The "Idaho Stop" measure for bicyclists is spreading to other states. Minnesota is the latest to adopt the so-called Idaho Stop, in which cyclists can treat stop signs as yield signs. Idaho was the first to adopt this law in 1982, decades before other states even considered it.

David Groff, executive director of the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance, said the law reduced bicycle accidents by more than 14% after its first year of implementation in Idaho.

"The main benefit is that you have a lot of accidents that occur in intersections, be that with stoplights or stop signs," Groff pointed out. "Allowing cyclists to clear out of those areas sooner actually ends up reducing the amount of collisions."

Nine other states and Washington, D.C., have adopted a law allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, including Oregon and Washington. Of those, only three other states have adopted the full Idaho Stop law, which also allows cyclists to treat red lights as stop signs, so if there is no cross traffic, they can move out of the intersection before the light turns green.

Groff added the Idaho Stop law reduces friction points for cycling commuters.

"Friction points are the least favorite part of it," Groff acknowledged. "How many steps are there in front of getting to the conclusion here? And continuing to hit stop signs as a cyclist can actually create a barrier to more people cycling."

All the states passing Idaho Stop laws have done so in the past six years. Groff emphasized it is a sign cycling is becoming more popular, and really picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"What happens when you have more people out on the road is you have more people really seeing what the impact of these different laws can be," Groff contended. "Then you have more voices saying, oh, we think we should do it this way, or we think we should do it this way."


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A new report shows housing and transportation are key factors that can keep young professionals from leaving Nebraska for opportunities elsewhere. Better pay is also near the top of the list.

To counter the brain drain happening across much of the Midwest, the City Of Omaha has launched a brain gain initiative, trying keep the state's young, professional talent in Nebraska.

Omaha Chamber of Commerce Director of Workforce Development Merrick Brtek said they did a survey to find out why young people are leaving.

"One of the reasons was job opportunities - that they were seeking job opportunities elsewhere," said Brtek. "Maybe they had their first career role here and were looking to advance, and they found an advancement role in another state."

Brtek said the city is helping young professionals understand that many of the priorities they're looking for elsewhere, including those advancement opportunities, already exist in Nebraska.

She added that Omaha is working to address the things that could be better, like creating more access to reliable mass transit, availability of affordable housing and higher wages.

Brtek said economic development teams are also shifting their focus to the younger demographic, trying to dispel the perception that good opportunities don't exist in Nebraska.

"We're trying to spend time working with kiddos that are a little bit younger, maybe high school students or college students, to make sure they're aware of the opportunities that are available," said Brtek. "Not just in Omaha but in the state of Nebraska to keep talent here, as well."

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau show Nebraska has been consistency losing population for the last 15 years, though some larger communities are seeing growth, mostly immigrants relocating from other countries.

Communities in southern and eastern Montana were connected to passenger rail lines running from Chicago to Seattle until 1979. An effort to fund the revival of those routes passed the House but failed in the Montana Senate this week by a few votes.

The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority has garnered support from county commissioners, city council members and Montanans across party lines since its creation in 2020, especially in communities that could again become rail towns.

Jason Stuart, vice chair of the authority, called rural rail a "critical lifeline."

"Folks need access to critical health care services and other services and the only way they can reach them is by car," Stuart noted. "Passenger trains would just be such a blessing for all these communities up and down, throughout Southern Montana and southern North Dakota."

He added it would bring economic opportunities as well. House Bill 848 had requested $2 million from the state's railroad car tax to go to the authority annually, about half of its average revenue.

Opponents, largely with the freight industry, argued they should not be expected to subsidize passenger rail.

Rep. Forrest Mandeville, R-Columbus, brought a late amendment suggesting each local government entity that is a rail authority member fund it with $50,000 annually.

Samantha Beyl, Rosebud County director for the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, said the payments are not practical.

"Especially the rural towns, I don't see how any one county has an extra $50,000 laying around to do that," Beyl contended.

A $500,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program helped support plans for the Big Sky North Coast Corridor, mapped from Glendive to Saint Regis through Billings, Helena and Missoula.


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Law enforcement agencies are still trying to get the message through about the dangers and costs that stem from distracted driving.

A Minnesota police chief is echoing calls for people to realize that a text message can wait.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

This year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rolled out its "Put the Phone Away or Pay" campaign in hopes of convincing drivers to resist looking at their cell phones when behind the wheel.

Winona Police Chief Tom Williams said he feels this is still a pervasive issue.

"We've kind of lost track of the responsibilities associated with operating a motor vehicle," said Williams, "and we're so attached to our phones and social media."

Williams encouraged drivers to seek out safe spaces to pull over -- like a well-lit parking lot -- to answer a text or email, if it's urgent.

Along some roadways around the country, transportation departments have added texting zones, similar to areas for a stalled vehicle.

Last year, there were 29 deaths linked to distracted driving in Minnesota, up from the previous year.

Like most states, Minnesota has laws that require hands-free cell phone use when driving.

Car technology has improved to keep motorists connected while still paying attention to the road. But Williams said many models out there are not equipped with those amenities.

"And people aren't necessarily always going to spend anything," said Williams, "for aftermarket additions to their cars."

Analysts say some newer cars have too many technological bells and whistles that can overwhelm a driver, even if they're hands-free.

They say things like collision warning features might be making drivers too reliant on those aids, diminishing their safety instincts.

Federal officials estimate distracted driving costs Americans $129 billion each year due to property damage, medical expenses and legal fees.




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