BOISE'S BENCH-TO-VALLEY TRANSPORTATION STUDY: HOW THE POLITICAL PROCESS INTERPRETS PUBLIC INPUT AND TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATIONS

The standard transportation corridor study approach involves four steps: identification of need, technical analysis, public review, and jurisdictional decision. The Bench-to-Valley Regional Transportation Study originated as a single corridor project to upgrade approximately one mile (1.6 km) of one specific road in Boise, Idaho. Because of a lack of consensus between the adjacent property owners and the implementing agency, a regional study was initiated to determine how this project fit into the community's overall transportation needs. The assumption was that the community as a whole would see the need for the corridor improvement and help to overcome the dissatisfaction of the resident of the one affected route. The $1.8 million, 3-year, regional transportation study covered 33 sq mi (86 sq km) of the Boise urban area. The project's budget included a $600,000 public input process. A case study of the Bench-to-Valley Regional Transportation Study is used to show how a controversial study actually has several interrelated steps, each of which affects the other phases and the ultimate political determination. A key point is that public input can become a fundamental factor in the scheduling and cost of a project. Recommendations are made on how to exploit the availability of public input as part of the procedure and improve the corridor planning process.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Conference proceedings available only on CD-ROM.
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)

  Washington, DC  United States 
• Authors:
  • Butzier, David
  • Szplett, David
• Conference:
  • Transportation Frontiers for the Next Millennium: 69th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Transportation Engineers
  • Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Date: 1999-8-1 to 1999-8-4
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 5p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Costs; Highway maintenance; Project management; Public opinion; Public participation; Scheduling; Transportation corridors; Transportation planning; Upgrades (Roads)
• Geographic Terms: Boise (Idaho)
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society; Terminals and Facilities; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00770222
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Publication No. CD-006
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 15 1999 12:00AM