Boise Tramway Meeting

September 28, 2009

Learn more about Boise's proposed streetcar at open house Thursday

HAVE YOUR SAY

11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at 821 W. Idaho St., as part of First Thursday. If you can't attend, send comments to boisestreetcar@cityofboise.org.

Boise will hold an open house on the proposed Downtown system.

BY CYNTHIA SEWELL - cmsewell@idahostatesman.com

Boise will hold an open house on the proposed Downtown system.

The public can get a first-hand look at the city's proposal for bringing streetcars back to Downtown Boise and give the city feedback on its plan Thursday.

The open house will feature information about the history of the project, potential benefits of streetcar systems, how a streetcar could function in Boise, possible funding sources and the process by which decisions on the streetcar project will be made.

The public can provide feedback to the city on the proposal via written comment cards.

The streetcar's first phase, estimated to cost $60 million, would run a 2.3-mile loop along Main and Idaho streets between 1st and 15th streets. The new route mirrors the core section of the larger streetcar system that ran in Boise from 1891 until 1928. Later phases are planned to extend to Boise State University, the Boise Depot and the airport.

The city considers the proposed Downtown Boise streetcar system a catalyst for economic development and the first step in the creation of a broader Valley-wide transit system.

The city's preliminary timeline calls for construction of the first phase to begin in November 2010 and be completed by February 2012.

All public comments will be added to the official public record on the streetcar system and will be considered by the streetcar task force as part of its due diligence before making recommendations to the City Council by the end of the year.

Cynthia Sewell: 377-6428