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Bieter Forgot To Ask Permission of ACHD
June 5, 2008 
Not only did Team Dave’s four year target to build a trolley seem overly optimistic, it didn’t consider the streets or permission to use them.
The GUARDIAN contacted the Ada County Highway District–the agency with authority over ALL streets in Ada County–asking about the Bieter trolley proposal.
The response from an ACHD spokesman illustrates a classic “cart before the horse.”
“…nobody (at ACHD) has been approached by Mayor Bieter or anybody else from Boise about a light rail downtown in the next four years. The closest we can come is the Downtown Mobility Study, which talked about a circulator shuttle bus that could someday morph into “a future rail or streetcar system” (p. 13, executive summary).
We’re willing to listen when/if asked.
Our major condition as a first step before considering any change would be an extensive public process that looks at the pros and cons and gives people a say on whether or not they’d like to entertain giving up lanes for light rail.”
The GUARDIAN also thought it odd to consider using revenues generated by parking cars in public garages to fund a transit system designed to DECREASE the use of cars parking garages!
It’s sort of like funding libraries with revenues from sale of surplus property that has never even been offered for sale.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Jun 5, 2008, 7:58 pm
Leadership sometimes requires you to do just that, lead. I commend the mayor for his work in this area.
Portland Oregon very successfully uses parking fees to pay for their successful street car system. The fees are a great source of funds and it helps encourage people to use the streetcar, decreasing traffic, congestion, and the need for more roads. Don’t worry there are still plenty of people parking.
Jun 6, 2008, 7:31 am
Now, that sort of comment, coming from any other source would be pretty damning. However, coming from ACHD, it sounds like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
Keep in mind that ACHD routinely admits county roads are over capacity, Hill, Cartwright, Harrison and ultimately State jump to mind, and then approve massive adjacent subdivisions anyway. (Think Dry Creek Ranch, Cartwright Ranch, and others.)
So, the fact that the City hasn’t asked for permission to build the trolley, or the fact that there isn’t room on the streets for the trolley tracks, shouldn’t slow the process one bit. This is business as usual for ACHD and the City.
Jun 6, 2008, 7:50 am
I’m still trying to figure out where he got the 37% decrease in crime in the last decade. No mention of the forclosure rate that was partially spawned by the unrealistic extensions of sewer and the kowtowing to developers.
Jun 7, 2008, 12:54 pm
The rise in gas prices has given this country the bad medicine it needs to kick the oil habit. Research and Innovation around the country will bring some great alternatives with regard to mass transit. But for now Boise is too broad and not dense enough to justify these huge projects. I say we start a war chest and save our money. Let our regional neighbors spend money on huge projects that might work. Lets learn from their mistakes. Bide our time, do some research and spend the money wisely.
Jun 7, 2008, 11:54 pm
You really think Bieter forgot? I think he ignored them because ACHD sucks.
Jun 9, 2008, 5:36 pm
Actually, the answer to all these problems is in the photo: Get a horse and buggy.
EDITOR NOTE–As opposed to a buggy and horse!
Jun 9, 2008, 7:48 pm
Actually, given the intense amount of indifference to the energy issue by our politicians at the national level (not to mention their appallingly bad foreign policies), we may all by riding horses sooner that you might think.
But any disasters that may result from the energy crisis will pale into insignificance when compared to the human suffering that will result when the world-wide population bomb explodes.
Jun 9, 2008, 10:18 pm
So, we hire this “heavy-hitter” consulting group to tell us what’s wrong with the transportation issues in the valley and they say the city needs to play nice with the other agencies. Fast forward to the first opportunity and the baboon ignores ACHD, doesn’t even make them aware of his “new, innovative plan for a trolley” designed to do nothing but make him appear to be concerned (which he isn’t). Wow! The baboon is truly living up to his prior reputation! Way to go Baboon!!!
Jun 11, 2008, 2:36 pm
Holy (*^(*&#! “Baboon”? How unbelievably rude! What is your problem? Whatever it is, I hope you are actually working on it and not just laying around criticising people. Grow up.
Jun 11, 2008, 10:50 pm
As I have stated prior, the city has been accused of being the 800 pound gorilla in the valley. As a gorilla is a magnificent animal, and a baboon is a sneaky little ambush predator, The head idiot of this city is obviously a baboon. Coupled with his 4 chimps, they make an awesome team that has gotten us into the mess we are currently in.
Rude? You bet! Working on it? Not hardly! Growing up? You have to grow older, not up! As long as we have such a travesty for a transit system, city officials that can’t see beyond the concept of a choo-choo, A depot that isn’t open to the citizens, and spending 4 million dollars on a wading pool for kayakers, Baboon it will stay!