Considering Road Safety in the Wood River Valley
In April, Idaho Smart Growth and Idaho Walk Bike Alliance were invited by Mountain Rides to walk, assess and discuss Hailey Main Street, Ketchum Gem Streets, and Sun Valley Road & Saddle Road in the Wood River Valley with community members and leaders, city staff and Idaho Department of Transportation (ITD) staff.
Participants discussed possibilities for safety improvements on the Highway 75 corridor in Hailey for people walking and biking.
With an imminent ITD project planned for Highway 75, there have been concerns that the project scope did not go far enough to comply with local plans to calm the corridor to make it more walkable. In Ketchum and Sun Valley, there were concerns about the safety of intersections and how to make the roads safer for students at the Community School.
Idaho Smart Growth compiled what was learned and produced a written assessment for the community describing the current conditions, safety conditions and possible solutions upon our return. Based on our evaluation, Hailey City County adopted many of our recommendations for an overlay project.
We will follow up in Ketchum and Sun Valley to share resources about roundabout design and potential solutions for complete pedestrian connectivity. Idaho Smart Growth will also provide an assessment of policies that are currently adopted and recommend policy changes that can improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
