BOISE, Idaho — Improvements are continuing on 8th street in Downtown Boise. The city could, potentially, add more public seating, bike racks, or event spaces, but first, they want to hear from you about what you'd like to see.
- What do you think is important? Share your feedback with the city by taking this quick survey.
- More timeline information on 8th Street Improvements.
- Connect with the city planner on the project: crietze@cityofboise.org
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Streets in Downtown Boise have been seeing a lot of changes in recent months. Now, Boiseans can weigh in on the future of 8th Street.
"Clearly, you can see the activity on this street has been strong," said Krick.
David Krick owns three restaurants in Boise — including Diablo and Sons on the corner of 8th and Idaho — and he has seen Downtown Boise grow since the '90s.
He was here when the city closed the busy street to traffic during the pandemic, giving more space for diners to spread out.
“The challenge was, how to do it, how to make it safe, how to make it accessible, how to have it not turn into something that was unintended,” said Krick.
Krick tells me the restaurants and businesses along 8th Street love the benefits of added foot traffic, and he appreciates the implementation of ADA accessible features, but would like to see more permanent additions like public seating and benches.
“I would say it’s still a little hap-hazard like it’s not clearly articulated where people walk, or where the bike lanes are, so I think we need to clean that up,” said Krick.
Where pedestrian traffic begins, where people on bicycles or scooters can ride along 8th Street, is just one of the many topics that YOU can weigh in on.
The city has an online survey people can fill out, choosing what matters to them, and what the city should change or add to 8th Street between Bannock and Main Streets.
Whether it be more bike parking, amenities like a fountain for drinking water, or art installations. “Another big one is allowing this space to be programmable, and flexible. So we have opportunities for events, or markets, or community gatherings,” said Chad Rietze, senior planner for Mobility & Public Spaces at the City of Boise.
