Valley Regional Transit will not hold public hearings on transit center

This month Valley Regional Transit will decide whether to put a bus center in Downtown Boise at the northeast corner of 11th and Idaho streets or along 10th Street between Main and Bannock streets.

Valley Regional Transit’s board of directors and its management committee will not hold formal public hearings on the transit center at their respective meetings this month. Instead, both groups will review written comment received prior to the meetings.

The public’s chance to view transit center materials and comment on the transit center proposals is to attend an informational open house on Wednesday, March 4, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Owyhee Plaza Hotel, 1109 Main St. Public comments will be accepted until March 18.

Valley Regional Transit management committee will decide the transit center’s location any time on or after March 18.

Both Valley Regional Transit’s board of directors and its management committee are comprised of city and county elected officials from Ada and Canyon counties.

Boise City Council will hold a public hearing March 10 on the transit center. Comments received will be forwarded to Valley Regional Transit, but the council will not decide the transit center's location.

Ada County Highway District, once it is formally asked, will make the final decision on reconfiguring 10th Street from two parking lanes, a bike lane and two travel lanes to two bus lanes and two travel lanes.

“At this point ACHD has not scheduled a meeting on the issue nor has a clear request by Valley Regional Transit for one been made,” ACHD spokesman Craig Quintana said.

TRANSIT CENTER MEETINGS

— Wednesday, March 4: Public open house, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Owyhee Plaza Hotel, 1109 Main St.

— Monday March 9: The Downtown Policy Advisory Committee, the transit center steering committee, meets 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Capital City Development Corp. office, 121 N. 9th St., Suite 501.

— Tuesday, March 10: Boise City Council public hearing on the transit center, 6 p.m., City Hall, third floor, 150 N. Capitol Blvd.

— Wednesday, March 11: Valley Regional Transit Management Committee, 3 p.m., Ada County Courthouse, west conference room, room 3134, 200 W. Front St., Downtown Boise. No public hearing scheduled, but the meeting is open to the public.

— Wednesday, March 18: Valley Regional Transit Board of Directors, 2:30 p.m., Meridian City Hall, 33 E. Broadway Ave. No public hearing scheduled, but the meeting is open to the public.

How to comment: Boise City Council E-mail: mayorandcouncil@cityofboise.org Mayor’s hotline: 384-4404 Fax: 384-4420 Address: 150 N. Capitol Blvd., Boise, ID 83702

Valley Regional Transit E-mail: mcarnopis@valleyregionaltransit.org or kfairless@valleyregionaltransit.org Phone: 846-8547 Address: 830 N. Main St., Suite 230, Meridian, ID 83642.

Also, anyone interested in commenting on the proposed locations can download a comment form by following the link to the right of this story. This form can be faxed to 323-1983, or mailed to RBCI, 1945 Wildwood St., Boise, ID 83713. Comments also can be sent to rosemary@rbci.net.