Garden City's transportation system is overseen by several agencies. The cities within Ada County have a unique transportation system that is different than any other. Ada County Highway District (ACHD), an independent government entity oversees the local streets.
The city is the lead agency for the greenbelt, nature paths, and other bike and pedestrian pathways.
Although the city does not build or maintain roadways, the city is involved in the planning and programming processes. Among some of the steps that the city takes to help find and support solutions to Garden City's transportation needs are the following:
The city provides policing of the public rights-of-way.
Many citizens do not know that the road system is separate from the city. Subsequently, many of the citizens concerns are directed to the city staff.
Garden City reviews and adopts an annual Transportation Needs List. This list informs an annual prioritization of projects that the city requests of ACHD.
The Development Services, and sometimes Public Works and Police Department are very involved with plans and studies that are initiated by other agencies.
Development Services staff coordinate the construction of land use, utility, and transportation projects through redevelopment.
Public Works and Development Services partner with the transportation agencies to plan for the installation of city services, like sewer and water, concurrently with a roadway project.
Garden City seeks and secure funds for projects.
The city facilitates public-private partnerships resulting in road improvements years ahead of when they would otherwise be constructed.
Development Services ensures that ACHD has collected road impact fees from new developments. These funds are then used to build additional capacity (e.g. - additional travel lanes) on arterial and sometimes collector roads.
The city collaborates with Community Planning Association (COMPASS), our metropolitan planning organization, on studies and projects that best serve our region today and into the future.
Garden City Livable Streets Plan
ACHD and Garden City co-developed the Garden City Livable Streets Plan to establish a strategy to guide and coordinate future development and transportation planning. The goal is to create appealing neighborhoods for residents and businesses with streets and facilities that support all modes of transportation (pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, and motorists).
Thank you to the consultant team Vitruvian Planning, Kostelec Planning, Precision Engineering, and Harmony Design and Engineering.
Every year Garden City adopts a Transportation Needs List that is comprised of needs identified by the community. This list is then sent to the transportation agencies to inform their projects.
The Garden City Transportation Needs List informed by years of requests made by the public and issues identified by the City staff and governing bodies. This document is updated annually and utilized to inform request of the transportation agencies and potential City projects. The Garden City Parks and Waterways Department reviews projects completed and new issues identified and makes a recommendation to the City Council for incorporation in the Transportation Needs List. The City Council then adopts the updated Garden City Transportation Needs List.
Ada County Highway District Integrated Five Year Work Plan
Integrated Five Year Work Program (IFYWP) sets forth the strategies, projects and priorities which the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) will pursue over the next five years. Every year Garden City provides a ranking of the City's priorities to ACHD to be included in the AACHD IFYWP. Click on the above "Ada County Highway District Integrated Five Year Work Plan" to find out more.
The Garden City request for the ACHD IFYWP is informed by requests made by the public, issues identified by City staff, and potential coordination with Garden City Public Works over the course of the year. These issues are identified and incorporated in the Garden City Transportation Needs List. The Garden City Parks and Waterways Department makes a recommendation to the City Council for incorporation in the Transportation Needs List and ACHD IFYWP to the City Council. City Council then adopts the Garden City Transportation Needs List and makes a formal request and ranking of the projects for ACHD's consideration and ranking in the ACHD IFYWP.
COMPASS initiated a Transportation Funding and Governance Study to understand how other metropolitan regions in the country advance investment in surface transportation and transit needs. The study provides a comprehensive inventory and synthesis of policies, funding, and financing mechanisms that states and regions across the United States use to fund transportation. This report assesses current trends and documents how surface transportation and public transit are funded at the state and local levels across the country. This report also reviews the current state of play in road usage charges (RUCs) in all 50 states and the findings of an innovative survey documenting current state practices for suballocating federal Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funding to local government partners in 48 of the 50 states.
ACHD is ostensibly Garden City's Transportation Department. ACHD was established in 1972 by Idaho Statute as an independent government entity and is a countywide agency responsible for all short-range planning, construction, maintenance, operations, rehabilitation, and improvements to Ada County's streets, the public rights-of-way within the city limits of Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, Garden City, and Star. The ACHD right-of-way includes sidewalks, bikeways, roadways, bridges, and storm drainage. The only public roads in Garden City that ACHD does not oversee are State Street west of Glenwood, Glenwood, and Chinden Boulevard.
The two Garden City Commissioners are:
Alexis Pickering, Commission President- District 2
Miranda Gold, Commission Vice President- District 3
Valley Regional Transit is the Treasure Valley’s regional public transportation authority. They are responsible for managing a variety of transportation solutions, including public bus transit, specialized van services, paratransit, and Park & Ride.
ITD is the transportation department for Idaho State. Divided into six different districts, they oversee the state highway system. Garden City is within District 3, Southwest Idaho. The ITD roads in Garden City include State Street west of Glenwood (HWY 44), Glenwood (HWY 44), and Chinden Boulevard (HWY 20/26).
COMPASS is an association of local governments working together to plan for the future of the Treasure Valley. The agency is a voluntary, member-based organization.
COMPASS serves as the metropolitan planning organization (MPO), for Ada and Canyon Counties. An MPO is a regional planning entity responsible for transportation planning and distribution of federal transportation funds for designated urbanized areas. All urbanized areas over 50,000 in population must have an MPO if local or state transportation agencies spend federal money on transportation improvements.