With growth comes traffic trouble

This the first of two columns addressing the issue of Kootenai County’s explosive growth, attempting to answer some questions we hear continually from local residents. Why isn’t anything done to clear up traffic problems? Are area planners catching up to this recent migration? Will there be any open space left after housing is built to accommodate newcomers? We’ll touch on some of these topics today and Friday.

You can’t have it both ways.

That’s the first rule of thumb for residents of a popular area in a low-tax state.

Idaho, for instance.

I have a bulging file of emails that contain, one way or another, some type of complaint about traffic build-up in the county now that people seem to be flocking here.

Heck, I feel just like you.

It would be great if some major roads were wider, if the long-discussed “Huetter Bypass” was letting cars whiz easily from Interstate 90 to U.S. 95 north of Hayden, or if traffic lights were coordinated to keep things flowing smoothly on major streets.

Maybe some of these things will get done, but you’ve chosen to live in a state that keeps taxes down.

You’re here, in part, because you like that.

Unfortunately, the flip side of low taxes is that Idaho doesn’t accumulate a great deal of revenue — at least not the kind of money that can keep up with the needs of a booming place.

The state’s finances work out pretty well in most areas, but …

To quote Tim Martin, Coeur d’Alene’s director of streets and engineering: “We’ve been found.”

Beginning more or less after the recovery from the recession of 2008, the steady trickle of migration to Kootenai County became a flood.

IT’S NOT correct to claim that the county administration, highway districts and our individual cities are simply sitting around and letting this massive upheaval occur without trying to help.

Every one of these agencies, individually and within the framework of the Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization (KMPO), have been battling to keep up with the boom.

For instance, were you aware that just last week, the KMPO signed off on a Traffic Improvement Plan for the years 2019-2025?

Talk about serious planning. This document that touches every detail and dollar earmarked for future transportation runs to 41 pages.

It will impact everyone in the county, and hopefully ease some of the traffic woes you all bemoan.

I ask about public perception, my friends, because even though traffic seems to be a major complaint from most of you, not a single person offered a word during the public comment period prior to adoption of the TIP.

The entire month of August was set aside for county residents to chip in with suggestions, complaints, specific issues, whatever.

SO WHY did everyone miss the chance to communicate with the people who actually can do something?

KMPO planners probably would have liked to receive all the emails you sent to The Press.

Back to our original premise …

If you’d read those 41 pages, you’d have discovered how much money is expected to be available for transportation use through 2025 — and that includes projections for state and federal funds.

And just as you would with a family budget, KMPO stakeholders set spending priorities.

Without substantially raising taxes, I’ll say again, transportation fixes can never quite catch up to our population balloon — but reading that TIP document would tell you that everyone aims to come as close as possible.

They don’t have the money to do everything, nor to do very much in just a couple of heartbeats.

But improvements are coming.

If you’re impatient, just close your eyes and remember those traffic jams in California or Seattle.

You came to North Idaho for a darn good reason.

Friday: Let’s talk about planning.

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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.

A Brand New Day appears Wednesday through Saturday each week. Steve’s sports column runs on Tuesday.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com.

Facebook: Steve Cameron

Twitter:@BrandNewDayCDA