downtown boise multimodal center

In 2005, Valley Regional Transit received $9.5 million in federal funding and $2.4 million in local match for the construction of a multimodal transportation center in downtown Boise. A multimodal center would serve as a "hub" for various transportation services. In time, the center could house buses, streetcars, and regional high-capacity transit such as passenger rail or bus rapid transit, as well as include transit information, bicycle parking, public art, restrooms, and retail space. A centralized transit center is a critical step in developing a regional public transportation system in the Treasure Valley.

Valley Regional Transit has considered several locations for the center, and has eliminated most of them. Currently, two locations are under more serious consideration: “Site D” and “Site H.” Both sites were among the initial seven locations considered.

• Site D is a vacant half-block bordered by 12th Street to the west, Idaho Street to the north, and Main Street to the south. An environmental assessment of the property is currently under way.
• Site H is a half-block bordered by 11th Street to the west, Bannock Street to the north and Idaho Street to the south. The environmental assessment of the building site has been completed.

Public Involvement

Downtown business owners and the public as a whole have been kept apprised of progress made and of various options considered through a series of newsletters, meetings, and open houses. Public involvement materials developed through 2009 can be found below. Additional materials, including a link to the environmental assessment for Site H and outreach materials from a May 5, 2011, open house, can be found on the Valley Regional Transit website.

Newsletters

• Newsletter 01 - January 2008
• Newsletter 02 - April 2008
• Newsletter 03 - December 2008

Downtown Business Meetings

February 18, 2009, meeting with downtown businesses:

• Downtown Business Meeting Agenda
• Presentation by Kelli Fairless, Executive Director, Valley Regional Transit
• Downtown Boise Multimodal Center Memorandum to Ada County Highway District Commissioners and City of Boise Mayor Bieter and City Council
• Displays Posted at the Downtown Business Meeting:
  • Project introduction
  • Site"H" (11th Street) aerial map
  • Site"H" (11th Street) site plan
  • Site"H" (11th Steet) concept drawings: Drawing #1, Drawing #2, Drawing #3
  • Alternative Site (10th Street) aerial map
  • Alternative Site (10th Street) plan
  • Alternative Site (10th Street) concept drawings: Drawing #1, Drawing #2
  • Alternative Site (10th Street) typical sections
  • Streetcar alignment
  • Streetcar project schedule
  • 10th Street Traffic Simulation Video

  A traffic simulation video file showing 10th Street traffic with a multimodal center and related bus traffic was shown at the February 18, 2009, meeting with businesses at the Owyhee Plaza Hotel.  Note that the 10th Street site was NOT the site chosen for the multimodal center.

  The file size is 49 megabytes, and you must have a media player to open the file.  Save the file to your computer and then play it from your own hard drive. DO NOT try to run the file over the internet connection. To save the file to your computer, place your cursor over the word here and hit the right key of your mouse. Then select "Save Target as" you will then have to select where you want the file saved on your computer. To view video, click here.

April 1, 2008, meeting with downtown businesses:

• Presentation (1MB)

Open Houses

Three open houses were held in 2008 and 2009 to share information with, and receive input from, the general public. Materials presented and summaries of comments received are linked below.

March 4, 2009 Open House:

• Introduction
  • Welcome and Purpose
  • About the TVHCTS
  • Multimodal center vision
  • Who is involved
• Multimodal Transportation Center
  • About this project
  • Site selection process: Timeline
  • Site selection: Milestones
  • Candidate Site Vicinity Map (all sites considered from the beginning)
  • Site Analysis Matrix for all sites
  • Description of bus use
  • Multimodal Functions
  • Traffic: 2025 Map
  • Traffic: 2005 Map
  • Traffic: Matrix
• Site H
  • Aerial Map
  • Street View#1, Street View#2, Street View#3
  • Site Plan
• 10th Street Site
  • Aerial Map
  • Street View#1, Street View#2, Street View#3, Street View#4, Street View#5
  • Site Plan
• Funding
• Downtown Streetcar
  • Downtown Streetcar Initiative
  • Alignment map
• I-84 Priority Corridor
  • I-84 Priority Corridor
  • Regional Transit Map
  • Future Transit System
• Thank you for attending
  
  March 4, 2009, Open House Summary. (pMB - 40 pages)
  
  March 4, 2009, Comments Received:

• Multimodal Center - Site H
• Multimodal Center - 10th Street Site
• Evaluation Matrix
• General Comments
• 10th Street Merchants Opposition

May 22, 2008, Open House

May 22, 2008, Materials Presented:

• Welcome (3 pages)
• General Comments
• Multimodal Center Recommendations (15 pages) (9.5MB)
• Downtown Circulator Alternatives (7 pages) (1.7MB)
• I-84 Priority/ High Capacity Corridor (2 pages)

January 17, 2008, Open House

January 17, 2008, Materials Presented:

• Multimodal Center
• Photo of Site H location
• Downtown Circulator
  
  January 17, 2008, Open House Summary (35MB - 112 pages)

Project Administration

Between fall 2007 and spring 2009, a policy committee and a technical committee met regularly to study the issues, look at potential building sites, and determine a path forward. Meeting agendas are below; minutes from the previous meeting can be found with each agenda.

Downtown Policy Advisory Committee

Agendas:

• September 6, 2007
• September 24, 2007
• October 22, 2007
• November 19, 2007
• December 10, 2007
• Multimodal/Transit Center Site Visit Locations (8.5MB)
• January 1, 2008 (5.2MB)
• February 11, 2008
• March 17, 2008
• April 14, 2008 (3MB)
• May 12, 2008 (1MB)
  • Exhibit C - Idaho Main Bannock Couplet
  • Exhibit D - Main Idaho Couplet with 13th Extension to River
  • Exhibit E - Main Idaho Couplet with Broadway Extension
• June 9, 2008
• July 14, 2008 Meeting Cancelled
• August 11, 2008 Meeting Cancelled
• September 8, 2008
• January 12, 2009
• March 9, 2009

Downtown Technical Advisory Committee

Agendas:

• October 12, 2007
• November 9, 2007
• November 30, 2007
• December 21, 2007
• Feburary 1, 2008
• March 7, 2008
• April 7, 2008
• May 12, 2008
• June 9, 2008
• July 14, 2008 Meeting Cancelled
• August 11, 2008
• September 8, 2008 Meeting Cancelled
• November 10, 2008 Meeting Cancelled
• December 8, 2008 Meeting Cancelled
• January 12, 2009
• February 9, 2009
• March 5, 2009