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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
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For the week of July 4 - July 10, 2001

  Editorials

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.


The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.