Boise Streetcar Feasibility Study

Six independent studies since 2000 have envisioned a downtown circulator system as a central component of Boise’s future. In 2008 Mayor David Bieter called for a strong effort to make the streetcar system a reality within the next few years. In September 2008 the Downtown Policy Advisory Committee (DPAC) transferred responsibility for a feasibility study to the City of Boise and the Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC). In November 2008 Mayor Bieter and CCDC formed a task force of downtown property owners and civic and business leaders to conduct a feasibility study.

The purpose of the feasibility study was to build and expand on previous studies by exploring how such a system might be built and paid for, quantifying who would use the system and what specific benefits it would yield, and identifying any obstacles that might prevent its construction.

Gary Michael, retired Albertsons CEO and downtown Boise resident, was appointed chairman of the Boise Streetcar Task Force. The process is currently under way, with the Task Force expected to present its conclusions and action plan to the Boise City Council, Ada County Highway District (ACHD), Valley Regional Transit (VRT), and the CCDC Board of Commissioners by the end of 2009 or January 2010. Those bodies will make a decision on whether to proceed, and, if so, how and when.