BOISE, Idaho — One of Boise’s busiest corridors is facing new uncertainty as state law reshapes how local agencies can move forward with roadwork plans.
The Ada County Highway District has spent years rebuilding sections of State Street – the only major east-west corridor north of the Boise River and a route thousands use daily to travel between Middleton, Star, Eagle and downtown Boise.
WATCH: How a new Idaho law is putting Boise’s State Street redesign in limbo
The latest focus is the stretch between 1st and 16th streets, near the YMCA. ACHD has already completed upgrades between 1st and 8th streets, but plans for the remaining section – from 8th to 16th – are now uncertain. The district had hoped to narrow that portion from four lanes to three to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists. But a new Idaho law now prohibits cities and counties from reducing travel lanes on roads considered “primarily for the benefit of motor vehicles.”
Longtime Boise resident Gwynne McElhinney said the area feels safer now thanks to changes made after a fatal crash years ago, but pedestrians still need to be cautious.
“It’s safer because there was an effort made after someone was tragically killed in that crosswalk,” McElhinney said. “Makes me feel more confident, but I am absolutely alert when I move through this intersection because you have to be when you’re on foot and cars are getting to the main intersection.”
ACHD Director Ryan Head said the district is now reviewing how to proceed under the new restrictions while keeping safety improvements in place.
“The goals of State Street is to make sure first and foremost that we maintain the roadway,” Head said. “We’re making sure it’s safer, we’re making sure people are able to move more efficiently through an area.”
Head said ACHD still plans to add new signals at 12th Street and 14th Street to improve pedestrian crossings and better manage traffic flow.
For drivers and cyclists like Dylan Metz, certain intersections remain difficult. “Honestly, on 13th, it’s the worst at State Street,” Metz said. “As a pedestrian and a driver, as a bicyclist, I think we can all go in the same direction.”
Farther west near Pierce Park Lane, construction continues on a separate section of State Street that will expand to seven lanes by 2026 – part of a broader effort to accommodate Boise’s growing population.
