Bonneville County unveils 2040 transportation plan

The future just got a bit clearer, at least when it comes to transportation and driving in the Idaho Falls metropolitan area. The Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) released the proposed version of its 25-year transit plan that goes through the year 2040.

The plan has a lot of details, but many of the major aspects include short medium and long-term road capacity needs for the metropolitan area. It also includes a section discussing dedicated mass transit routes as well as bike routes.

One of the parts that will most likely impact people in the immediate term are the list of roads that need immediate attention. “You’ll see different areas in the city that are high congestion areas,” said DeNiel Jose of the BMPO. “Those will be evaluated on what is the highest priority and what needs the most effort now.”

Planners like Jose used current data, projections, and other factors to determine where the growth looks like it will happen the most. However, Jose says things can change, and future development plans will have to be adjusted accordingly.

“You may have somebody that comes in and buys a parcel of land and says ‘I don’t want that to be residential, I want that to be commercial,’ and that changes everything,” Jose said. “That changes your residential growth, your commercial growth, it changes your transportation movements. It’s why the federal government requires us to create a new long term plan every five years.”

A link to the BMPO’s website with more information can be found HERE.