For the week of July 25 - July 31, 2001

SV-K chamber supports transportation alternatives

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

The north valley’s tourism and business liaison is bolstering efforts to achieve valley-wide transportation alternatives.

Last week, the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors put its stamp of approval on transportation alternatives outlined in the Blaine County Transportation Feasibility Study and a city of Ketchum resolution that was modeled on the county study.

County commissioners declined to approve a similar resolution several weeks ago, citing inadequate funds for implementing mechanisms outlined in the plans.

"The chamber does support actions designed to keep single occupancy worker/commuter traffic into and out of Ketchum to the lowest level possible, recognizing that over two-thirds of the current workforce in Ketchum and Sun Valley commutes in from the southern part of the county, and that the extremely high cost of housing in Ketchum and Sun Valley will likely drive this percentage of workforce commuters even higher in the future," the board of directors’ resolution states.

The measures cited include expanding KART bus services, creating high-occupancy-vehicle lanes on Highway 75, building transit stations and park-and-ride lots for commuter bus services and many other transportation tools cited in the county’s study.

"Overall, the chamber is fully supportive of the proposed transportation planning strategy initiatives identified in both the Blaine County Transportation Feasibility Study and the Ketchum resolution," the resolution states.

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