New name for Cesar Chavez Lane is set, but Boise State hasn’t announced it yet

Boise State University hasn’t publicly announced it yet, but Ada County records show that Cesar Chavez Lane soon will have a new name.

As originally reported by Boise Dev and confirmed by the Ada County Assessor’s Office, W. Cesar Chavez Lane has been approved to become W. Friendship Lane.

The approval follows Boise State University’s submission of three name options to the county: Friendship Lane, Campus Lane and Peregrine Lane, in that order of preference. In a campuswide survey sent to students, faculty and staff earlier this month, Friendship Lane received seven write-in submissions, while Campus Lane and Peregrine Lane were name considerations proposed by the university.

Of the university’s proposed suggestions, Huerta Lane, a reference to Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers alongside Chavez, ranked first among both faculty and staff, and third among students, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. But it didn’t make the final cut.

The name change comes as a wave of roadways, monuments and holidays are being renamed throughout the country following a New York Times investigation that “raised serious allegations” of sexual abuse by labor rights leader Cesar Chavez.

Of the nearly 2,500 campus community members surveyed, most supported changing the street’s name. A total of 72% of students, 89% of faculty and 80% of staff indicated they agreed or strongly agreed with having the name change.

While the timeline is unclear on when the signage will be updated, W. Friendship Lane is reserved for usage by Boise State University in the current location of W. Cesar Chavez Lane. The street runs along the north side of campus between the university and the Boise River Greenbelt.