BOISE, Idaho — Boise Bench residents and commuters are now tasked with maneuvering a new obstacle put in place on Kootenai Street by the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) to reduce chronic speeding residents attribute to cut-through traffic.
The new design - made possible by a 5-year plan - places chicanes throughout the road. Chicanes are concrete barriers to narrow the road and guide cars past each other in a slight zig-zag pattern.
The intention is to slow down traffic and keep drivers alert behind the wheel.
"There's people walking here. Kids going across the street. Kids use it to walk to school," Depot Bench Neighborhood Association (DBNA) Treasurer Jim Pickett said. "Now, it's designed better for all types of uses."
DBNA has called on ACHD to implement changes to the road since 2015; a minivan ran over 5-year-old Max Wyatt that year nearly killing him. Max attended the ribbon cutting Thursday to see the final chicane design. Max is now in middle school.
"I think they help a lot," Max said. "People can feel safe. They can ride their bike down these streets. They can have a sense of safety here."
Tire tracks are already scuffing up the chicane curbs. Those who oppose the new design are concerned about new dangers introduced between other cars.
"The lanes are not wide enough for two vehicles to pass. Two small vehicles, definitely. But when you have a bus and car trying to go, you can't. Basically, it becomes a game of chicken," Bench resident Holly Huffman said. "It may work. I don't know. I don't think so. It feels like a huge waste of our tax dollars."
Huffman voiced concerns about emergency vehicles driving through the chicanes along with snowplows in the winter. This design better suits emergency vehicles compared to speed bumps and plows can still clear the roads, according to ACHD.
More than 75 percent of homeowners on Kootenai Street supported a 'traffic calming petition,' according to ACHD Commission president Alex Pickering.
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