Cautious optimism drives road plan

SANDPOINT — According to Idaho Transportation Department engineers, cautious optimism prevailed regarding a street reconfiguration plan that will dramatically change local traffic.

More than 130 people dropped by the public comment meeting to comment on the streets plan, a compromise between ITD and the city after the U.S. 2 Curve project fell through. According to Justin Wuest, an ITD staff engineer, most people he talked took a generally positive view of the changes. The availability of a video model using legitimate traffic data to visualize the changes helped many make sense of the changes and what they could mean for their day-to-day routines.

“It really is a significant change from what exists now,” Wuest said.

In addition to the video traffic model, staff were available at stations with printed presentations to detail key points. According to Sandpoint Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk, people often take issue with very specific points of the overall configuration scheme while supporting the overall concept. Wuest experienced as much in his own conversations, where people cited details like a prohibition of left-hand turns from Fifth Avenue onto Pine Street as particular annoyances.

“I received a lot of good feedback tonight,” Van Dyk said.

Proposed modifications to downtown streets include the implementation of two-way traffic on Fifth and First avenues and Cedar and Church streets, the elimination of on-street parking on Fifth, the modification of traffic signals at Fifth and Cedar, the installation of traffic signals at Fifth and Church, the removal of a signal at Fifth and Pine, the removal of a signal at First and Pine to be replaced by a three-way stop and the removal of a signal at Second and Cedar to be replaced by stop signs on Second Avenue.

The changes will result in U.S. 2 traffic flowing directly onto Fifth Avenue. That will allow ITD to return Pine, First and Cedar Street to city control.

It’s an outcome that suits both parties, with ITD preferring to avoid management of downtown streets and the city seeking to implement several downtown improvements.

ITD officials see the project as a phased approach to solving the problem of U.S. 2 traffic in Sandpoint. While modeling indicates inferior traffic service under the new configuration, it will still provide acceptable traffic flow for the next several years, they said.  

According to ITD officials, the reconfiguration process will cost about $2.5 million, mostly owing to the expenses of traffic signal modification and installation. They’ll also need to purchase right-of-way held by the Columbia Bank building, according to ITD District 1 engineer Damon Allen.

If approved, the project should be ready for implementation by 2016, according to ITD’s timeline. A decision from the ITD board will likely occur in about a month, followed by the design process and right-of-way purchases. In the immediate future, however, ITD staff will busy themselves analyzing the comments and testimony collected throughout Tuesday night.

“I think the takeaway from the meeting is going to be positive,” said Mayor Carrie Logan.