The proposed STAR-eligible development just provides a light at the end of the tunnel – allowing planners to finally add the needed roadway improvments to the list. A lot of attention has been given to the extra lanes, but the real system benefit to the through traffic (those not going to, or comming from, the development) will be the inclusion of access control measures (raised medians, and better signal coordination). These will lessen turning movements and decrease congestion in the corridor.

In reality the developer should not be reimbursed for any roadway capacity that benefits his development solely – this is his to bear to make his investment profitable (not the publics). But, roadway improvements come in big chunks (whole lanes, whole intersections). Perhaps the development will actually only require a fraction of the proposed improvements – but you can’t build a fraction of a lane. The developer should be reimbursed for the portion of the roadway improvements that benefit the general public, but for which his development will receive only small (if any) benefit. Call it his non-prorated share.

If anything should be highlighted by this discussion it is the inequity of the gas tax distribution. District 3 (the Treasure Valley plus a little more) generates well over 40% of all gas tax revenue for the state – a lot of people, buying a lot of gas, putting a lot of cars and wear & tear on the District 3 roads. But, District 3 gets less than 20% of the gas tax revenue to build and maintain its roads.

The valley is a big economic engine for the entire state, and we buy a lot of the product from the communities in the other districts. Unfortunately, our state highways the district suffer for the urban/rural divide in the legislature.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a state sales tax reapportionment – if done fairly. If anything it may help strike a balance in the gas tax distribution problem. The real difficulty is the lack of “sideboards” in the legislation (the Guv’s term, not mine). There’s no language in the statute that would put the breaks on an overly large reapportionment that could hurt the rural areas.

Please note that ITD does note have the legal authority to charge Impact Fees (yet) – and Eagle Road is actually State Highway 55. And there’s a general misconception about Impact Fees – they can’t be used to improve roadway conditions. That’s right, if the system sucks when you begin collecting such fees, the money can only be used to make sure that the system won’t suck more. And, not a penny of Impact Fees can be used for the operation or maintenance of roadways. Right now, well over 75% of ITD’s budget is spent on O&M – and that figure is climbing every day as salaries increase (to keep up with cost of living), employer healthcare costs increase, fuel costs increase (with no increase in the per gallon gas tax), and every construction material known to man is increasing in cost.

The STAR program is only one “tool” to address a fiscal crisis (and a short term one at that) – but it can’t be the only one. The folks who reside in Boise’s other big hole have to roll up their sleeves and look at the big picture. What we need is a Copernican Revolution in the way we fund infrastructure in this state.

Though not a Republican, I am fond of Lincoln’s 1854 notion on governance,

“The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves – in their separate, and individual capacities.”

One indisputable fact is that Idaho is Republican Central and our ‘leaders’ will continue to give as many breaks as possible to Big Business. That’s what we get in a country whose motto should be “Never Let Common Sense Stand In The Way Of Making A Buck”.

The sad part of this story is that ANYONE is willing to spend $15M to buy another dead horse because beating the ones we already have isn’t working.

Einstein defined insanity as continuing to do the same thing over and over and over and over again, and somehow expecting to get a different result. Look at the history of Eagle Road over the last ten years and make your own diagnosis of our culture.

Besides, “Q: How many lanes does Eagle Road need to handle all the drivers from California? A: Nobody knows, because as long as there’s one Idaho driver on Eagle Road, traffic will be screwed up.”

What I am seeing are developers tearing up ground because they have the financing to accomplish that and need to use it within a specific timeframe. But it does not at all seem certain they will actually build structures on that newly chewed up land or if they do, that they will find tenants. There seems to be an enormous amount of willful activity — a destructive kind of bravado saying: See the economy is fine, jump right in — I have credit so can you.

What this valley needs is to take a deep breath; count to 10; look around and see what is needed, and then proceed with caution.

I agree with those who say a major regional shopping facility on that corner would simply draw from others, already collecting sales taxes that go directly to the state without being drained off for a development scam.

If they want the new development so badly, they should just pay for the road and consider it part of their investment in those stores etc.

By the way, are all the stores already out there making so much money that we just need to have some new businesses to take it away from them?

Still, widening Eagle Road is good. It’s already a lot of fun to turn right onto E.R. from another street and then try to force your way toward the left so you can turn left later to get where you need to go.
Working your way across even more lanes would be even more fun — and should create even more work for the tow truck drivers, police, ambulance crews, hospitals, maybe even the mortuaries — see, it’s good for business, more jobs, more pay, etc.
Should make evrybody happy.

What, in fact, do you do for a living??? Other than bless us with your griping, that is. My guess is you’re a retired postal worker who moved from California a few years back. You’re interested in keeping this place economically stunted and keeping any newcomers out.

So, there may be a slight chance that I am not a myopic moron? Maybe just a regular moron?

FYI….Dog is considering running for mayor. Vote Dog, I promise to do my duty.