EAST END, IDAHO — East End residents are dealing with a surge in traffic due to the closure on Warm Springs Avenue, which redirects vehicles through quieter streets.
- Susan Rehman, a local resident, says the clear influx of traffic has caused noise and confusion.
- Frustrated by the lack of signage, residents have resorted to creating homemade signs to guide drivers.
- Idaho News 6 reached out to ACHD regarding the neighborhood's concerns over the lack of signage, and they responded with this statement:
Parkcenter Boulevard is the official detour for the closure on Warm Springs Avenue for the Boise Warm Springs Water District. However, ACHD has heard concerns from neighbors about drivers cutting through local neighborhood streets, rather than using the approved detour. ACHD is actively working with the Warm Springs Water District, as well as the Boise Police Department to address neighbors concerns.
Last week, ACHD met with members of the Boise Police Department to discuss increasing enforcement of those who are using local roads, rather than the approved detour on Parkcenter Boulevard.
We updated the internal closure for neighbors into a detour for bicycles only. The official detour for vehicles is Parkcenter Boulevard. Updating the detour allows law enforcement to cite drivers who attempt to cut through neighborhood streets.
We wouldn't be able to place signage that says something like "No Access to Jefferson," or "No Access to Coston," because the roads are still open for local access. If we did place signage like that, it would also mean that homeowners wouldn't be able to access those roads to get to their homes. However, we are adding additional signage and repositioning some current signage to help drivers navigate the detour.
By the time the reach Coston or Jefferson, they have passed multiple closure notifications, including electronic message boards, guiding the non-residential/business access vehicles to Parkcenter. At this time we are not going to add any additional detour arrows through the neighborhood, per BPD guidance, allowing this inner area to remain a bicycle detour.
Again, we want to emphasize that the official detour route is Parkcenter Boulevard. Unless heading to a local home or business, drivers should not attempt to cut through local streets.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"So, of course, there's way more traffic on Coston, which is to be expected," says Susan Rehman, an East End resident.
Rehman's block used to be a quiet one, but now, with a closure on Warm Springs Ave, traffic is being redirected.
"It's easily triple or quadruple what it usually is," says Rehman.
The closure is due to maintenance of the district's geothermal water distribution system. The construction, which is expected to run through Sept. 20, blocks off Warm Springs between Coston Street and Hot Springs Drive, forcing drivers to take a detour at Coston, which can be misleading.
"There used to be a 'No Access' sign here because there is a side street that can take you to Warm Springs. However, it takes you to an entrance that is also cut off for the road work," says Rehman. "Just the noise impact, along with the added frustration for people, has made me feel like, 'Where do I even live?' So, one neighbor put up this sign."
The sign tells drivers there's "No Access to Warm Springs," and another homemade sign offers an alternative detour route.
"It's just been crazy. Like, why should citizens have to make these very janky signs to compensate for the fact that ACHD doesn't have a real sign up?" says Rehman.
While Susan and I were talking, one ACHD worker drove by. Susan flagged him down and inquired about the 'No Access' sign. He said he would alert his supervisors of the neighbors' concerns but mentioned that obtaining signage could take up to a week.
I reached out to ACHD regarding the neighborhood's concerns over the lack of signage, and they responded with the above statement.
