ACHD's Road Wizard Sunday, January 17, 2016

Sounds like someone's recreational vehicle or trailer has worn out its welcome. Long-term parking is not allowed on public streets, both inside and outside of homeowner's association boundaries.

Regardless of the existence of an HOA, Ada County Code states that a recreational vehicle or trailer can't be parked on the street for more than 72 hours. Valley Heights Drive is outside of Boise in Ada County.

HOA rules often go beyond public laws; the Carmichael Subdivision CC&Rs limit RV parking on streets and driveways to 24 hours.

Residents can contact the sheriff's office to report vehicles/trailers parked for more than 72 hours. But if the offending parking is only an HOA violation, it's a private matter between homeowners and the HOA.

According to a subdivision map provided by the HOA managers, Valley Heights is not within the subdivision; homes back up to the road, but don't have driveway access. The intent of the "official plat" is to subdivide a property into lots. HOA boundaries are determined by the subdivision.

Both intersections have special signal timing plans in place for the Greenbelt construction. Boise City's project has reduced one-way Main to one vehicle lane over the Boise River between Whitewater Park and Garden. This mostly impacts evening commute drivers heading west on Main.

ACHD adjusted signals on Main to help move drivers through construction delays, and the signal at Main and Garden was among them.

However, signal operation wasn't changed for the morning hours. There are relatively few motorists using westbound Main during the morning commute; most drivers are heading east toward Downtown Boise. The delays for westbound drivers start around 11:30 a.m. and continue past 6 p.m. ACHD has extended the lengths of green lights on Main during those hours.

Regardless of the construction, it's common for Whitewater Park drivers turning onto Main to be hit with a red light at Garden. This can happen to drivers turning from any side street onto a major route that has coordinated green lights, such as Main. Turning drivers aren't yet part of the group benefiting from progressive green lights.

But multiple lane closures can put a wrench in even the best signal timing plans. ACHD will look more closely at the Garden signal to determine if an adjustment is needed in the morning after all.