MERIDIAN, Idaho — For years, commuters between Caldwell, Nampa, Meridian, and Boise have sat in heavy traffic on Interstate 84 and wondered, 'There has got to be a better way.'
For members of the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS), that 'way' has been identified as a commuter rail between Downtown Boise and Caldwell that follows existing freight line tracks along the Boise Cutoff.
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The COMPASS Board of Directors identified the route and mode of transportation during a board meeting on August 18.
In a recent Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study, aptly titled "Let's Ride Treasure Valley," planning personnel analyzed the feasibility of a few different mass transit options, including light rail, commuter rail, and bus transit between Boise and its neighboring cities.
The study's stated purpose is to find the best way to "improve the mobility, accessibility, and efficiency of east-west travel between Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and Caldwell, providing reliable and convenient high-capacity transit service that links key origins and destinations with strong potential for transit use."
With the population in these cities expected to grow significantly over the next 10 years, the commuter rail plan aims to minimize wear on the area's transportation infrastructure.
"By narrowing to one ‘preliminary’ preferred option now, a future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study can be conducted faster and more efficiently.” - Austin Miller, COMPASS Planning Team Lead and project manager
The completion of the study marks one of the first steps required by the federal government towards developing a commuter rail between the cities.
COMPASS admitted that while the study allows the project to potentially secure federal funding, "local funding for high-capacity transit remains a significant obstacle."
Idaho does not currently have a funding mechanism for public transportation, which means any mass transit development will remain in the planning stages until a state or local funding source is identified.
Despite that harsh reality, "COMPASS will continue to plan, within funding limits, for a future high-capacity transit system," while also lobbying the Idaho Legislature to dedicate funding for the commuter rail.
"Without funding, this project will not advance and our region will miss out on a proven way to accommodate the growth we know is coming,” said COMPASS Executive Director Craig Raborn.
Raborn explained that even though the study identified a clear winner for now, the results are "preliminary," and in no way does the study lock in any single type of mass transit.
"If something significant were to change, the COMPASS Board certainly can, and will, consider that before final decisions are made," added Raborn.
COMPASS will now work on drafting a final report that outlines follow-up steps laid out by the recent study. That final report is expected to be complete in February 2026.
At that time, the COMPASS Board of Directors will vote to officially adopt or deny the plan.
