No, it isn’t all about I-84…

As you read the news, and even my blog below, you may get the impression that all the transportation funding in the Treasure Valley is being used along Interstate 84 in Ada County.

I want to set the record straight: that is not the case.

While the potential of rebuilding three interchanges along I-84 is getting a lot of press, don’t let that fool you into thinking those interchanges are the only projects happening in the Treasure Valley or the only projects included in the regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). (The TIP is the budget that shows where federal transportation dollars will be spent over the next five years in the Treasure Valley; the draft TIP project list for FY2013-2017 is currently open for public comment.) 

At a quick glance, I counted over 250 projects that will occur in Canyon and Ada Counties within the life span of the draft FY2013-2017 TIP. Some are big; some are small. Some build or purchase new things; some are for maintenance or repair. Some are for roads; some are for transit, walking, or biking. While they may not be garnering as much attention as the interstate projects, they are no less important.

Let me briefly highlight just a few of these projects, along with when and where* they will occur…

2013

• Nampa. Widen Amity Road from Chestnut Street to Kings Corner from four to five lanes.
• Eagle. Widen State Highway 44 from Linder Road to Ballantyne Road, including improving the intersection of Linder Road and State Highway 44.
•  Boise Urbanized Area (northern Ada County). Improve transit stops by adding amenities such as shelters, benches, lighting, landing pads, waste disposal, and bicycle racks.

2014

• Canyon County. Replace the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge at the junction of US 20/26.
• Meridian. Add raised pavement markings on Fairview Road from Mitchell Street to Meridian Road and on State Street from Glenwood Street to Collister Drive to improve safety.
• Nampa. Provide bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to connect neighborhoods in southeast and north Nampa to the downtown area and to transit transfer stations.
•  Ada County. Purchase two seven-passenger minivans to expand the Commuteride vanpool program.

2015

• Caldwell. Replace the Plymouth Street Bridge with a new two-lane bridge (the existing bridge will remain in place and used for bicycles and pedestrians).
•  Boise. Rebuild the Broadway Bridge over the Boise River.
• Boise Urbanized Area (northern Ada County). Purchase replacement transit buses.

2016

• Caldwell. Widen 21^st Avenue from Chicago Avenue to Cleveland Boulevard from two to five lanes; upgrade sidewalks, traffic signals, and railroad crossings at the same time.
• Meridian. Widen Franklin Road from two lanes to five lanes from Black Cat Road to Ten Mile Road, including reconstructing the intersection of Franklin Road and Black Cat Road and adding curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and bicycle facilities along Franklin Road.
• Boise State University. Purchase replacement shuttle buses

2017

• Middleton. Construct a new roadway segment to link State Highway 44 and Middleton Road by way of Sawtooth Lake Drive.

Want to see the rest?  Find the complete draft TIP project list for Canyon and Ada Counties for FY2013-2017 at http://www.compassidaho.org/prodserv/transimprovement.htm. Take a moment and submit your comments on the project list before public comment closes at 5:00 pm, Tuesday, September 25, 2012.

(*This list shows where the projects will occur. This is not an indication of what agency(s) is/are building, providing financial match, or receiving funding for the project.)