EAGLE, Idaho — A Facebook post about a cycling crash on Ballantyne Lane caught the attention of Idaho News 6 — and prompted a closer look at the safety concerns cyclists face on Eagle's backroads.
The post was written by Sara Rae, who was riding with her daughter when the crash happened. Over text, she described a section of Ballantyne Lane where the white line shifts significantly to the left, leaving a gap where the pavement meets the gravel shoulder.
"You can see how the white line jumps way to the left, and my daughter's tire caught the corner of the gravel," Rae said.
Rae said she was riding behind her daughter when the crash unfolded.
"I slammed on my brake to avoid her. My tire came right up to her body as she laid there, and I miraculously flipped over top of her, so I nearly missed running her over. It could have been so much worse," Rae said.
She said the family had bike lights and had ridden many miles together this spring and summer.
"It can be challenging at times to find safe places to ride that aren't the green belt," Rae said.
Rae said she is considering contacting ACHD to ask whether the section can be made safer.
Idaho News 6 went out to the location to chat with local neighbors. One being Don Grijalva, who has lived in Eagle's Homestead neighborhood for four years after moving from California. At 77 years old, he rides approximately 9,000 miles a year and logs around 400,000 feet of climbing. For Grijalva, riding Eagle's backroads is part of his daily routine, and he has developed a clear sense of which stretches demand the most caution.
He said Floating Feather is a road he rides almost every day and considers manageable, though it requires staying on the right side of the white line and being aware of varying driver behavior. Beacon Light, he said, is more challenging, with 55 mph traffic and a shoulder that requires constant attention. He also flagged the stretch near Cartwright off Pierce Park as an area where cars can pass close and fast.
"The big fear for a cyclist is getting hit from the back," Grijalva said.
He said road hazards can turn dangerous without warning.
"You can mess yourself up, hit a pothole, hit a rock, boom, quick. So I think riding defensively is probably the key thing," Grijalva said.
He said a helmet is non-negotiable and that riders should always leave themselves room for an exit, whether it is a pothole, an animal around a corner, or an unexpected vehicle maneuver.
"I kind of always try to give the car the right of way just because it's not a good fight. With a big car, a little bike, and a 150-pound rider, not a good deal. You're not going to win that one," Grijalva said.
Garden City cyclist Anne Adams has been riding seriously for about 12 years and lives along the Greenbelt. She said one of the most common misunderstandings between drivers and cyclists is why riders sometimes stay on or near the white line rather than moving further to the side.
"If you never were a biker, you wouldn't understand if there's a stick or how dangerous it is to run over it. So, staying here on this white line is a little bit safer sometimes. That's why you see a biker on the white line," Adams said.
She said the debris and erosion on the edges of roads — particularly on backroads like Ballantyne — can make the shoulder more dangerous than the lane itself. She suggested ACHD could use orange spray paint to mark the most dangerous spots for cyclists until repairs are made, similar to how hazards like roots are marked on the Greenbelt.
"Maybe what they could do is just get like orange paint and spray the really dangerous areas so that you can see them on a bike, and that might be, until they get them fixed," Adams said.
Adams said for many people, biking is not just a hobby; it is a way to commute throughout the Treasure Valley as the area continues to grow.
"The more things we can do to be positive and help their commute and be safe, the better," Adams said.
Her message to drivers is simple.
"Always look out for bikers and just slow down a tad to go around them. You don't have to go super slow, but just slow down a tad. You don't have to go over the speed limit when you go by," Adams said.
Idaho News 6 reached out to ACHD about the concerns raised on Ballantyne Road. The agency said it searched through all tickets, phone calls, and voicemails and found no record of anyone reporting an issue on that road. ACHD also noted that the white line visible in the post is a fog line — not a designated bike lane.
ACHD said if neighbors report an issue, crews will take a look and see if there is anything that can be done quickly. The agency also said it will keep these concerns in mind when working on future capital projects.
Grijalva said the responsibility ultimately falls on everyone sharing the road.
"Everybody should just watch out for each other and be careful," Grijalva said.
To report a roadway concern to ACHD, click here.
