ACHD
Bikes vs Car Lanes Remains Undecided
UPDATED POST 5/22/14 Boise’s City council has passed a resolution asking to make the bike lanes permanent. The ACHD has offered to revisit any decisions at a June 4 meeting. A KBOI radio’s Nate Shelman launched a “no” campaign which triggered a big turnout of bike advocates at the ACHD Wednesday meeting. We noticed Capitol […]
Simplot, Gardner Projects Differ In Funding
The announcement by the J. R. Simplot Company to build a nine story headquarters at 11th and Front while Gardner plans a new project at 8th and Main brings to mind the differences in funding. Simplot’s project won’t depend on public money like the Gardner project which depends of lots of public money–just for the […]
Fate Of Downtown Boise Unknown In 2017
The GUARDIAN has been doing some preliminary inquiries regarding the fate of downtown Boise after the Central District urban renewal project expires in 2017. As it sits currently, no one can offer us a definitive answer to questions of ownership, management, and responsibility for certain Capital City Development Corp. properties. For instance, CCDC owns 8th […]
Why No Parking Along Desert Road? MPG Overtakes Speed in 18 Years
Taking a little Sunday drive with Mrs. GUARDIAN we noticed a couple of “NO PARKING” signs along Kuna-Mora Rd. south of I-84 east of Boise. The seemed so out of place we stopped to see if we could figure just why they were installed. There isn’t a structure within sight. There wasn’t another road or […]
GUARDIAN Reader Seeks Second Opinion
Calling himself “Boise Cynic,” a long time GUARDIAN reader has taken it upon himself to seek a 2nd opinion on how downtown Boise should be managed with regard to traffic, pedestrians, and bikes. BY BOISE CYNIC Request to ACHD, Boise City, CCDC and/or BSU: Please pay for urban planner Robert Bruegmann to come to Boise […]
Is Boise Losing “Small Town” Flavor?
With all the pressure Boise’s Team Dave is putting on the Ada County Highway District, Urban Renewal, Autitorium District, and Valley Transit, we growthophobes have to conclude their efforts are aimed at justifying a TROLLEY through urban growth. While they try to make a case for trains, trolley, street car or circulator there seems to […]
Bulging Boise’s Bungled Building Boom
At the risk of posting another typical “growthophobe” story, we offer up a major caution in the rush to embrace the Gardner folks’ latest plan for downtown Boise. As wise businessmen, they are gathering as much public funding as possible to build on some pretty small plots adjacent to the Grove Hotel and the U.S. […]
Desire Named Street Car Rears Its Ugly Head Yet Again
Thousands of tax dollars later, Team Dave’s desire named street car has resurfaced. This time around instead of hiring a PR outfit to creat public support for Mayor Dave Bieter’s dream of a “downtown circulator,” City officials are aiming for a Jan. 29 meeting to seek “input” on what type of circulator in the downtown […]
Downtown Has Moved To Eagle & Fairview
Eagle Road has become Main Street and Meridian is quickly becoming the new “China” for Boise planners, politicos and purchasers–threatening to either own or control everything from highway dollars to retail market share. While Boise has been preoccupied filling the former “hole in the ground” with a mirrored skyscraper, Meridian (Idaho’s third largest city) has […]
Transit Center Heads Underground
If Valley Regional Transit and Capital City Development Corp. (CCDC) get their way, Boise’s highest and lowest structures will be at the same downtown intersection of 8th and Main. That is the latest planned location for a “multi model transportation center,” but this time they are looking at hiding the bus station underground diagonally across […]
Boise Coppers Give More Than Tickets To Bikers
Following up on a GUARDIAN post in October, Boise Police are now stopping bicyclists without lights. Rather than pass out expensive tickets, the officers will be offering a safety briefing and FREE lights to make the cyclists more visible. Coppers joined ranks with the Ada County Highway District to provide the temporary lights which are […]
ACHD To Boise: “Paybacks Are A Bitch”
Boise’s Team Dave has a history of bad relations with various cities as well as Ada County and the recent “Parking War” is just another example of not playing nice. The Wednesday vote by the Ada County Highway District to deny the city permission to embed “hocky puck” sensors into streets to track vehicle use […]
Boise Wins Political “Hockey Game” 3-2
Boise City’s Team Dave won a “hockey game” at Wednesday’s Ada County Highway District meeting where the issue of embedding hockey puck-like parking sensors in the street was discussed. In the end it was 3-2 in favor of allowing the pucks, but not before ACHD chair Sara Baker got in a few high stick swings […]
ACHD Commish Weighs In On Parking
ACHD Commish Rebecca Arnold, stressing her comments are her own opinion and not that of the ACHD board, sent a letter to the Boise City Council to be read at Tuesday’s public hearing. She claims a local developer wants the rate hike to benefit a private parking structure he wants to build. The GUARDIAN offers […]
ACHD “Can’t Get No Respect” From Boise
As the Downtown parking wars escalate, don’t expect approval of installing a hockey puck-shaped sensor device linked to hi-tech parking meters to be a slam-dunk at Wednesday’s Ada County Highway District meeting. Boise’s City Council will hold a public hearing at noon Tuesday to consider a 50% rate hike at meters and Saturday enforcement. Ironically, […]
City Ponders 50% Parking Rate Hike
Boise’s City Council, and the Department of Finance and Administration are forging ahead with plans to raise the rates 50% for on-street parking and extend the enforcement to include evenings and Saturdays. The avowed reason is to drive street parking motorists back into the parking garages, according to some reports. Boise WEEKLY has a good […]
Bieter Not So Subtle In Run For Gov.
The past few days of news in the Daily Paper citing Boise’s mayor and his wisdom on jobs, highway impact fees, Guv Butch Otter, attracting business, all lead us to conclude he is running for governor. According to an ACHD press release, the mayor spouts anecdotes like Ronald Reagan–worth a laugh, but shy on facts. […]
Iron Man Good For Some Businesses, Traffic Nightmare
Several tales of “you can’t get there from here” over road closures due to the Iron Man event Saturday have reached the GUARDIAN. We would like to hear your take on it. Anything from delayed trips to the market, increased business at your restaurant or hotel, to cost for coppers. Who benefits, who suffers? Are […]
Visit To Downtown Boise Can Have Hidden Costs
The GUARDIAN would never put forth a conspiracy theory about charging for on street parking to garner support for a trolley or to force motorists to use parking garages, especially when the parking people at City Hall say the intent is to merely create “turnover” between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Its all part of […]
Transit Center Derailed Before First Spade Of Dirt Is Turned
Valley Regional Transit has joined the ranks of Team Dave when it comes to getting the proverbial cart before the horse. VRT is sending out press releases saying the agency is moving forward on a downtown “Multi-Modal Transit Center” and solicits a private partner on the project. All this despite the owner of the land–Idaho […]
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