BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
The Ada County Highway District is planning to start construction in April on safety improvements near Rhodes Skate Park and Interfaith Sanctuary.
Sidewalks and ramps at most corners of the intersections of 15th and Front and 16th and Front will be built out so the sidewalks aren’t as long and pedestrians are more visible. There will also be a button that, when pressed by a walker, will start flashing to alert drivers to stop and allow the pedestrian to cross.
The district is also considering lowering the speed limit, which is currently 30 miles per hour.
“It’s a fairly high pedestrian area with the homeless shelter, and then also you have the skate park down there,” said Matt Degen, manager of safety engineering for the highway district. “So you have pedestrians down there, really all times of the day and night.”
The project is part of the highway district’s new safety engineering group, whose goal is to create projects that can be constructed within a year. Degen took on his role with the group around six weeks ago, after spending several years with the district in other roles.
Last June, after a pedestrian was hit near the aforementioned downtown Boise intersections, Degen and other highway district staff went out to 16th and Americana Boulevard to evaluate the area.
That stretch of road has been an issue for homeless Boiseans, according to Interfaith Sanctuary Executive Director Jodi Peterson-Stigers.
Interfaith Sanctuary, at 1620 W River St., is about one block from Rhodes Skate Park.
“The significant rise in the homeless population and the significant rise of just traffic in that downtown corridor with that speed limit of 35 and that lack of visibility, increased the vehicular pedestrian death and injury,” Peterson-Stigers said. “That area is more congested now with people.”
Hearing of the highway district’s project was “uplifting,” Peterson-Stigers said.
“It feels really good,” Peterson-Stigers said. “... Our homeless population is being so seen right now. That’s a really good feeling.”
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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