It’s bicyclists vs. school parents, churchgoers in dispute over a 3-block Boise bikeway
What’s safest for everyone? That’s the question facing the Ada County Highway District when it comes to a proposed bikeway along 8th Street between Franklin and Union streets.
Though it would cover only three blocks, the bikeway could serve as a key connection between downtown Boise and the North End.
After pushback at an April 27 meeting, ACHD commissioners chose to defer their decision on which bikeway design they wanted to choose. Last week, after nearly four hours of discussion, the commissioners delayed their decision again.
The conflict stems from safety concerns raised by nearby churchgoers and school parents. The loss of parking spots and congestion during school pick-up and drop-off times are at the top of their list. Cyclists who bike through the area testified in favor of the proposal.
The proposal features protected bikeways on both sides of 8th Street from Franklin to Union streets. The bikeways would have 3-foot-wide raised buffers protecting cyclists from parked cars on the west side and moving cars on the east side, since this stretch of 8th Street is only for northbound cars.
“We’re pretty confident that this is going to be the highest level of protection for cyclists while also balancing the public’s needs and access to this location,” ACHD Senior Transportation Planner Brooke Green said at the May 25 meeting.
This modified version accounted for concerns raised in April and moved parking from the east side of 8th Street to the west side in front of St. John’s Cathedral and St. Joseph’s Catholic School. The new version also kept accessible parking spaces in front of St. Michael’s Episcopal Cathedral on 8th Street instead of moving them to the side of the building on State Street.
Still, churchgoers and parents who drop off students at the school opposed the plan. Some didn’t want to have to cross the bike lane to get to the church or school. Others disliked how much parking was being lost.
According to Green, who is also an Idaho state representative, there are 94 on-street parking spots from State to Union streets along 8th. The preferred proposal in April would have kept 46 spots. The modified version, with parking now on the west side of the street, includes 49.
Parents prioritize students’ safety
James Novak, president of the St. Joseph’s Parents Association for the upcoming school year, explained how students getting dropped off or picked up at school would have to cross the bike lane.
“It seems to prioritize cyclists over students’ safety, whether it’s intentional or not,” Novak said.
Dean Papé, a Boise developer and a parent of St. Joseph’s students, questioned the safety of a southbound bike path that goes in the opposite direction of one-way northbound car traffic, also known as a contraflow lane. This type of lane is also in place on 8th Street between Broad and Front streets.
Papé said if he’s helping a child get out of the back seat of a parked car, he’d be facing away from cyclists coming toward himm and parents may be unsuspecting of bicyclists, because cars are headed in the opposite direction.
He complimented the separate plan for a bike lane on 11th Street, a two-way street, that includes protected bike lanes to connect downtown to the North End. The difference, he said, is that 8th Street has more activity that makes for more potential conflicts with cyclists.
“I love the idea of the ability for safety for all,” Papé said. “This proposal does not seem to meet the intent of what it’s made for.”
Green said the modified proposal was a compromise between the public use of the space and the preferences of the nearby property owners. She also said parking is a land-use decision and falls under the guidance of the city of Boise.
The protected bikeways were approved unanimously by the Boise City Council. Council Member Holli Woodings said during ACHD’s May 25 meeting that the city’s vision for 8th Street is not to prioritize any type of user over another. She said she’s lived in the area awhile and has frequently walked and bicycled along the street.
“Very excited that it’s going to serve all of the purposes for which it’s been used throughout the years in a much more user-friendly, safe and accommodating way based on this proposal,” Woodings said.
Woodings highlighted the benefits of creating infrastructure that accommodates more climate-friendly transportation and said a bikeway along 8th Street creates more options for people to get to businesses and their jobs.
Downtown Boise Association Executive Director Jennifer Hensley spoke in favor of the proposal. So did members of the Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance.
Commissioners weigh options
Commissioner Dave McKinney suggested looking into a two-way bike lane on one side of the street.
Commissioner Kent Goldthorpe suggested flipping the on-street parking space and the bicycle paths so that people, and especially children, getting out of parked cars don’t need to cross the bikeway, which was one of the main concerns among people dropping off and picking up kids at school.
Green said that might raise additional hazards, because then cars might be crossing through the bike path.
“I think it’s really important to consider this thoroughly,” Goldthorpe said, “because it would solve the problem of safety for children.”
Green said the ACHD staff could also look into expanding the 3-foot buffer.
The commissioners asked the staff to reconsider the different options and return at a later date with more details.
