Woodside Boulevard 'Complete Streets' Initiative - Improving Safety for All
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2017-06-28
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Alternative Title:FHWA's Livable Communities Case Study Series
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Abstract:In a small, close–knit, mountain town like Hailey, Idaho, there are few issues that elected officials do not hear about from residents. In 2008, residents submitted a petition to the city council requesting design and traffic management improvements on Woodside Boulevard after a pet was killed by an automobile. While such an incident might not usually receive much attention, in Hailey it illustrated the level of danger that residents had experienced themselves when traveling along Woodside Boulevard. Though it offers a variety of uses along its 2.4-mile length, one could only access them by car on Woodside Boulevard. The lack of sidewalks left pedestrians exposed to fast-moving traffic, especially during the winter when snow banks narrowed the roadway. Drivers also could not depend on an easy trip. With no traffic signal at the intersection with the main thoroughfare (Route 75), drivers would find themselves inching forward in long, rush-hour bottlenecks. Those growing impatient with the wait would often merge onto Route 75 at inappropriate times, leading to accidents. Since 1990, Hailey's population more than doubled to about 8,000. Nearly half of its residents (3,500) live adjacent to Woodside Boulevard in 1970s-era subdivisions, including many lower-income workers at the region's ski resorts. As Hailey's population and needs increased, city resources (funding and staff) faced tight restrictions. Traffic increases also led the city to recognize that small-scale, piecemeal fixes would not be sustainable for the deteriorating road.
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