot of experience driving in the snow? No problem! 

Washington State University is hosting it's annual Safety Fair on Tuesday, October 16th from 10:30am - 1:30pm in the CUB Senior Ballroom. The Palouse Driver Safety Campaign will be hosting a regional driver education teacher to help show you how to put chains on this upcoming winter. Hubert Hogaboam will provide his extensive experience to help with any questions or concerns you might have about winter driving and driving safety. Included in the Safety Fair, will be information about how to change a tire, hooking up jumper cables, and general safety tips that you may be unaware of. Recommendations on driver safety and safety procedure vary depending on the type of vehicle you drive. Educate yourself now so that you know how to respond before you have a traffic incident that leaves you stranded.

For travel information including live road cams, weather advisories, and construction updates, visit us at www.safepalousedrivers.com 

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July Update

The Palouse Driver Education Campaign has been participating in a lot of events since the last blog post. Beginning in June, our office has been attending Washington State University Alive sessions and have met many wonderful new students and parents. We would like to thank WSU Transportation Services for allowing us to share their table space.

The PDEC has also participated in the Pullman Safety Fair along with WSU Transportation Services, Pullman Fire Department, WSU Police Department, and other agencies. The Safety Fair served as the debut of our driving simulator which both parents and kids enjoyed.

Be sure to check out www.safepalousedrivers.com to see a list of events, dates with expected increased traffic, road and construction updates, and everything else you need to drive safely in the Palouse.

The next events we will be participating in are as follows. Be sure to come check us out, take the pledge to help end distracted and drowsy driving, and maybe try out the driving simulator.

Aug 14- WSU Resource Fair
Aug 17- WSU Picnic
Aug 17-18th- National Lentil Festival
September 6-9th- Palouse Empire Fair

Palouse Driver Education Campaign Video

The Palouse Driver Education Campaign will be making a video soon. We will be interviewing local police departments, first responders, sheriffs office, and anyone else involved in responding to crashes to the best of our abilities. We hope to use this video as a reminder to the WSU and UofI community that distracted driving and drowsy driving are a huge danger when you are behind the wheel. If you have questions or comments you would like us to ask or answer in this video, please leave a comment and share.

Here are samples of some of the questions we will be asking
- "What's the worst distracted driving offense you've seen?"
- "What is your response to people who mention it's unfair for emergency departments to use laptops and other communication devices?"
- "How do you feel about distracted driving and what would you do to prevent it?"
- "Do you see any correlation between out of state students being a higher percentage of distracted driving?"
- "What time of year and how often do you deal with drowsy drivers?"

Please be sure to visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/safepalousedrivers/ for more information on our campaign.
For all your travel information needs to and from Pullman be sure to visit www.safepalousedrivers.com

Go COUGS!! BESAFECOUGS!!

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Summer Construction and US195 Passing Lanes

Thank you WSDOT, WA state legislatures and other key stakeholders for inviting us to the groundbreaking ceremony of US195 passing lanes. We would like to thank all who worked tirelessly to bring 195 passing lanes a reality. Construction on Highway 195 from Colfax to Spokane began on April 18, 2018. This project will add new passing lanes along the US195 corridor as part of an expansion to help reduce the number of collisions and improve the user safety. Two passing lanes have already been built in 2017 while this new construction will add four more to a total of six. The construction will affect many who commute to Pullman through US195, including many WSU professors and students. Please expect delays, plan ahead, and be sure to visit our website at www.safepalousedrivers.com for live updates and traffic cams if you plan to travel locally or around the state. Also be sure to follow, like, and share us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/safepalousedrivers/

We would like to thank our state and local partners in our driver education campaign- the Washington State Patrol, Pullman PD, WSU PD, Colfax PD, Whitman County Sheriff's office, City of Pullman, Washington State University, Whitman County, Palouse RTPO, Our legislatures and many more who worked through many different ways to bring the added safety for all the users of US195. Now we will work towards getting SR26 passing lanes lined up earlier than 2024!! Hope we all benefit from this effort to keep our users safe and sound!!

Go COUGS!! BESAFECOUGS!!

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May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

Safety is a constant theme of our Palouse Driver Education Campaign, but sometimes appropriate to bring the broad topic to a focus. The weather is getting better, and with May deemed National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by the National Safety Council, a conversation for two wheeled vehicles should be had. Here are some statistics and other talking points:

2016 Statistics

• Of all registered vehicles on US roads, motorcycles make up 3%.
• Motorcycle miles account for only .7% of all vehicle miles traveled in the US.
• 4,976 motorcycle riders and passengers died in crashes.
• Non-fatal injuries caused by crashes was upwards of 88,000.
• Of all traffic fatalities, motorcyclists accounted for 13%.
• 91% of motorcycle crash fatalities were male
• 26% of motorcycle crash fatalities were impaired by alcohol.
• Nearly half of all collisions occur at intersections.

Talking Safety to Riders

• Wear helmets marked by DOT, as they are guaranteed to meet safety standards set by law.
• Always use headlights.
• Wear appropriate clothing that is thick to prevent injury, and reflective to be easily seen.
• Don't speed so you can see and react to road hazards such as potholes, puddles, and gravel.
• Drive defensively and assume you can't be seen on the road.
• Be aware that riding with a passenger or any other added weight changes bike handling.

Talking Safety to Drivers

• Give adequate warning of lane switches with your blinker.
• Anticipate motorcycles' movements.
• Pay attention the vehicles in your surrounding area and be aware if you realize one seems to be missing.
• Double check blind spots.
• Don't drive distracted or drowsy and pay attention to your surroundings.
• Always use headlights.
• Be aware that with better weather comes more motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians.

Statistics taken from NSC Injury Facts

Weeks over, Graduation is coming, Sun is staying

Hey everyone, it's Mae here.

This week we had a phone conference with the WSU transportation committee. The best news that any transportation office can hear is ACCIDENT FREE TRAVEL! That's right. This past WSU Mom's weekend, and Spring Break saw no new collisions along State Route 26. With parents, friends, and family flooding into Pullman for the graduation ceremony this Saturday the efforts are higher than ever. On that note, congratulations WSU and UofI class of 2018. We at the Palouse RTPO hope that your time in our community takes you wherever you want to go. Be safe on your travels back home.

For travel information including live road cams, weather advisories, and construction updates, visit us at www.safepalousedrivers.com

Like and share us on Facebook for travel tips and updates at www.facebook.com/safepalousedrivers