Boise North End speed limits set to decrease, but residents say it’s not enough
Drivers will need to slow down in Boise’s North End beginning in the new year. A pilot program announced by the Ada County Highway District will enforce lower speeds and encourage safer streets for pedestrians.
Starting in January, the speed limits will be reduced to 20 mph on 8th Street, 9th Street, 15th Street, 16th Street, Fort Street, Hays Street and Harrison Boulevard, streets that are currently 25 to 30 miles per hour. Additionally, ACHD will also install pedestrian crossing flags at marked crosswalks along Harrison.
Many North End residents say the neighborhood needs more than just signs to reduce drivers’ speeds and make the streets safe for pedestrians.
The North End Neighborhood Association held a community meeting Wednesday evening to discuss street safety concerns, a month after the death of an 8-year-old girl who was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Ada Street and Harrison in November.
Community members voiced their frustration over the lack of marked crosswalks, dangerous driving and low visibility in the North End to government representatives present at the meeting, including Mayor Lauren McLean, ACHD officials and police officers.
ACHD Director Ryan Head announced the plan — the North End Neighborhood Slow Zone Pilot program — at the meeting, and he said it will be a first step in making changes for pedestrian safety.
”We don’t really believe in just putting up signs and hoping that they work and just leaving it at that,” Head said during the meeting. “We want to actually see results, and so that is our goal. If, as we go through this process, we find that there’s not an impact, we’ll continue to look at other ideas.”
Head added that ACHD will partner with the city and school districts to promote education around street safety.
Another issue community members brought up in the North End is cars being parked too close to an intersection or crosswalk, creating visibility hazards. Under Idaho law, it is illegal to park within 30 feet of a stop sign or 20 feet of a crosswalk, whether marked or unmarked.
ACHD said in its press release about the speed changes that enhanced parking enforcement is underway.
Over a three-month period, the City of Boise and ACHD plan to monitor the slow-zone areas to evaluate if this is an effective measure to reduce drivers’ speeds and promote safety. If it’s successful, Head said, the program could be implemented in other areas of the city.
McLean, who also spoke at the meeting, said the city and roads agency will partner to bring safer streets around Boise.
“Boise belongs to all of us, and we have a responsibility to look out for each other when it comes to sharing our roads,” McLean said in ACHD’s press release. “Across our city, every neighborhood is asking for safer streets for everyone — pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike.”
At the meeting, residents broke into small groups and discussed what solutions they want to see in their neighborhood.
Many said they believed lowering speed limits likely won’t be enough because Harrison doesn’t have the infrastructure to slow traffic. Residents said they want to see more stops signs, more marked crosswalks, painted curbs and flashing pedestrian crossing lights.
Along the North End’s largest street, Harrison Boulevard, there are no stoplights or stop signs, and there is one pedestrian crossing light at Lemp Street. Many intersections also don’t have a marked crosswalk.
North End resident Noelle Rudolph told the crowd that she and others are especially concerned about the lack of pedestrian safety infrastructure on Harrison.
“Harrison is unique. It’s historic. It should have crosswalks painted to remind people of our most fragile citizens, who are pedestrians, who are our children, and we want to see more physical deterrence to slow traffic,” Rudolph said. “You can’t just put it all on the onus of putting up signs. That’s the first step. We need things to physically reduce the speed.”
She said she hopes to see ACHD and the city “invest in the changes that are going to protect people.”
This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 4:20 PM.
