Comments for “North Boise Bicycle & Pedestrian Neighborhood Plan”
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Blinking light to help cross
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Mornings and late afternoon/evening traffic is very dense. Cars bumper to bumper, are speeding and do not stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. This bumper-to-bumper traffic will be made worse by the 36th street round about.
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A 4-way stop is needed at this intersection. This is heavily traveled by pedestrians and children en route to Elm Grove Park, and it would be much safer with a stop sign to slow down traffic traveling north on 22nd street.
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Drain on the North-East corner of this intersection is blocked, so intersection is flooded whenever it rains.
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Motorists do an incredibly poor job of stopping at the stop sign on Sunset before turning left onto 20th. Additionally, many turn left onto 20th without having sufficient visibility down Hill to see that a car is coming/turning right. Recommend prohibiting left turns at this intersection.
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Sidewalks are spotty all through this area. On some streets they travel for 2/3 of the block, and then abruptly end for no apparent reason (e.g., no obstacle)... But on many/most in this part of the North End, there are no sidewalks on either side of the street, making travel much more dangerous for pedestrians.
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We need a stop sign or other to slow traffic down. A 1st grade little girl almost was run over by someone texting on their phone as they drove past. I literally stepped out into the street and stopped traffic to allow the young girl to cross.
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Sidewalk comes to abrupt end on east side of Bogus Basin, from just above Parkhill to Ranch Road. I observe substantial pedestrian and bicycle traffic (and walk and bike along here myself); a crosswalk at the Ranch Rd intersection would be great, as would an extension of the sidewalk on that side of the road - which actually might in itself reduce the need for a crosswalk there.
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There needs to be a crossing light here. The children that are supposed to be doing crossing guard duty are usually playing and are more of a distraction than a help. An adult crossing guard might be an viable option too.
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Other people have alluded to this specific issue, but it can't be restated enough; The sheer amount of traffic on 15th, and Harrison, going either direction is seriously effecting the safety of the area, not to mention the quality and tranquility of life. Whenever I cross 15th, going West or East, I experience a very unsafe situation. Hardly any cars stop for pedestrians. When on foot you are left having to wait for an opening and then make haste. At almost any time of day you can sit anywhere on 15th and witness a ceaseless drone of cars, of which nearly all are significantly above the speed limit. This speed limit, 30 mph, is much too high for this type of neighborhood considering the foot traffic (current and desired) not to mention two schools. It's sad to everyday witness school children walking and having to wait for an opening across because people passing through the neighborhood won't slow for kids. Traveling this street frequently, I know first hand that it is impossible to maintain the 30 mph speed limit while simultaneously recognizing pedestrians blocked visually by parked cars to have any chance of safely stopping in time. This is assuming all your attention is devoted to driving safely and not talking on a cell phone. Something must be done about the level and unsafe nature of the car traffic on 15th and Harrison. The driver load is only increasing as the foothills continue to develop.
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I cross here almost everyday going East and West and during about half of those crossings I experience a driver driving South from Hill onto 13th going at an unsafe speed nearly hit me or someone else and it doesn't seem like they're even aware.
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The sidewalk abruptly ends here. It is a blind corner and cars can't see you if you walk in the road.
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There is a sidewalk on the west side of the street that goes to within 4 lots of Elm Grove with no large trees preventing extending this the rest of the way. Something to consider.
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I've lived in the north end for 30 years and have always known that Irene is the worst East-West Street for riding a bike on due to the car traffic. Bikes should ride on Heron, Hazel, or Bella to avoid car traffic. On numerous occasions I've seen parents riding bikes down Irene with small children in tow. Why would you do this and not take a different street?
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I live here on 23rd St., and the comment about no sidewalks and cars parked on the street is spot on. However, in my experience, the main issue is that cars routinely speed down this street, especially between Grace St. and Dora Ln. It's a long distance between stop signs and drivers use this as an artery. I strongly recommend a 3-way stop at Grace and 23rd, and/or speed bumps on 23rd St. to slow car traffic down.
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Sidewalks please. I see kids and parents headed to Lowell School and Pool as well as to the Montessori on 26th as well as to Elm Grove Park. A few speed bumps wouldn't hurt as well, just carry them forward from the southern part of 26th all the way up to hill.
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The intersection at 8th and Front should be re-timed so that pedestrians and bicyclists don't have to wait as long as the current configuration. Also need safe route for bicyclists heading south on 8th--current configuration is Dangerous!
Generally I would like to see engineered traffic calming on most if not all "through" streets in the North End. These streets were not designed as collectors nor to carry the volume of traffic they currently have. I would like to see Harrison Blvd., 28th and 15th speed limits reduced to 25 mph. All other neighborhood streets with speed limit of 20mph and engineered to encourage that slower speed. Close in neighborhoods were designed to be walkable and bikeable. They need to be protected from cut through traffic. Engineering for slower speeds would make streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists and thus encourage more people to use those modes instead of car for many shorter trips.
I am both pedestrian and bicyclist. Most of my city trips are done by one of these modes. My car is my "alternate" transport.
I would like to see much more education of drivers to stop for pedestrians at all intersections--it's the law! but honored more in the breach. Also education and enforcement against running red lights and cell phone use.
There needs to be particular attention paid to "calming" streets around all schools in the neighborhood
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Safer place to cross Hill Rd at Lancaster! Orange flags don't help!
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We need a safer way for pedestrians to cross Hill Road at Lancaster. Lots of people, including kids, cross here, and the traffic comes by very fast; it's dangerous. They often ignore the little orange flag or get angry that you're waving a flag. Drivers fail to see that it is actually a crosswalk! Such a dangerous place that I can't allow my son to walk or bike to school or a friends house because crossing there is just too dangerous. we've almost been hit way too many times. Maybe a light like on Harrison would be awesome. Its better in the summer and holidays when the commuter flow isn't as bad. my observation is traffic is heaviest during 7-9am and 3:30-6pm. Even in light traffic vehicles don't stop and go too fast.
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Construct a single lane roundabout. Due to the skewed intersection angle and sight lines, this intersection seems to confuse motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. As currently configured, people tend to enter the intersection "out of order" on a consistent basis. A single lane roundabout seems like a logical multi-modal solution.
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the area just south of parkhill and paschal is a bottleneck and hazardous for pedestrians. there is a blind curve, no sidewalk, and the street is narrow and effectively narrowed further by encroaching vegetation and vehicles which are frequently parked here. the vegetation should be cut back and parking should be restricted to one side of the street.
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There have been way too many near misses with children getting to/from school. I think the one way on 8th St. near the Co-Op should be removed so the bulk of the traffic from the Foothills that are rushing to work will go down 8th St. to unload 9th. Then get a light of some sort or adult crossing guards at one intersection on 8th that kids can use to cross 8th. I don't think it will be as helpful to just add a light on 9th because there is always going to be some level of chaos with picking up/ dropping off/buses/kids rushing once they see their school/friends. It would be much better to unload the amount of traffic that takes 9th St. to get out of the North End to go to work.
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The 15th Street Ridge to Rivers Bikeway would be far safer if the speed limit were reduced to 20 mph on 15th vs the posted 30 mph. Boise police say they won't ticket until speeders are driving 11 mph over the posted limit. That means 41 mph is allowed in a residential area with houses very few feet off the road, 41 mph where posted at 30 mph, not a healthy living environment, beyond the noise impacts above EPA recommendations, nor encouragement for kids riding to school, nor for adult riders of any skill level, nor for pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross to Camel's Back Park or Hyde Park. In the past the only opposition to posting 15th Street at 20 to 25 mph was residents of Harrison Blvd saying the through traffic would start using the Harrison Blvd Arterial again. We support 20 mph to 25 mph for all front on housing neighborhood streets. Many people, cars, and houses along 15th Street have been severely smashed by vehicular accidents. Kids and cars don't mix, there should be a safe bike blvd through here on 15th Street, and probably some version on Fort Street to keep those kids and cyclists safer.
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We need a safer way for pedestrians to cross Hill Road at Lancaster. Lots of people, including kids, cross here, and the traffic comes by very fast; it's dangerous. Often tree branches obscure the ped-crossing sign, and you've got to be brave to head out in front of fast traffic with just a little orange flag. Help?
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This is a very busy multiple schools' and pedestrian and cycling core, with North Jr. High and Boise High students crossing multiple and varied cut-through traffic hazards (like an exploding M-80 at 15th and Fort), to get to and from the schools and Albertson's Marketplace. There are a lot of crashes at 13th and Fort and Resseguie as well. This is a problem from pre-dawn to after dark, including students and their families. All of the neighborhood's schools, play yards and fields and classrooms are used by the entire community extensive hours per day. In my opinion the neighborhood schools build community and safety, they are the last things that should be sacrificed to serve cut-through traffic. Higher and better use should be considered instead of using the school zones for traffic sewage. Some foolish people think that only the people living along these school streets are impacted, never realizing that the children are from ALL streets, hugely increasing the risks for nearly every family in the neighborhood, and even all the families who live elsewhere but send their children to schools here.
There are studies that prove increased cancers in heavy traffic areas, children having thinner membranes and thus more susceptible. Plus stranger dangers, drunk and drugged and distracted drivers not being a good mix in school zones, and on and on.
Elementary school students at St. Joseph's at 9th and Fort are also impacted downstream by the left turning traffic from 15th and 13th Streets, and other related dangerous imported problems, as are customers at the Boise Co-op, the St. Lukes medical complex, etc..
It is my opinion that if you correct the multitude of traffic planning problems in this area, it will immediately improve overall community health upstream and downstream by providing safe walking and cycling for the existing and future community. I don't know how you can encourage kids to walk or bike through the M-80 of exploding traffic in this location. It is fixable, if you can figure out the layers of corrupt politics. To my knowledge, the city and highway district have never allowed consideration of all alternative options, as is required federally.
Liked 1 time