New stations offer shelters, more amenities
Cyclists and Valley Regional Transit bus riders can now experience a new style of transit with the opening of five bus stations along Main Street and Fairview Avenue.
The new raised transit stations, a first for downtown Boise, create an additional buffer between vehicle traffic and cyclists and feature amenities such as covered bus shelters with solar-powered lighting, benches, trash receptacles, railings, and upgraded ADA pedestrian ramps.
The new stops are located on Fairview and 24th Street, Fairview and 18th Street, and on Main Street at 17th, 23rd and 27th streets. They serve routes 6 Orchard, 7A/7B Fairview and 8X Five Mile/Chinden.
The design and construction of the new transit stations were led by the Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC), Boise’s redevelopment agency. CCDC consulted with businesses and property owners along Main and Fairview, as well as commuters and project stakeholders, to design a bus stop solution that would allow buses to safely stop for passengers without crossing lanes and disrupting the flow of bike traffic.
“VRT worked with our partners to bring improved transit amenities to the community,” said Valley Regional Transit Executive Director Kelli Badesheim. “The transit stations along Main and Fairview are part of VRT’s plan for making this a premium transit corridor. These improvements will make it safer for bus riders and cyclists and speed up bus service.”
The stations were designed based on transit street design guidelines1 and site-specific studies in coordination with project partners. The stations provide more dedicated space for bus riders and cyclists, create an enhanced passenger waiting space, and help adjacent landowners by removing stops from sidewalks.
A sixth transit station of similar design to be located at 27th Street and Fairview Avenue is planned for construction later in the summer of 2022 by St. Luke’s Health Systems in partnership with CCDC. All of the new stations are located in CCDC’s 30th Street District which was established in 2014 and runs through 2033.
