Think outside the
box
The Blaine
County Commissioners should not ignore a new transportation study that
calls for the county to attack traffic congestion on State Highway 75 with
a series of strategies.
The tepid
responses of Commissioners Dennis Wright and Mary Ann Mix to a
state-funded study completed by a group of Colorado consultants
experienced in resort-area planning was disappointing to say the least.
The
commissioners refused to embrace any of the study’s recommendations.
Instead, they seemed inclined to relegate the study to a stack of dusty
tomes.
The study
recommended that the county seek approval from the Idaho Legislature for a
county-wide transportation district that could levy a small local-option
sales tax to be devoted to mass transit.
It’s one
of several good ideas and deserves the county’s support.
The
commissioners said they would not endorse any study recommendations
because no money is available to fund them immediately.
That makes
transportation a chicken and egg problem—with no possible solution.
The
commissioners shouldn’t duck the issue. Instead, they should begin to
take baby steps toward a solution.
To start,
the county could 1) draft legislation for a local-option transportation
sales tax, 2) hold public meetings to assess local support for a
local-option sales tax, 3) join with the valley’s cities to finance a
proposal for a valley-wide bus system. Traffic is a county-wide problem
that affects everyone. Obligation for leadership on the issue lies
squarely on the county’s doorstep—not on the shoulders of poorly
funded volunteers.
Solving the
problem will take time, and the county should get started.
The
commissioners need to think outside the box. A little imagination, a
little optimism and a lot of leadership can break up the traffic jam on
Highway 75. Narrow-minded limitations will only make it worse.