Lately, many of the Boise downtown roads have been blocked off due to road construction. Boise High School students especially, have been feeling the impacts of construction around the school. The major construction projects to blame are the 11st Street Maintenance and Bikeway project and the reconstruction of the Boise High track.
The 11th Street Maintenance and Bikeway project was launched last year and is still in progress. The project is expected to be completed by November of 2023. The goal of the project is to install a new raised bike lane along 11th Street as well as sidewalk and pedestrian crossing improvements, which will range from State Street to River Street. This will allow for a continuous biking path from the North End to Downtown Boise.
The Boise High student life is deeply intertwined with this construction. On 11th Street, sandwiched between the track and the main building, a section of the raised bike lane was installed last school year. To encourage bikers to use this new installment, the quad and several parts of Boise High have been gated with tiny cracks for students to squeeze through. As a result, it has been difficult for students to get around during the lunch rush hour. Boise High student Yvonne Shen gives her input. “The block offs for bikes across campus are a little bit of an inconvenience, but if it’s for the greater good, then it’s all good.”
The construction from Idaho St. to Bannock St. has been 100% completed, but all other areas still have yet to be completed. Currently, the streets that are being worked on are on 11th street going from Grove St. to Idaho St., which is a large portion of downtown.
Of course, the reconstruction of the Boise High track has affected students more than the 11th street project. Cross-country athlete, Amaya Stewart, explains her thoughts, “It [Track construction] was supposed to be finished last track season, but clearly that didn’t happen. The parking is kind of annoying because I haven’t been getting as good of a spot, but there are still enough spots for everyone who has a permit.” Fewer permits were distributed, leading many students to park in neighborhoods where there aren’t any parking signs. What’s worse, students have an increased risk of getting parking tickets compared to last year, because not only are parking spots more scarce, but also the ticket police have become more thorough in their search to deprive high schoolers of their money and dignity.
