Coeur d'Alene Press Newspaper | CDAPress.com

Local and National News - Kootenai County, Idaho

Prescription for U.S. 95 traffic pain

Posted: Sunday, May 18, 2008 - 09:55:50 pm PDT
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Followers of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People know to give top priority to matters that are both urgent and important.

While studies can rarely be seen as urgent, we'd like to draw your attention to one that is extremely important.

The Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization and Coeur d'Alene Area Chamber of Commerce are working together to figure out how traffic mobility and safety along the U.S. 95 business corridor can be improved.

OK, so maybe that is urgent.

Anybody trying to get onto or off of U.S. 95 along the business corridor knows how difficult it can be, particularly at peak traffic times. Admit it: You sometimes drive blocks or even miles out of your way to avoid the congestion and frustration that so often accompany business corridor treks. Now you can switch hats, from traffic victim to problem solver.

The Coeur d'Alene Chamber and KMPO will host a meeting to promote community understanding of the purpose and scope of their study tomorrow from 3-5 p.m. at the Silver Lake Motel, 6160 N. Sunshine St. in Coeur d'Alene. The meeting agenda includes an overview of the study, some suggestions and ideas to be studied, as well as stakeholder and public comments and concerns.

We appreciate KMPO and the Chamber coming together to try to improve traffic flow and safety along the most congested stretch of roadway in North Idaho. They recognize that as bad as it is, our ever-expanding population is only going to make the congestion worse.

Join us tomorrow afternoon and share your ideas and your concerns. For more information, call KMPO at (800) 698-1927 or the Coeur d'Alene Chamber at 415-0109, or go to www.kmpo.net.


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Linda wrote on May 22, 2008 3:29 PM:

" While researching why a senior planner at CDA, ITD offices recommended that a proposed Asphalt Batch Plant to be located on Hwy. 53 between 95 & 41. "will not require any special conditions of approval relative to access, traffic operations or right of way". I found a good source of information at the Idaho Transportation website.

They have a study Future Travel Demand and Corridor Performance. Chapter 5.1 looks at the hwy. 95 corridor.

"In general, housing (about 80 percent) is expected to outpace non-residential growth in Kootenai County during the next 20 years. Retail and office employment is expected to grow by about 58 to 66 percent, while industrial employment is expected to grow by 44 percent".

Plan now for the future.
"

to er wrote on May 20, 2008 12:57 PM:

" I don't think adding an extra lane will help - besides, why encourage *more* people to drive on the road? "

my opinion wrote on May 20, 2008 10:30 AM:

" A lite rail system connecting CdA, PF, Spokane Valley and Spokane would be really great. When I was stationed in San Diego, we used the lite rail system all the time. A tremendously good thing, if for nothing else because it let us get to where we wanted to be w/o having to fight (and pay) for a parking spot at the destination. "

er wrote on May 20, 2008 10:27 AM:

" Along with timed signals how about adding an extra lane in each direction? There seems to be plenty of room. At least through the busiest parts where all the shopping centers are. "

Lite Rail wrote on May 20, 2008 9:22 AM:

" Lite rail been frequently mentioned often over the past 10-12 years as one element of dealing with traffic congestion. Too bad that during that same time the city ripped out or paved over many of the existing rail lines that were already in place. So much for forward thinking. "

Just saying... wrote on May 19, 2008 8:06 PM:

" Light timing is a good start as mentioned below. How about lite rail system? "

ELJR wrote on May 19, 2008 2:31 PM:

" anyone out there: Your comments are being heard.

I'm hoping for signal timing too. My question is, how about doing NW Blvd/Ramsey in CDA and Spokane and Seltice in Post Falls. Video detection has been used extensively in Kootenai County. However, I don't thit it is the solution when dealing with multiple signals in close proximity. "

anyone out there wrote on May 19, 2008 9:24 AM:

" Does it matter what we blog here?!??!?! i don't think anyone who has the "power" to do what it takes ever reads these blogs - VERY FRUSTRATING!!!!! We offer our opinions and solutions and we are ignored!!!!! "

WHY wrote on May 19, 2008 9:21 AM:

" Why should I be a problem solver...don't they pay the "experts" for that...oh wait a minute...they have been paying those "experts" for years...that's why we have the problems that we do! "

no kiding wrote on May 19, 2008 9:18 AM:

" please time the lights. It is unreal that you can not make 1 light on that road. there is no other solution needed.... "

BN wrote on May 19, 2008 8:54 AM:

" Good point About Time...

It is the same way down here in Boise. Probably one of the busier non-highway roads in Idaho runs very smoothly right through downtown. Why? Because the lights are timed so that you either stop at one red light and the rest are green when you go through them, or hit the first green light and make all the rest as well. You don't even have to slow down. I never understood why US-95 wasn't like this. It doesn't seem so dificult. "

taylor wrote on May 19, 2008 8:51 AM:

" I couldn't agree with About Time's comments any more. The lights on 95 need to be timed, immediately. It would reduce the congestion and actually allow traffic to move. How many times have you driven and hit every red light, sometimes one to two blocks after you sat at another red light? It's absurd. Most cities have timed lights and if you go the speed limit, you hit all green...imagine that...it promostes driving at a safe speed and helps the flow of traffic. Why this hasn't been done is beyond me.
This solution has been in place in other cities for over 20 years.

We also need a long range plan, and it isn't the Huetter bypass, that will just allow and promote even more growth and hurt the existing businesses on 95. "

About time... wrote on May 19, 2008 5:33 AM:

" Here is the number 1 solution:

Borrow a traffic engineer from Spokane to teach whoever it is out area that sets the timing for traffic lights.

In Spokane, heavy traffic actually moves. On the 95 corridor, it sits and people fester with rage waiting for lights to change.

Number 2 - as soon as the answer becomes add more lanes. SLOW the growth down to where the present roads will be able to accommodate the present population. It's a concept that nobody here wants to get. It's called "Quality of Life." People actually do not want to live in San Diego North. "

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