Ada County Highway District Commissioners and staff members joined the community to mark the completion of the Kootenai, Vista to Overland project.
Community members gathered at Red Rock Christian Church at the corner of Kootenai and Roosevelt Streets for a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday morning.
Improvements along Kootenai Street have been completed as the result of extensive community feedback. The goal of this project was to create a more pedestrian and bicycle friendly environment that preserves and enhances the neighborhood.
There is now sidewalk, curb and gutter on the north side of Kootenai Street, and existing bike lanes on the street have been widened.
ACHD staff members worked closely with neighbors to determine the best design to meet the needs of the neighborhood and commuters.
“It was apparent through our community engagement efforts that facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians were top of mind,†said Commission President Alexis Pickering.
When examining potential traffic calming measures, chicanes garnered the most support from residents. Both chicanes and bulb-outs have been installed along the corridor.
Chicanes are strategically placed curb extensions that narrow the roadway at certain points, leading vehicles through an ‘S’-shape. The narrowed roadway encourages drivers to slow down. The resulting slower traffic helps make the neighborhood a safer, more comfortable place for all commuters, especially pedestrians and bicyclists. Chicanes have the added benefit of being easier for emergency vehicles to navigate, compared to other traffic calming devices such as speed bumps.
In addition to the sidewalk and chicanes, ACHD implemented several other improvements, including a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) at the school crossing at Johnson Street, and pedestrian ramps at the Owyhee Street and Shoshone Street intersections. Traffic signals have been replaced at the Roosevelt Street and Latah Street intersections.
Veolia also completed underground waterline work simultaneously during the project.
ACHD began examining Kootenai Street in 2017, when neighbors requested the District look into traffic calming measures. ACHD conducted a traffic study, and neighbors completed a petition in support of traffic calming as part of ACHD’s policy.
In 2015, then five-year-old Maximo Wyatt was run over while riding his bike on Kootenai Street, which also highlighted the need for safety improvements along the corridor.
“None of this would have been possible without the support of this amazing community,†said Courtney Wyatt, Maximo’s mother, who spoke during the ribbon cutting ceremony. "Kootenai is the heart of the bench neighborhood and all of these improvements have made it safer and a better place for everyone to spend time."
“I especially thank residents along Kootenai Street who dealt with the construction impacts during the project,†Pickering said. “Thanks to neighborhood participation, along with the hard work and technical expertise of ACHD staff and consultants, these incredible improvements will boost mobility for all users and most importantly, increase safety."