Written Comments 1 2 3 4 1027 S. Lusk Street Boise, ID 83706
[email protected] 208.429.6520 www.boisebicycleproject.org ACHD, March, 2016 The Board of Directors of the Boise Bicycle Project (BBP) commends the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) for its efforts to study and solicit input on implementation of protected bike lanes on Main and Idaho Streets in downtown Boise. BBP’s mission includes the overall goal of promoting the personal, social and environmental benefits of bicycling, which we strive to achieve by providing education and access to affordable refurbished bicycles to members of the community. Since its establishment in 2007, BBP has donated or recycled thousands of bicycles and has provided countless individuals with bicycle repair and safety skills each year. BBP fully supports efforts to improve the bicycle safety and accessibility of downtown Boise for the broadest segment of the community. Among the alternatives proposed in ACHD’s solicitation, the Board of Directors of BBP recommends that the ACHD pursue the second alternative – Bike Lanes Protected by Parking on Main Street and Idaho Street. We also recommend that there be no motor vehicle parking near intersections to improve visibility and limit the risk of the motor vehicles turning into bicyclists in the protected lane. The space freed up near intersections could be used to provide bicycle parking facilities between the bike lane and the travel lane, which would help achieve the goal of reducing sidewalk congestion without compromising safety. In other communities where protected bike lanes have been implemented, this alternative – bike lanes protected by parking – has proven to provide the level of comfort necessary to allow bicycling in downtown areas by families and others who would not ride in traffic.