Whether the city of Sun Valley likes it or not, Highway 75 between Hailey and Ketchum is no longer a highway. It can no longer be treated as a "freeway" where drivers hop on in the south at speeds in excess of 60 mph and hop off in the north at their destination. Highway 75 has in fact become a "boulevard" with stoplights (more on the way), residences, subdivisions, crosswalks, pedestrians, cyclists, animals and public transportation stops all along the corridor.
Over the last 10 years, the easiest place to get into a car accident in Blaine County has been on Highway 75, where between 2004 and 2008 there were 396 traffic accidents, 14 fatalities and 215 injuries, many of them severe.
The data for the past two years will look as troubling. In addition, traffic noise has increased significantly for residents along the corridor due to high speeds and increased traffic.
Thank goodness Idaho Transportation Department engineer Devin Rigby recognizes and understands how this highway has changed in the past 20 years. I applaud the proposed 45 mph speed limit on Boulevard 75 from Hailey to Ketchum. I am willing to endure the hardship and the "arduous" trek that will result, (and that is so feared by the Sun Valley City Council), for the sake of increased safety and noise reduction. Because it isn't "all about me." It's about all of us and our safety.
This will be a paradigm shift for everyone. Yes, the days of driving on the open highway, uninhibited through the Wood River Valley will be over, and that will be a difficult shift for many of us. But we must adjust to this new reality, which will only become more apparent in the future. We need the speed-limit reduction to accommodate our new "boulevard" status and to achieve greater safety and noise reduction for residents and visitors alike. Change is hard, but in this case necessary.
Kris Stoffer
Hailey
