The Ada County Highway district is in the design phase of a new roundabout at the intersection or Hill Rd. and Pierce Park Ln. The project would also add an enhanced pedestrian and biking area from Hill Rd. down Pierce Park Ln. all the way to Lucky Ln.
- Three designs are currently on the table for the project
- ACHD plans to seek more comment on the project in the future
- No time table has been set on construction
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Traveling on Hill road, you will see plenty of cars but it's also a hotspot for bikes. Local bike shop owner Jason Bauer has a front-row seat.
"Huge packs coming by and individuals commuting," said Jason Bauer, owner of Bauerhaus Bike Shop.
"Hill road has become kind of an arterial also when state street kind of backs up and just the amount of traffic coming in from Eagle and Meridian," said Bauer.
ACHD has noticed, marking the area for improvements.
"We are seeing a lot of bicyclists, road bikers, mountain bikers, on hill road using that corridor and so we are hoping to encourage that with the installation of new and improved bike and ped facilities," said Seth Jarsky, senior project manager at ACHD.
The agency hopes to improve pedestrian safety in this section of northwest Boise where cyclists currently share the road with commuters.
Right now Pierce Park Lane has a small barrier on one side that doesn’t extend down the entire road but some of the new designs would bring a two-way path down the entirety of Pierce Park Lane which would be welcomed by some nearby neighbors.
"There's a lot of foot traffic. We are a big dog neighborhood I guess. I see lots of people out walking their dogs and walking their babies and just walking with each other," said Jennie Rylee, Boise resident
"One of the designs I looked at had a nice barrier between the street and the walking path and we would love to see that," said Rylee.
The Pierce Park, Lucky Lane to Hill Road project is currently in the design phase and would include a roundabout at the intersection of Hill Road and Pierce Park as well as make Pierce Park a safer route for bikers heading north and south between state street and the foothills with multiuse pathways, new sidewalks, and a protected bike lane.
"It's a project that we are really excited about that will introduce better bike safety and connectivity between State Street and Hill Road," said Jarsky.
Bauer is hopeful the improvements will take shape looking forward to a safer route for his customers
"Seeing some ACHD improvements on this road will be just really lovely to see," said Bauer.
