States relying more on Webcams to keep motorists informed

A highway Webcam shows Lookout Pass on Idaho's I-90 Wednesday morning. (IDOT photo)

The Associated Press

1/2/2008

LEWISTON, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Transportation is working on putting up more Webcams to help road workers and motorists determine driving conditions and learn of traffic problems.

“We have been very aggressively in the last year adding new cameras wherever possible,” department spokesman Mel Coulter told the Lewiston Tribune.

The department has about 40 Webcams that can be viewed on its Web site and provides additional links to Webcams for southwest Idaho’s Ada County Highway District.

Coulter said the push for additional cameras began in southeastern Idaho and has been moving north. He predicted that by mid- to late 2008 most of the state’s highways should have cameras.

Besides providing images of road conditions, the department also lists travel information such as construction delays on its Web site. There is also a link for mountain pass conditions.

“Not only can they read about what the conditions might be on Winchester Grade, for example, they can go to a camera and see if it’s snowing, clear or covered with slush,” said Coulter. “It’s a tool that better helps them plan their travels.”

The Washington State Department of Transportation is ahead of Idaho with scores of cameras posted around the state.

“It’s kind of a win, win situation,” said Erin Bogenshutz, a spokeswoman for the Washington Transportation Department. “We use them to look for incidents to inform the public better. We also make them available to the public so they can see visually what is going on.”