Missing restaurant patios? Boise just opened this street for socially distanced dining
Eighth Street is open for extended patio dining.
Mayor Lauren McLean announced Thursday that the downtown Boise street known for its variety of restaurants would close to cars at 11 a.m., allowing businesses and restaurants to expand their patios into the street.
Effective Thursday, the street will be closed to vehicle traffic every day, except for deliveries from 6 to 11 a.m. A lane will remain open for use by the Fire Department, cyclists and pedestrians.
The closures is on 8th north of Idaho Street to Bannock Street. Traffic is still allowed south of Idaho. The block between Main and Idaho will have slight modifications to parking and sidewalks. Signage, barriers, ramps and detectable edges have also been added to ensure accessibility, according to a news release.
Boise does not control most of its roads — the Ada County Highway District does, except for state highways — but 8th Street from Bannock to Main is an exception.
The Boise City Council passed a resolution on May 19 that supported allowing businesses to expand their footprints on the street to allow for better social distancing. That, the resolution says, could empower businesses to “reopen responsibly and profitably” from the coronavirus lockdown.
“I think it’s important that we as a city let all our businesses know how important it is for them to be open, that we need them for recovery,” City Council President Elaine Clegg said at the time.
Boise now joins the ranks of several U.S. cities that have closed roads to vehicles since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.
City officials are working with business leaders in other parts of the city to explore similar closures. They would depend on the approval from ACHD, the Boise Fire Department and the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control.
This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 10:40 AM.
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