Traffic
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 […]
Illuminating Idea Could Save Bike Riders Lives, Offer Coppers Chance To Issue More Than Tickets
The GUARDIAN has posted numerous stories promoting bike safety and invariably the comments turn to “Bikes vs Cars.” We don’t know any car drivers who want to hit bikers, but we sure see a lot of bikers who simply disregard their own safety. In nearly 50 years of working and living in Boise we have […]
Bike Death Prompts Safety Reminder
Four years ago the GUARDIAN posted a story encouraging BIKE SAFETY and it is probably time for a re-run. Thursday morning’s fatal accident which is possibly a hit and run (the driver may or may not have known) involving a bicycle at 30th and State is a reminder that cyclists need to have proper apparel […]
Coppers Use “Manual” Red Light Cams
Just a day after announcing a crackdown on red light runners, Boise coppers cited a driver who allegedly ran a red light and whacked a bicycle hard enough to break the bike frame while causing only scrapes to the rider. The incident happened at Latah and Rose Hill Tuesday morning. That driver was not caught […]
You Be The Judge On 8th Street
Tuesday morning the GUARDIAN watched over coffee at 8th Street just south of Bannock as an unsuspecting motorist fell victim to the heartless Boise Parking machine. The guy carefully backed into a parking spot behind a beer truck. He aligned his shiny black car within the lines, exited his vehicle and confronted the meter. A […]
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, […]
ISP Top Copper Writes First Ticket In 11 Years
A young Owyhee County driver has earned a distinction he would probably rather not own. His 70 mph run through a 35 mph chip seal construction zone, including passing Idaho State Police Col. Ralph Powell, prompted Powell to issue the first citation he has written in 11 years. The ISP boss was on Highway 78 […]
Reader: Motorcyclists Should Pay $40, Forget The Ride
GUARDIAN reader Erico49 sent us a self-described rant today after a weekend of hearing Rolling Thunder along Interstate 84. He also sent a copy to the Idaho Transportation Department. “I question whether it’s a good idea to slow down traffic on the Interstate for 50 miles twice in one day with a caravan of motorcycles–regardless […]
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 […]
Boise Has No Authority For Trolley
Looks like that pesky IDAHO CONSTITUTION has gotten in the way of Team Dave once again. Mayor Dave Bieter is set to ask the City Council Tuesday for funds for yet another street car, trolley study. What he should be doing is sucking up to the ACHD Commishes because that group holds ALL the cards […]
ACHD Has App To Report Street Issues
While they haven’t issued shovels to motorists yet, ACHD has a new app for electronic devices which allows drivers to report issues electronically–as long as they don’t text and drive. Now you can connect to the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) and report roadway issues from your smartphone. We took a look at it and […]
GBAD “Directional Plan” Keeps Visitors Aimless
Since the GUARDIAN has advocated directional signs at major Boise intersections for more than 5 years, we were encouraged to receive the minutes from an April 6 Greater Boise Auditorium District (G-BAD) meeting which discussed “directional statements.” We read things like, “…meetings to determine directional statements…make sure we are on the right path…state how where […]
Thoughts From The Road
The day job has the GUARDIAN on the road making photographs and observing the “American Condition.” We share some random observations. –The new bridge across the Coloorado River below Hoover Dam is a great time saver if you are headed south of Las Vegas, but you can’t see it (or the dam) as you drive […]
Big Brother Bieter’s Meters Monitored
Inquiring minds have asked the GUARDIAN about credit card security on the new parking meters being tested in the downtown area–thank goodness they haven’t put them on the Bench yet! Our sources tell us the credit card is swiped and the info goes via radio signal–like a cell phone–from each meter to a bank processing […]
Busiest Intersection In Idaho Is Eagle & Fairview
Afa County Highway District has released its 2011 traffic counts, placing several intersections in a tight competition for busiest in the county–and in most cases probably the state.
Eagle Council Wants Greenbelt Open To Bikes In G.C.
In a move that may be a wave of the future, yet another local government has joined the will of the people. The Citizens for an Open Greenbelt (COG) made its case to the Eagle City Council on Tuesday, seeking to get the Greenbelt opened to bikes in the Garden City stretch currently blocked to […]
Serious Attitude On Speeding In Canada
The day job took the GUARDIAN editor on a lengthy road trip during the past couple of weeks, including a spin around the North Shore of Lke Superior in Canada. The 90 kph speed limit translates to 55 mph. These big blue and yellow signs were an intimidating factor when it came to passing someone […]
Idaho Cities Battle For Convention Dollars
GROWTHOPHOBE (growth o phobe)–”One who opposes growth just for the sake of growth. Usually refers to municipalities and governments seeking to increase population and attract businesses merely for the sake of growing without due regard to long term affect on citizens and taxpayers.” The opposite of GROWTHOPHOBE is GROWTHOPHILE and that special breed seems prolific […]
Ironman Event To Dominate Boise Streets
Boise is in the middle of a five year run of Ironman constest which will have a major impact on driving patterns around the city on Saturday. What a wonderful thing it is to be chosen to host this run-swim-bike contest of athletes. The economic impact and notoriety should help bring jobs and business to […]
Recent Comments