The City of Boise is getting ready to update its 1997 comprehensive plan, a document that will include how to integrate better transit (and transit-oriented development)into the city's future. City officials want our opinion, and we'll be delivering it via cool keypad technology at two public meetings this week. From a city news release:
Boise residents are encouraged to help shape the City's future by attending one of two public meetings. The meetings will be Wednesday, February 27, at Ameritel Inn, 7499 W. Overland Rd., and Thursday, February 28, at the Holiday Inn, 3300 Vista Ave. Both meetings will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Residents are welcome to attend which ever meeting is most convenient."
Blueprint Boise is the City's future planning tool that will accommodate forecasted growth in a wise and sensible manner," said Tricia Nilsson, Comprehensive Planning Manager. "Obviously, citizen input is the key to successful planning. That's why its important residents attend one of our public meetings."
Participants will be able to view displays of future concepts and discuss planning options with City planners, and give their views on the types of development they prefer for Boise and their neighborhoods, as well as changes they'd like to see over the next 10-20 years.
"Participants will give input via an electronic polling process,"Nilsson said. "This information will be tabulated and will form the foundation that our planning process will be built. So, I can't stress enough how important public participation will be."
4 comments:
Go, Boise Go!
Put some streetcars in your downtown, they are the most affordable mode, apart from buses, and they pay you back in development.
Check out Portland's experience...it's too far away from you.
I meant, it's NOT too far away from you.
Take a field trip over to Portland and have a ride around on their streetcars and light rail. That will give you hope.
Scott, I love Portland and think it has some of the best transit anywhere. I was riding the MAX during a visit a few years ago when someone approached me with a survey on transit. I gave him an earful! He said plenty of Portlanders complain about their service, but I find that hard to believe.
Our mayor backs the idea of downtown streetcars. Hopefully we can make that happen sooner than later. Historically, Boise was a great streetcar town.
I don't know that I would say streetcars are the most affordable mode, considering it is relatively cheap to run a bus along the same line. However, streetcars will provide more environmentally clean transit. Streetcars work well in Portland and Seattle because there is a lot of density there. Ours in Seattle was recently built and it was paid for by business taxes (LID) from those along the line, and by taxpayers of King County (ala King County Metro). The density along the line is good now, but in about a few months will explode as there are condos going up everywhere. Seattle has good transit, and I believe Boise could have the same. I would hate however to see Boise spend for a streetcar system when that money could have been better spent on say 3 bus lines to Nampa or something like that. Our line at 1.3 miles or something like that cost $52 Million dollars. We are expanding it as we speak, the city is getting specs and plans ready now. For Boise to have a similar line it will probably cost the same if not more due to rising costs of construction. I would rather see better bus service. Not to knock the streetcar down, because I use ours everyday, but I think Boise could get more for the dollar. Especially when the density isn't that great yet in downtown.
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