This eminent but busy Boise street got a lower speed limit. Now drivers may be slowed again
Your trips down Harrison Boulevard are likely going a little more slowly now, and they could get slower still.
Ada County Highway District officials say they’ve heard from residents concerned about speeds and traffic on the street, which can see as many as 14,000 cars in a day, according to traffic counts from ACHD. It is a major route to downtown for North End residents and commuters coming down Hill and Bogus Basin roads.
That’s why officials from the district are considering a hybrid proposal that creates uniform speeds on the street and could slow drivers down more.
The first step has been to standardize speeds at 25 miles per hour. Previously, cars were allowed to go 30 while heavier trucks were required to go slower. Now, all vehicles are limited to 25 mph.
Bruce Wong, executive director of ACHD, says the change has been well-received by those living nearby. He told a joint meeting of the ACHD commissioners and the Boise City Council this week that people who use the street to get back to the Foothills don’t like the slower limit. Also, some people who live on 15th Street, two streets over, have expressed concern that people might opt to take that street instead.
The second step may be to address the infrastructure of Harrison Boulevard.
Wong said ACHD is looking into a variation of a chicane — a curve in the road designed to force drivers to slow. The district suggested chicanes at the intersections of Harrison and Irene, Lemp, Eastman and Resseguie streets.
“If we can address the issues at these four intersections, it could produce not only a speed-limit cue but a visual cue to all drivers,” Wong said. “We might be able to slow the speed down to make it safer across the board.”
ACHD would install soil beds on parts of the road that expand the center median. Those would force users to make a slight turn. Research shows such shapes slow drivers down and make roads safer, Wong said.
The district has never installed a chicane before, Wong said. Harrison Boulevard presents a good chance to test the idea as a quick solution that does not require expensive, major construction, he said.
He said ACHD officials have met with the president of the North End Neighborhood Association about it. Next, ACHD plans to hold an open house in August to gather neighbors’ feedback.
If the idea is not liked, Wong said ACHD would do additional studies on how Harrison could be improved. If neighbors like the concept, it could become a template for speed reductions on streets in other neighborhoods, he said.
Construction could begin on Harrison Boulevard as soon as next year.
Some members of the Boise City Council expressed interest. Patrick Bageant said ACHD would need to get more people on board than just those who live on Harrison.
“It’s an important street to people who live there, and it’s a very important street to people who live from 18th or 19th down to 15th or 12th,” Bageant said.
Council President Elaine Clegg called the idea exciting. She encouraged ACHD and city staff to keep close tabs on the information received to see whether it could be used in other areas.
Mayor Lauren McLean said she loved the proposal.
“If we can do cheap projects like that just to collect some data and see if it works, how it works and then look at what’s next, that would be great,” McLean said.
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
.jpg)