City Government
Whatta Country! Signs of Independence
September 27, 2006 
Last May the GUARDIAN wrote a detailed post urging Team Dave, the G-Bad Boys, ACHD, Downtown Business Ass–SOMEONE–to get busy and put up some directional signs in Boise.
Instead of taking care of what we have and enjoying our place in this great country, Boise Brass seems intent on just building, expanding, and cutting deals with developers in classic growthophile style.
We think it is shameful to make claims of making Boise the most “livable city in America” and failing to offer simple directional signs. Little Old Independence, Missouri has great signs directing visitors to President Harry Truman’s home on Deleware St. and to the Truman library.
We need signs like the one at the right to direct folks to places like BSU, Old Pen Museum, Capitol Building, Fairgrounds, Lucky Peak, Warm Springs, Depot, Airport, Center on Grove, etc.
The city should be filled with these signs at every major intersection with the listed sights (sites) and arrows. How about some readers making a few phone calls and letters to the editor?
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Sep 28, 2006, 12:10 am
Yeah, but do we really want to expose our ignorance and lack of class by having signs for BoDo, the Taco Bell Arena(Yep, we’ll sell anything to the highest bidder), Zoo Boise(Motto: Yep, we’re a backwards burg), Centre(yep, we’re a few hundred years behind in our spelling lessons) and whatever other idiotic names they might come up with.
Of course, we should have one with something like: Visit the Boise Depot … er, no, you can’t visit it, but you can look at the outside.
I do like the example sign you posted, though. Makes me want to head there right now to see Other Sites. Duh!
Sep 28, 2006, 7:06 am
Boise never has been visitor friendly, and with it’s screwball layout, it’s a nightmare to navigate and all but impossible to sign.
How is a sign going to explain “Left here, but ya gotta go 2 blocks before you can turn left again and at that point, the street changes names, but stay in the left lane or you’ll miss your turn. After the turn, go to the far right lane and around the bank, then left at the alley with the public art?
If the alley is blocked by semi trucks unloading at the convention center, you’ll have to go another 3 blocks north, swing left and park there. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, you wanted directions to the TRAIN Depot instead of OFFICE Depot? It’s closed to the public but if you swing left on 9th and go up the hill, you can glimpse it on your way to the Airport.'”
The real solution is a highly visible, well stocked visitor’s center on the edge of the downtown corridor with city maps that can help tourists navigate our streets and take ’em to the sites they want to see.
Sep 28, 2006, 1:28 pm
Nampa is in the process of signing their city right now. If Boise does it you can bet it will have some corporate logo on the sign like Pizza Hut or Taco Bell.
Oct 5, 2006, 2:29 pm
Hilarious.
While we are on this topic, I saw the article this AM in the MiStakesMan re: illegal bus bench signs. Could this same objection be applied to all the dratted “Ten Commandments” signs that have sprung up all over the valley? There are ordinances governing illegal signage – why don’t they apply to these tacky, trashy reminders that our very dorkiest citizens are hoping all the smart people burn in hell???