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  ITD Survey on Proposed I-90 Improvements

  Nov 7, 2022

  The Idaho Transportation Department is asking for resident feedback on their plans for improving the I-90 Corridor through Post Falls and CDA.  ITD has provided an online tutorial so that residents can educate themselves on the plans before providing feedback.   A link to the survey is HERE.

  We hope that as many people as possible will take an interest it in this topic and learn about what is being planned.  The ITD I-90 survey is informative and provides plenty of opportunity for detailed feedback.   However, it MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE NOVEMBER 15th, so please do not delay.

  The following article provides commentary on the ITD survey and on Kootenai traffic problems in general.   And ITD's online tutorial provides detailed maps, drawings, and additional information.  It is well worth your time to understand what is being planned and how it will affect you. 

  OVERVIEW OF KOOTENAI TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

  The North Idaho Slow Growth Research blog is interested in road design because it is an essential part of healthy growth and development.   Our biggest problem with ITD's I-90 proposals is that we believe the root cause of congestion along the I-90 corridor is not the width of the Freeway, but rather the glaring lack of alternative East-West arterials between CDA and Post Fall that could handle local traffic. 

  In the article Will a Huetter bypass relieve CDA traffic? we provide maps showing that every single E-W arterial in CDA that crosses US-95 dead-ends into a subdivision, forcing all local E/W traffic to be routed to I-90.   This is nuts.  And the same CDA 2030 "master planners" who have blocked off the entire Meyer to Atlas corridor from through traffic at the behest of wealthy "stakeholders", also have plans to densify CDA to intolerable levels, that will over-run any capacity improvements on I-90. 

  So what can be done to address traffic problems in Kootenai county?  Obviously, developing the Meyer to Atlas corridor in such a way that it provides for a robust network of  interconnected minor arterials to offload local traffic, would be a  better solution than investing billions in ever-widening Interstates.  (Note: minor arterials, such as those in downtown CDA and Spokane Valley, need only be one lane, and 25-35 mph through neighborhoods.  They just need to be interconnected and NOT DEAD-END into subdivisions.) 

  But unfortunately, that is not currently a possibility.   Due to the way in which the majority of traffic funds are channeled through Federal and State agencies, ITD is limited in the type of approach it can take to solving Kootenai’s traffic problems. Under current law, there is simply no way for them to use Federal funds to develop a more practical network of minor arterials and alternate E-W routes. 

  So what can be done?   First of all, it is universally agreed that certain improvements to I-90 are  necessary, especially in the Post Falls area.  Those should be encouraged.  Secondly, to the best of our knowledge, ITD is considering other projects related to the Huetter Corridor that could significantly impact Kootenai traffic flow north of I-90.   It is impossible to evaluate the ITD’s I-90 proposals for West CDA until we understand the entire plan, but hopefully that will be forthcoming. 

  There is a war going on in Kootenai County between existing residents and  CDA 2030 "urban planners" whose vision for Kootenai is antithetical to everything that current residents want for their community. We need ITD on the side of the citizens, not in the pocket of wealthy stakeholders.  If you want ITD to work for us, we need to work with them.   

  Please take the time to study the issues, take ITD's I-90 Survey, and make sure you are on ITD’s email list so you can stay informed. 

   ITD SURVEY ON PROPOSED I-90 IMPROVEMENTS

  The rest of this article provides some commentary on the proposed I-90 improvements.  We believe that there are several high value projects for I-90 interchanges that could be developed in the short term, while we work to overturn the Agenda 21-CDA 2030 pro-density, anti-car political establishment at the local, state, and federal levels.   

  The ITD I-90 survey is broken up into four parts: 1) Stateline to Spokane St, 2) Spokane St. to SH-41, 3)  SH-41 to 15th St.,  4) 15th St. to Sherman. 

  1:  State Line:  ID-WA Border to Spokane Street—Suggestions include widening to three lanes and replacing the Spokane River Bridge.   We believe this project is low priority in the short term.   Our Concerns include:

  • The cost replacing the River Bridge would be enormously expensive, and widening the freeway without a three lane bridge would create a bottleneck.  
  • The Beck interchange appears to have plenty of capacity. 

   

  2: Post Falls: Spokane Street to SH-41—Suggestions include two alternatives to adding additional interchanges in the area of Seltice/Idaho/Syringa Roads.   

  • Alternative A:  Create a full interchange at I-90/Seltice.  
  • Alternative B:  Create two full interchanges, one at Idaho Road, one at Syringa.  The advantage of B is that there would be two regular interchanges instead of one irregular one. 

  We believe that this project is a HIGH PRIORITY.   Our hunch is that long term, Alternative B is preferable, but option A is less disruptive and could be  satisfactory.   If you live in Post Falls and feel strongly about this, let  ITD know.    

  3: West and Central CDA : SH-41 to 15^th Street—Suggestions include widening SH-41 to NW Blvd to 4 lanes, a single point interchange at NW Blvd, capacity improvements to US-95 and 4^th St exits, and removal of  the 7^th street bridge.   

  All I-90 projects related to West CDA are difficult to evaluate.  Until we know what is going on at Huetter its impossible to have an opinion about the critical, four mile stretch between SH-41 and  NW Blvd.  And we need to see how well the Single Point Interchange works at SH-41 before attempting one at NW Blvd.  Since more information is needed about the plan for West CDA, the following comments only address NW Blvd to 15th St.  

  • At this time, both the US-95 and 4th street interchanges function adequately.   Since we oppose the CDA 2040 plan for densification along government way and the "Health Corridor", we believe "capacity improvements" would enable urbanization and be self-defeating.  
  • We do not see widening I-90 east of 4th street as a high priority, since most of east CDA is residential and constrained in terms of growth. 
  • We think the 7th street overpass provides interconnectivity for local traffic and should be maintained.   
  • We think that bike-only bridges are inappropriate for cities with long, cold winters. 

  4: CDA (East): 15^th Street to Sherman Ave—Interchange reconfigurations at 15^th and Sherman.   Not much controversial here.   But also not very high priority.

  CONCLUSION:

  We believe that political opposition to the densification of CDA is growing, and that the 2040 plan for urbanizing the entire I-90 Corridor will eventually be modified.   ITD should not base their priorities on a growth plan that was conceived of by special interests and is deplored the vast majority of area residents.

  Road design is an enormously important matter that effects all of us.   Given how much time you may spend stuck in traffic, it is well worth your time to understand what ITD is planning, and to have a voice in the matter.   

   

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