Bikelash in Boise

Parents don’t want bike lanes to interfere with the pick up and drop off zone near two churches and schools in Boise.

2 minute read

November 13, 2022, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


An adolescent boy catches some air on a mountain bike on a hill above the city of Boise. The city’s downtown is clearly visible in the background.

Boise is a great place to bike if you get out of the city. | CSNafzger / Shutterstock

“Plans to add new bike lanes and streetscape near the Boise Co-Op and St. Joe’s School are getting a shakeup after a flood of opposition over the summer,” reports Margaret Carmel for Boise Dev.

The Ada County Highway District Commission recently reviewed the latest revision of the proposed street reconfiguration, which would add “new buffers between pedestrians, cyclists and drivers and splits the lanes north of Franklin into a sort of cycle track, where northbound traffic would ride up 8th Street to Union and southbound traffic into downtown would come down 9th Street,” according to Carmel. 

The previous proposal for the street reconfiguration “two projected bike lanes, one going in each direction, one going in each direction, on both sides of 8th Street dead ending at Union Street,” adds Carmel. “This new proposal instead makes a circuit around 8th and 9th streets, moving the bike lanes away from St. Joe’s and St. John’s Cathedral on 8th Street by moving the southbound travel lane one block over to 9th Street.”

The project, part of a long-planned effort to extend the city’s existing bike network in the North End met significant resistance from the parents and parishioners of St. Joe’s Catholic School, St. John’s Cathedral, and St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. As noted by Carmel, some bike advocates also expressed concerns about how the project would terminate at Union Street.

Thursday, November 10, 2022 in Boise Dev

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View from inside car's driver seat while driving.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians

Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

15 minutes ago - Bloomberg CityLab

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA