BDEC seeks your input for study on South Hill project

BONNERS FERRY — A resource team from New Mobility West will be in Bonners Ferry Monday, Oct. 20 through Wednesday, Oct. 22 to study solutions for improvements to Highway 95 through Bonners Ferry, specifically in the South Hill area.

The Boundary County Economic Development Council applied for and received a grant to fund the study by New Mobility West to improve pedestrian safety and access while relieving congestion and maintaining the small town character of Bonners Ferry.

Citizens are invited to take part in the study through participation in one or all of the meetings, which will be held mainly at the Bonners Ferry Visitor’s Center.

New Mobility West recently helped the city of Sandpoint and Idaho Transportation Department identify ways to make the Highway 2 widening project achieve goals that focused not only on improving traffic flow, but preventing the highway project from becoming a barrier for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Through community discussions, the new solution helped alleviate congestion without disrupting the livability and small town character of downtown Sandpoint, they said.

Through traffic studies, ITD has found that local traffic and a lack of connectivity between the city of Bonners Ferry’s street system and Highway 95 through town leads to congestion issues, especially at peak times like during school release.

With Valley View Elementary school on the west side of the highway and the high school and middle school on the east side, lack of access for pedestrian traffic is especially concerning for the city.

“Highway 95 is a big issue for Bonners Ferry in the next decade or two,” said BEDC Director Dave Sims, “Improving it the best we can is very important.”

The BEDC is looking for a solution to the South Hill section that will address the needs of both the city of Bonners Ferry and ITD long-term growth needs. One objective of the meeting is to lay the groundwork for a relationship and partnership between ITD and the city.

Improving local access and circulation in the area is another goal of the project. By moving local traffic from the highway to city streets, the possibility of a large multi-lane expansion can be avoided.

“ITD is interested in knowing what the public wants,” Sims said. “Highway 95 is key for commerce and the livability of the town. A five-lane road is not the best option.”

The project will begin on Monday with a walking audit of the area around the schools, identifying needs and problems for pedestrian traffic. Monday afternoon, a community workshop will be held in the Visitor’s Center, with possible visits from the project team to KVRI and City Council meetings on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Wednesday afternoon, an open house at the Visitor’s Center will present preliminary findings for public consideration.

New Mobility West Transportation Project Manager Kate Rube will be on hand as project manager and Jim Charlier of Charlier Associates will lead consultant for the project. Sims will be the local contact for the project.

ITD has funding earmarked for an upcoming project through Bonners Ferry, Sims said, and while looking at a bypass project for the city is not out of the question, the project is really looking for better short-term solutions for the South Hill area.

Anyone interested in attending one or all of the meetings, or interested in helping with the planning process can contact Dave Sims at BEDC at dsims@boundaryedc.com or by calling (208) 304-2567. For more information on New Mobility West, log on to newmobilitywest.org/