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It sounds to me like they need to increase the costs of the
permits for "megaloads", perhaps on a sliding scale based on
weight, to offset the potential costs outlined in the article.<br>
<br>
Paul<br>
<br>
<br>
On 12/30/2013 11:05 AM, Moscow Cares wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:71BABD07-517E-462A-BD9E-DC0F869902CA@moscow.com"
type="cite">
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charset=ISO-8859-1">
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span></span></div>
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charset=ISO-8859-1">
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Courtesy of Linwood
Laughy, one of the founders of the anti-megaload movement.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">---------------------------------</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
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<p class="s4" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
line-height: 1.2; font-family: Times; font-size: 18px;
text-align: center;"><span class="s3" style="line-height:
19px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; font-size:
16px;">Pay Now AND Pay Later</span></p>
<p class="s4" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
line-height: 1.2; font-family: Times; font-size: 18px;
text-align: center;"><span class="s5" style="line-height:
14px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; font-size:
12px;">The Taxpayer Cost of </span><span class="s5"
style="line-height: 14px; font-family: Arial; font-weight:
bold; font-size: 12px;">Megaloads</span><span class="s5"
style="line-height: 14px; font-family: Arial; font-weight:
bold; font-size: 12px;"> in Idaho</span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s4" style="text-align: start; margin-top: 0px;
margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="s7" style="font-style:
italic; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“On
major roads, damage caused by overweight trucks—or by more
legally loaded trucks than the road was designed for—can
take years to show up…”</span></p>
<p class="s4" style="text-align: start; margin-top: 0px;
margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">“Pounding the
Pavement” by Pat </span><span class="s8">Stith</span><span
class="s8">, </span><span class="s8">The</span><span
class="s8"> News and Observer, 2005</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">Each time the
Idaho Transportation Department issues a permit for a </span><span
class="s8">megaload</span><span class="s8"> to</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">cross</span><span
class="s8"> our state, Idaho citizens subsidize some of
the most profitable and powerful corporations</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">in the world. Yes,
these gargantuan loads present residents, visitors and
regular</span><span class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">commercial
truck drivers with inconvenience and safety risks, forms
of subsidy</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">themselves</span><span
class="s8">, but I’m talking real money, tax money, the
kind of money the Idaho legislature</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">has trouble finding
for schools and prisons and, ironically, highways and
bridges.</span><span class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">And </span><span
class="s8">megaload</span><span class="s8"> subsidies
are incurred not once or twice but at three different
times.</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
class="s8" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Consider the
900,000+ lb. General Electric load hauled by Omega Morgan
that entered</span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">the</span><span
class="s8"> state December 22nd after 21 days crossing
315 miles of eastern Oregon. According</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">to ITD, this load
will travel 488 highway miles in Idaho and cross 84
bridges.</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">ITD staff in
Boise and in 3 different districts examined engineering
drawings, studied potential</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">routes, completed bridge analyses, reviewed
traffic control plans, likely dealt with</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">calls from concerned
citizens and local government officials, and prepared
public information</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">announcements. In other words, just to
analyze Omega Morgan’s proposal and</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">prepare for issuing
a permit, ITD provided hundreds of state employee staff
hours at little</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">cost to the shipper.</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">A second
taxpayer subsidy will occur while this </span><span
class="s8">megaload</span><span class="s8"> is actually
traveling</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">through</span><span
class="s8"> the state. Based on over 2 years’ close
observations of ITD’s handling of Highwa</span><span
class="s8">y </span><span class="s8">12 </span><span
class="s8">megaload</span><span class="s8"> transports,
ITD can be expected to do anything necessary to
facilitate</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">the movement of the Omega Morgan loads across
Idaho—from filling potholes the day</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">before a run
(including on Sundays) to having ITD crews accompany the
loads with extra</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">snowplows and de-icing trucks, and addressing
multiple public relations issues. The</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">Idaho State Police
and local law enforcement will also rack up hours
dealing with what</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">are referred to as “safety issues” during </span><span
class="s8">megaload</span><span class="s8"> travel,
which can include escorting the</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">loads, controlling traffic, and moving
sleeping truckers off needed</span><span class="s8">megaload</span><span
class="s8"> turnouts.</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">While a </span><span
class="s8">megaload</span><span class="s8"> accident’s
blocking a highway (like the </span><span class="s8">Emmert</span><span
class="s8"> International accident</span><span
class="s8"></span><span class="s8">in Oregon in early
December) could create serious short-term problems, and
the</span><span class="s8"></span><span class="s8">destruction
of a bridge (like the Skagit River bridge in Washington
in August) could cost</span><span class="s8"></span><span
class="s8">the state and Idaho citizens millions of
dollars, the greatest state subsidy for </span><span
class="s8">megaloads</span><span class="s8"></span><span
class="s8">will likely happen down the road; i.e., in
future years. Claims by </span><span class="s8">megaload</span><span
class="s8"> supporters</span><span class="s8"></span><span
class="s8">that a </span><span class="s8">megaload</span><span
class="s8"> does no more damage to the highway than,
say, a one-ton pickup are</span><span class="s8"></span><span
class="s8">based on pounds of pressure per inch of tire
width. More than 50 years of research by</span><span
class="s8"></span><span class="s8">the Federal Highway
Administration contradicts this simplification, research
which resulted</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">in limits on total load weight, tire load
weights and axle load weights on the</span><span
class="s8">nation’s</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">highways for reasons of safety and to protect
taxpayer investment. These limits</span><span class="s8"></span><span
class="s8">are, respectively, 105,500 lbs. total load
weight, 600 lbs. per inch of tire width, and</span><span
class="s8"></span><span class="s8">20,000 lbs. per
single axle or 34,000 lbs. per tandem axle.</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">The
Omega-Morgan </span><span class="s8">megaload</span><span
class="s8"> that entered Idaho on December 22nd weighs
over</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
class="s8" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">900,000 lbs.
and includes 16 axles bearing 44,750 lbs. each. These
axles are traveling</span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">over</span><span
class="s8"> roadways designed for 20,000 lb. single axle
loads. The Washington State Department</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">of Transportation
provides a summary of what happens to bridges and
roadways</span><span class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">when
axle weights exceed regulation weights. Among their
conclusions:</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span class="s8"
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Current information shows that
even slight changes in load limits have</span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span
class="s8">major</span><span class="s8"> impacts on
pavement and bridge performance. Both the axle and</span></span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span
class="s8">tire</span><span class="s8"> load affect
pavements and bridges.</span></span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span class="s8"
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As the total load carried by an
axle increases, so does the total load on</span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span
class="s8">the</span><span class="s8"> pavement or
bridge. An axle carrying 20,000 pounds puts the same</span></span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span
class="s8">total</span><span class="s8"> weight on a
bridge or a pavement whether 6-inch wide or 12-inch</span></span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span
class="s8">wide</span><span class="s8"> tires are used.
The total load may cause damage or failure, even if</span></span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span
class="s8">the</span><span class="s8"> local point
stresses under the tires are not large.</span></span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span class="s8"
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The relationship between axle
weight and pavement damage is not linear,</span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span
class="s8">but</span><span class="s8"> exponential. For
example, a single axle loaded to 40,000 lbs (twice the</span></span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span
class="s8">legal</span><span class="s8"> load) causes 16
times more damage than a single axle legally</span></span></p>
<p class="s9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 36px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust:
auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span
class="s8">loaded</span><span class="s8"> to 20,000 lbs.</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
class="s8" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Copy of the
2006 WSDOT report titled Legal Load Limits, Overweight
Loads and</span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">Pavement and
Bridges is attached for your convenience, or you can
find it at</span><span class="s8">:</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/nr/rdonlyres/2511b6cc-6671-41fa-881b-6b48fe6fc90d/0/truckloadsfolio.pdf"><span
class="s10" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font
color="#000000">http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/nr/rdonlyres/2511b6cc-6671-41fa-881b-6b48fe6fc90d/0/truckloadsfolio.pdf</font></span></a></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">This report
makes clear that the exponentially greater damage to
highways caused</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">by excessive axle weights will require, at a
minimum, costly road and bridge repairs earlier</span><span
class="s8"></span><span class="s8">than would otherwise
be the case if axle weights were regulated to meet
federal</span><span class="s8"></span><span class="s8">standards.
Thus taxpayers will incur greater costs for maintaining
transportation infrastructure</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">or suffer the economic and other costs of a
neglected highway system.</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">ITD originally
announced the permit fee for the GE/Omega Morgan </span><span
class="s8">megaload</span><span class="s8"> at</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">$5634, which
spokesperson Adam Rush said was based on 355 miles and
axle weight.</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">The agency later corrected this number to
$7706 for 488 miles and axle weight, and</span><span
class="s8"> Rush</span><span class="s8">told the Idaho </span><span
class="s8">Statesman</span><span class="s8">,“</span><span
class="s8">No</span><span class="s8"> additional funds
are due to the transportation department,</span><span
class="s8"></span><span class="s8">and the posting of a
bond is not required.”</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">Thus Idahoans
will not only experience inconvenience and risks to
personal safety</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">with</span><span class="s8">megaloads</span><span
class="s8"> in Idaho, but we’ll also pay for these </span><span
class="s8">megaloads</span><span class="s8"> at least
three times:</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">prior to</span><span class="s8">when an </span><span
class="s8">overlegal</span><span class="s8"> permit is
issued, during weeks of the </span><span class="s8">megaload’s</span><span
class="s8"> actual</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">travel in the form of public agency support,
and in the future for accelerated costs of</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">pavement and bridge
repair and replacement. This is a best case scenario.
Dumping a</span><span class="s8"> </span><span
class="s8">load into an Idaho river, busting one of
those 84 bridges, or delaying the arrival of a</span><span
class="s8"> </span><span class="s8">stroke or heart
attack victim at an emergency room could be much more
costly.</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
class="s8" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For giant
corporations and heavy-haul transport companies, Idaho’s
state government</span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">is</span><span
class="s8"> truly a gift that keeps on giving—with
taxpayers picking up the tab.</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">Linwood </span><span
class="s8">Laughy</span></span></p>
<p class="s6" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s8">Kooskia</span><span
class="s8">, Idaho</span></span></p>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</div>
<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">---------------------------------</span><br>
<br>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span
style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya
'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span
style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span
style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow
Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.moscowcares.com/"
style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font
color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span
style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">
<div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom
Hansen</span></div>
<div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow,
Idaho</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<p style="text-align: start;" align="center"><font
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"This is the 'Mouse that
Roared,' 'David and Goliath' and 'Avatar' all rolled
into one. We must remember that the thousands of
citizens involved in this effort to protect their
personal and family safety, their businesses and their
lifestyles are confronting some of the largest
international corporations in the world."</font></p>
<p style="text-align: start;" align="center"><span
style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color:
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Linwood Laughy</span></p>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family:
Times; font-size: medium;" align="center">
<center></center>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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List services made available by First Step Internet,
serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</a>
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