10/1/2012
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Speed limit reduced to 50 mph on stretch of State Street Tuesday
BOISE - The speed limit will change to 50 mph on a short stretch of Idaho 44 between Glenwood Avenue and Idaho 55 on Tuesday (Oct. 2), the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
The 2.2-mile segment of State Street is from St. Luke’s and Home Depot (at the Idaho 55 cutoff to McCall) to the Maverik gas station that sits just west of the Walmart at the State and Glenwood intersection.
Click here to see a map of the area of change.
The limit was originally going to be reduced in August. However, the change was postponed when crews were re-tasked to address fire-season safety concerns. The change was further delayed as this created a backlog with crews returning to normal activities.
In the interim, district traffic engineers were required to analyze any further changes using an additional speed-study tool from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
ITD’s initial analysis weighted heavily the urban nature of this segment. The FHWA model viewed the segment as more rural. The two studies recommended speed limits ranging from 45 mph to 55 mph. ITD views this as a transitional segment – from rural to urban – and decided a 50 mph limit is appropriate.
"It is appropriate for safety and traffic flow to reduce that speed limit to 50 mph," said ITD southwest Idaho Traffic Engineer
Kevin Sablan. "It was becoming
increasingly difficult for motorists to safely enter and cross the
highway."
Because of the high number of speed studies the department will be conducting as a result of the recent change in Idaho Code giving ITD that authority, and public interest, it was decided use of the second analysis tool would provide an additional perspective and raise confidence in any proposed changes.