The City of Boise will host an open house to allow the public an opportunity to learn more about phase one of the Boise Streetcar System and provide their feedback on the project.

The open house will be held as part of the October “First Thursday” event on Thursday, October 1, 2009, from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the storefront at 821 W. Idaho St. (near 9th St.).

The public will be given an opportunity to learn more about the history of the project, potential benefits of streetcar systems, how a streetcar could function in Boise, possible funding sources and the process by which decisions on the streetcar project will be made. The public will be given an opportunity to provide their feedback via written comment cards. Any residents unable to attend the open house can send their comments or questions to boisestreetcar@cityofboise.org.

The proposed Boise Streetcar System is being considered by the City of Boise as a catalyst for economic development and as the first step in the creation of a broader valley-wide transit system. Several transportation studies conducted during the last ten years have recommended installation of a downtown circulator in Boise. After proposing a streetcar system in his 2008 State of the City address, Mayor David Bieter formed the Streetcar Task Force in November 2008 to study the overall feasibility of phase one of a streetcar system. The task force is expected to submit its findings to the Boise City Council at the end of the year.

All public comments will be added to the official public record on the streetcar system and will be considered by the task force as part of its due diligence before making recommendations to the City Council.