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Do you like the idea of the Boise Streetcar?
Did you know that electric streetcars were THE main mode of transportation in the Boise area from the 1890s to the late 1920s? Mayor Dave Bieter's vision is to bring the streetcars back! The City of Boise, along with the Capital City Development Corp. - is working on a plan right now. A 35 member Task Force of Boise business leaders is also involved.
The mayor says a downtown streetcar could really help development and revitalization. It would operate on rails (like the one pictured above) and have a fixed route. Here is the route for phase one:
It does have critics, though. The capital cost of the initial phase of a streetcar in Boise is expected to be $50 to $65 million. Where will that money come from? Federal grants, local funding options, and taxes. Some people are worried it will cost too much, and some local business owners are worried they will have to pay high taxes to cover it. Portland has a streetcar - and according to Boise Streetcar planners - it cost 100 million dollars to build and has attracted $3.5 billion dollars in new business and development within 3 blocks of the line. Little Rock and Tampa have also have seen increases in local business with the addition of a streetcar system. Other cities are currently considering a streetcar too, we're not the only city working on this. The question is, is this streetcar project a good idea to take on in our current economy? Is it too much for a city of our size?
OPEN HOUSE
Today there is a City of Boise OPEN HOUSE where you can get more information (and voice your opinion) about the Boise Streetcar - and what it would mean to the city, and to you. It's from 11:30 to 8pm today at the old Birkenstock store at 821 WEST IDAHO STREET in downtown Boise. If you go, you can provide feedback on written comment cards. The Streetcar Task Force will submit findings to the Boise City Council at the end of this year.
5 CommentsLeave a comment |
The city has done a great job downtown but it's time to stop doting over it and work on other, less-favored areas of the city. The Bench is full of struggling, run-down strip malls and trailer parks that need renewal and reinvestment. It's been a couple of years since people were evicted en masse from a trailer park so it's fallen off the radar but the issue is still there. Hello Mayor Bieter: Boise does not end at the river. The Bench is losing its landmarks and yet the city is silent; downtown and the Foothills seem to be the favored areas of the city for action.
While they stress that the loop is 2.6 miles long, the reality is that it is effectively only just over a mile long (15 blocks down, over one block, 15 blocks back).
Other than joy riders, no one is going to ever ride the entire 2.6 mile loop. More likely, someone might ride it for a fraction of a mile, get off, and walk over a block to their destination (it would be considerably quicker than staying on it until it loops back to the location you are going to). Depending how long it takes for the next streetcar to arrive...it may be faster to just walk.
$50 to $65 million when 1000's in the valley are starving and homeless? Officals need to be grounded of there hi-fling pie in the sky idea's and take care of those who have for years paid there wages. DUMB is this idea. Who will ride it? are there tens of thousands of daily people? If not FORGET IT! WHO's polling for ? Maggie, no one is paying attention,1000's in the valley are really really hurting!Do a special investigative report, the #'s will horrify you!!
Just think how many additional buses and routes that amount of money would buy.
About Light Rail Service or Bus Rapid Transit
When elected as Nampa Mayor, I promise to partner with Boise and other surrounding communities in order to push for light rail service or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from Caldwell to Boise. Traffic on I-84 (even when there's no construction) is frustrating to all. Those that drive into Boise for work, lose way to much time off from their personal lives waiting in heavy traffic,accidents rates are too high, and we are polluting our air. We needed a lite rail or BRT system yesterday, and I will fight hard for that until we get one or the other.
Volunteers wanted in order to get over 56,000 signers for an initiative petition for a light rail or BRT system. You will volunteer for my newly formed non-profit "The Idaho Coalition on Good Transportation and Clean Air". these signatures must be obtained by September 2010 and will be used to get a light rail or BRT initiative on the statewide ballot that brings these services from Caldwell to Boise. Signers must be registered voters. Folks this will save Treasure Valley citizens money on fuel and upkeep for their vehicles, and will save them precious time to and from work. Some funds for this would be throughTransportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants and would come from stimulus funds through the U.S. Department of Transportation To volunteer contact Melissa Sue Robinson at (208) 442-3920 or email us at: msuerobinson@msn.com