I arrived in Idaho Falls by the end of February of this year. The City of Idaho Falls was still covered in snow of course and the deplorable condition of the city’s infrastructure was also obviously concealed. As the snow melted away it became apparent that the City of Idaho Falls is lacking seriously in the department of “smooth roads that won’t require you to buy new shocks every two years.” Sure the City invests in “nice” police cars that “chicks dig it”, as some say.
I wonder if we could have saved some money by buying cheaper cars other than gas guzzling Dodge Chargers and use that money to permanently fix South Holmes Avenue. Perhaps I’m wrong! Maybe we do need to spend more money on “cool” cop toys, let’s say perhaps the Idaho Falls Swat Team; the Idaho Falls Counter-Terrorism Task Force? I noticed lately some improvement on areas that you would think need no improvement, namely the intersection of E 17th Street and S Holmes Ave. Now, what was all that about? A strip of fresh asphalt at the intersection? Mr. Mayor! What was the benefit of that? To show that perhaps the city is doing something about the infrastructure? Has someone lately looked at the horrible condition that S Holmes Ave is in? I mean, the street might as well be used for cattle racing. It is warped, tilted and it looks more like a road that would support a water canal during the summer months.
Before I moved here I read the City’s website and how it was a great place to live. How business has grown and how open minded it’s citizens were. Mr. Mayor, can I charge new shocks to the city’s coffers? Will you please quit talking about the improvements to Hitt Road and 17th Street and fix S Holmes Ave in its entirety? Or is there a political agenda here? Well, it is basic economics! Politicians conduct business to give the appearance to the citizens that they are involved in the community and care about the infrastructure of their towns or cities. Hint, hint: Fixing small patches of unimportant road sections.
As long as we all think that things are being taken care of, most of us who aren’t so astute, forget eventually about the issues that really matter. Haven’t we all seen before the ribbon cutting ceremonies in which politicians gladly give speeches and pretend to relate to the communities that they support? These ceremonies are usually done before a reelection, but of course since I am new here I haven’t had time enough to research the political agenda of the city’s high ranking staff – but I will. Thus, I will continue praying that every time I make a left turn from E 17th St to Jennie Lee Dr, my axle doesn’t pop out; that every time I take S Holmes Ave, I won’t drift sideways onto incoming traffic in the snow, etc.
Let’s manage our budget better and spend our money wisely in the areas of our city that are literally falling apart.
Popularity: 1%
. Plus that leaves me a day to spend money elsewhere, so yes, there is money to be made on Sunday.
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{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree and cheer you for your comments. I too have wondered year after year why the same exact section of road gets attention while much needed areas around town are ignored.
Top ↑I disagree however, somewhat, with the comments about the police cars, on two levels. One, men just think that they are “chick magnets” in reality the only gender being magnatized to it are the men who think they are “chick magnets.” Two- I agree there could be less expensive cars for the police force but I do know that there are only certain dealers that specialize in making police cars and all of the “cool cop toys” that are actually necessary for the protection of the police officers and so they can efficiently do their jobs. As far as I know the city and state are required to go with the lowest bidder when they get lucky the lowest bidder is a cool dodge charger.
But as to the rest of your comments I am right on board and say, Mr. mayor I too would like to charge my shocks, etc. to the city until you fix the problem areas and not the same strip of road year after year.
The intersection of 17th and Holmes was in dire need of repair. It was incredibly warped, making stopping more difficult to control for Motorcycles and older cars.
Top ↑I can honestly say i don’t recall it being that bad, but i also do not drive that route every day, nor do I drive a motorcycle. If it was in that bad of condition, maybe it is warranted. However, i can attest that the section of road that Mr. Walsh is describing in his article has been in bad need of repair for several years. I don’t recall a time at all that it has even been worked on. And Hitt rd. and first street that are being worked on this year were brand new just this past oct. and I do drive that route and found absolutely nothing wrong with them that requires the amount of construction that is yet again causing backups and im sure costing a pretty penny. Many roads could use the attention that have been neglected for many years not just this one.
Top ↑I agree – South Holmes has been uneven, rough and warped with frost heaves since before, during, and after all the development to the South of 17th Street (I’m dating myself here). I hope the mayor and “powers that be” are paying attention.
Top ↑I was very happy to see that section of Holmes fixed, it was horrible!
As far as the other issues, I’m not very political… where would one voice their opinions as far as which roads are in more dire need of attention?
Top ↑Its always hilarious to read the police haters comments when its obvious the person making those comments knows nothing about the issue.
About those expensive Dodge Chargers. There are not many cars out there that come in police packages so the choices are limited. The department ruled out Chevy Tahoes because they cost about $8000 more than the rest. That left those officers who received new cars this year to choose between their choice of three different cars: Ford Explorers, Dodge Chargers, and Ford Crown Victorias. Guess which one was the cheapest of the bunch. . . . .wait for it. . . . . . . The DODGE CHARGER was the CHEAPEST by about $1000. Eight officers chose Chargers and one chose an Explorer. Yes they look cool but they are also the cheapest.
Now I fully expect some sort of rear guard action by those who were bashing the purchase of them claiming I’m lying (go look it up in the city purchase order if you don’t believe me) instead of an “I was wrong” apology.
Top ↑Here is a chart from 2007 where Motortrend did vehicle testing from the 3 most common police vehicles that year: Chevy Impala (discontinued now as a police vehicle), Dodge Charger, and Ford Crown Victoria. The base price of a Chevy Impala was $24,355, the base price of a Dodge Charger was $23,475, and the Crown Victoria was $26,535. So clearly the Charger was the cheapest that year and while base price may be higher now there is no reason to think that its passed up the Crown Vic or an SUV Explorer.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0704_police_car_comparison/specs.html
Another thing to consider is the longevity of the cars. The local police departments for a while in the late 90′s and early 2000′s did go with the cheapest cars available which at the time were Chevy Luminas, Chevy Impalas, and Ford Taurus (Dodge Chargers were not around then as a police package). Those cars were cheaply built and didn’t last long. As they continuously broke down the older and more expensive Ford Crown Victorias kept on chugging. As the Luminas and Impalas went to car graveyards the older Crown Victorias kept on going.
Top ↑Channel 8 is reporting that the city council is considering narrowing Holmes avenue to 2 lanes each direction with a center turn lane. They say there are too many accidents so they want to slow down and congest traffic to reduce them.
I can’t tell you how much knee jerk reactions like this bother me. Anyone with half a brain who has driven on Holmes know why there are too many accidents and thus how to fix it easily. The problems with Holmes between 1st and 17th street is that none of the intersections with lights have a green left turn arrow. Instead they are all green circles meaning you have to yield to oncoming traffic but visibility in these intersections is poor if traffic is thick which is what leads to the accidents.
All you have to do to reduce the accident is make the lights at John Adams, 9th street, and 12th street have dedicated left turn arrows. It really is that simple.
Top ↑Regarding police packages. I can speak for the Ford Crown Vics and the Chevy Impalas. There were no such things as police packages. The cars were for the most part bought in the “virgin” state. The Impala had an LT1 push rod engine with lots of power and rear wheel drive. They handled amazingly at the EVOC course with factory settings. Police packages are many times installed at the police station itself. This happens more often of course in small police departments. True, there is some factory conversion required in the form of plastic rear seats, and plastic shield/barrier. Nevertheless, I doubt it that there are “just a few choices.” Also regarding me being a police hater, the comment is unfair. Calling me a police hater just because I was sarcastic about a particular subject does not make me a hater. I have no doubts that the mayor is a nice guy and I am sure that the IFPD is a good police force. The issue at hand was the IF infrastructure and allocation of certain portions of the city’s budget.
Top ↑Expected rear guard action has just occurred. No mention that the Dodge Charger is in fact cheaper as shown by the article linked to. Just deflection as to whether or not certain cars have police packages or not.
Top ↑Anonymous (you really should post your name), no deflection here although I could have developed more on what I wrote. You don’t actually believe everything you read, do you? Prices listed under consumer information. Would this be the MSRP? Also, I take it that motor trend has the ultimate word in the police car business, goodness knows that these three options are it. You don’t actually believe that the city pays the MSRP for a new vehicle, do you? The main purpose of the article was the conditions of the infrastructure not the city’s expenditure policies on cop cars.
Top ↑@Thomas, I am the anom from the first post and wanted to say i don’t think there was any call for you to be accused of police hating, although to those that are affiliated with the police either being one or related sometimes sarcasm from several areas is hard to deal with, especially cause as you can imagine they deal with it a lot. I do know that the police do go with the lowest bidder, but I am going to admit that for a profession that is so often unappreciated I wouldn’t care how much the nicer car costed, they risk their lives, and deal with a lot of BS everyday with very little thank you from the people they keep safe and a lot more of people telling them how they should and shouldn’t do their job. Now I don’t want to make your discussion about cops and what cars they drive (even though you mentioned it) but if it came down to it honestly while I enjoy driving on smooth pavement the truth is I would rather have a safe road than a smooth one. So if more money goes to the police force than the roads, so be it. Although I still think if roads are going to be fixed anyway it aught to be the ones that are in bad need of repair.
Top ↑Regarding the left turn arrows on Holmes, in my opinion, it really isn’t that simple.
One of the accidents on 12th and Holmes involved my daughter (she was a passenger) and the driver turned left before he had complete visibility. His fault, of course, but it is difficult to see on those intersections, especially if someone is stopped waiting to turn in the opposite side of the intersection as well.
Another problem on this street is that if there are people stopped waiting to turn left, people behind them get frustrated and whip around them causing accidents with the people trying to turn left from the opposite side of the intersection because suddenly this car comes from nowhere.
(Before anyone jumps on this, I have no stats, I have just read this and seen it come close to happening many times… and it’s an opinion)
Top ↑I’ve never had a problem with visibility on Holmes between 1st & 17th street and I used to drive it everyday before moving. I don’t drive on it much anymore because there are better routes to take. The road is extremely uneven in all lanes and does need some major improvements but I don’t think changing it from a 4 lane to a 2 with a middle turning lane is the answer.
Top ↑Thank you Thomas for comment #9, well put.
Ok, the police hating comment was too harsh and over the top. I apologize for that.
People who are police are or very close family members to police *cough* get very defensive when people come in and start criticizing them or bashing the money spent on their equipment which is what led to my comment. However your still deflecting. First I said that the Chargers were the cheapest and thats fact which you apparently don’t believe. Then I posted a link showing that the base MSRP on the three common police vehicles was also the cheapest on the Charger. Yet your still in denial land about it. Oh sure the common person doesn’t pay the MSRP but does the government? And regardless doesn’t showing the MSRP of the three vehicles give a good starting point for which would be the cheapest once all the haggling is done.
Furthermore not just any vehicle can be a police vehicle. They must have four doors. They must be American made lest you anger an extreme amount of people for our local governments not buying American. They can’t be economy sized because you have to have room to fit a cage in the back and still have room to fit a prisoner. They have to be able to reach high speeds lest bad guys outrun the cops. There was a real incident a few months ago where the IFPD was engaged in a pursuit of a dangerous felon who outran one of the cops involved even though the bad guy was driving a 1980′s Ford truck. The cop was driving one of their Chevy Impalas which tops out around 100 mph. That leaves options like the Dodge Charger, the Ford Crown Victoria, and the like. You also have to consider the lifetime of a vehicle. Its cheaper to buy a Dodge Charger for a few thousand more than a Chevy Impala if you know from the experience of various departments around the country that the Chargers will outlast the Impalas by a few years.
Top ↑Anyone notice the new paint on S.Blvd, 4th St. being washed & swept with street cleaners, new paint and cleanin up along the green belt just days before the 3rd of July? The Mayor has his boys out spruicin up areas of his town before the big celebration trying to impress his visitors from Japan perhaps?.
Top ↑Alice, you are exactly right about why the accidents happen on Holmes but I don’t think you understood what I meant by left turn arrows. There won’t be any issues with oncoming traffic because they will have a red light. Think about the intersection at Holmes and Elva and thats what I’m talking about. Traffic might congest a bit more because of this but nowhere near the extent its to congest if its single lanes both way.
Furthermore just imagine how hard its going to be now to get onto Holmes from one of the intersections without lights. Traffic will always be backed up and cars crossing on say 8th, 11th, 13th, or 14th streets will be forced to take huge chances to get across.
Top ↑Ok, that does make more sense. I wasn’t thinking through that the opposite lane would have a red light.
My bad
Top ↑Mr. Walsh,
Top ↑Idaho Falls, like all Idaho municipalities, suffers from a perpetual budget crisis imposed upon them by the Idaho Legislature; they’re all having to constantly juggle funding priorities. The reason: Idaho is the only state west of the Mississippi River that refuses to grant constitutional home-rule powers to the towns, cities, and counties. Read my op-ed in the Post Register of June 25th if you want to know more.
If the main purpose of your article, Mr. Walsh, was “the conditions of the infrastructure not the city’s expenditure policies on cop cars”, then why throw in the multiple digs against the police department? You were the one that made this an issue in your article despite your complete ignorance regarding the situation (purchase price of Dodge police cars). Then when you were called on it, you made up additional “facts” and attempted say you never meant to criticize the police department.
Top ↑I also really loved your, “why don’t you say that to my face” response to posters who pointed out your inaccurate statements by telling people posting anonymous replies to provide their name. Very clever, Mr. Walsh! I bet you’ve been using that since grade school.
One of the many reasons Idaho Falls is such a great community to live in is its low crime rate. I think we can all agree that the condition of the streets would be of little consequence if they were not safe enough to drive on. And you do, in fact, raise some valid points regarding road maintenance in your article. Due to the short period of time during the year in which road repairs can be made and the increased winter deterioration of roads that does not occur in other areas of the country, the city does what it can with the money they have to keep the roads maintained.
You might, if you haven’t already, try contacting the street department directly and informing them of areas that need repair. It could be that they are unaware of the specific spots you are talking about, or that no one has thought to ask them to fix it. I doubt very seriously that you have done this, however. It doesn’t really seem like your style. You seem like the type of person who moves here with a superiority complex because of where you had previously been living and feels like they need to complain about everything. You’ve already got a good start by complaining about the police and street department, as well as the mayor and the city council. My advice to you is, if it is so horrible here, why don’t you go back from whence you came.
Nobody wants higher taxes, but everyone expects great services.
Top ↑Thomas you’re really going to get a knot in your shorts when they resurface the streets around the Temple two times before they get around to doing anything to that strip of pavement down S Holmes that you’re worried about.
Top ↑This road, that intersection, blah blah blah.
It’s not the particulars that need to be addressed, it’s the entire road service system that this county has. It needs to be changed!
-How about the HORRIBLE snow removal service that needs to be changed?
-How about the shotty patch work they do to potholes, only to have them bust back open on the first frost?
-How about all the previously mentioned issues?
Here’s the point – Roper’s right – people want change, but they don’t want to pay for it. Where does the city get funding for city services? Local taxes, property taxes, things like that.
Top ↑As someone who has lived all over, and paid taxes and fees everywhere, I have paid no more or less here than anywhere else, yet almost everywhere else I have ever lived has a better system than this. What’s the solution???
Overhaul the current program/budget/organization that takes care of this, or get a brand new system in place, with new people in place, people with experience in other metro areas, that know how to install a proper city maintenance program.
-How about the
I agree hippiechick. There aren’t too many places that have as poor road maintenance as we do here. I think it has a large part to do with who is awarded the contract to repair our roads. They are obviously not using the money wisely and are taking the cheapest way out and pocketing the majority of the funds they receive from the state. For example, most recently the laying down of gravel on Woodruff. There was nothing wrong with this road. But they decided to lay down thousands of pounds of gravel which does nothing but make it look like crap and damage peoples cars by pitting the paint and ruining windshields. They just wasted tens of thousands of dollars throwing down gravel on a perfectly good road.
Top ↑The problem is, we can whine about it all we want but this problem will never change. The county officials pick the lowest bids and go with these companies. They/we end up paying more in the long run because our roads, as it is now, have to be worked on each year. Whereas if they would pay a little more initially to have the work done right, our roads will end up lasting 4-5 years instead of 1-2.
It’s just a classic example of government waste that happens all the time all around the country.
More lit crosswalks and better access to pedestrians would be very appreciated too.
Top ↑I think some of us have failed to remember that the weather plays a great deal with the road work here, ie; frost heaves, shortened time for repairs due to long winters, etc. The City has tried to get as many companies out there for snow removal, but when you have guys out there throwing fits because their name wasn’t called from the list first, threatening civil action and dropping their prices so much that no one can possibly compete and still cover their fuel prices…..well all I can say is that you get what you pay for. Everyone wants the City to save money all the while repairing a section most convenient to them. My advice is to perhaps try and look at things from another angle. What you may have had in your old town may not be a possibility right now. If you moved here from somewhere else, whether it be better or worse, know that IF is not a big city, does not have big-city funding or big city crime. At least right now…..but like everything, that’s sure to change as well.
Top ↑I’ve noticed some pretty crummy main roads in Salt Lake, too, and it’s a big city. I doubt there is any city that has perfect roads everywhere all the time.
Top ↑Ah, AR, I have lived in upstate NY (Saratoga, smaller than IF), where the weather is just as, if not sometimes moreso, brutal as here.
Top ↑Amazing roads, and VERY prompt snow removal. the minute it would start to snow, the plows were out.
No, I don’t think weather has a damn thing to do with it, it’s politics and businesses and the city not cooperating like they need to.
Idaho Falls’ streets are perfect jewels compared to Boise’s.
If you think I.F. is slow in snow removal, ask a Boisean about theirs- I have friends there who never get their street plowed, ever, during the winters. In the summer, only the most gaping chuckholes get patched. Unless the paving is impassible, it’s ignored.
Top ↑Things are just as bad in Caldwell, Nampa, and many other cities in the state. I.F. may not be good, but it’s a lot better in comparison to most other places in this state.
Just an observation hippiechick, but……
NY is a blue state, they tend to spend their money on services. I haven’t yet figured out what the Repubs in Idaho spend our tax dollars on, but they never seem to have enough of it to pay for roads, education, or a number of other services.
I’m certain Butch will fill us in some day, he sure seems to be a good ole boy.
I have to go out to the barn now and find some tools so I can pull my tongue out of my cheek, it got stuck in there pretty good when I typed that last sentence.
Top ↑You guys are all missing the point. Idaho’s “imperial legislature” (no constitutional home-rule for towns & cities) of mainly rural, good old boys, religious wackos & rightwing ideologues (checkout the state website & where they actually live)…absolutely do not want the place to grow. Ergo, no local control, no local option financing of anything, no home-rule like every other state west of the Mississippi.
It’s why IF Power will have to really raise rates & do layoffs if the narrow constitutional amendment on November’s ballot fails. The WHOLE STATE of Idaho has to give us permission to run our own electric company (is this nuts or what?).
It would be OK with them if HP, Micron, INL, ON Semiconductor, etc even Melaleuca simply packed up and left. “Those people” bring way too many dangerous outside ideas and demands (that might require better schools, roads, $$$, & management talent, etc) into our ‘perfect hermit kingdom’.
Unfortunately with the way things are headed in Idaho, that’s what they’re going to get, especially over in the Treasure Valley, as others join Albertsons, Washington Group, Boise Cascade, et al who’ve left. Already the T.V. is listed as America’s 8th worst real estate disaster. What remains will be nothing like this group of legislative power-broker boobs envisioned….but a bunch of angry, pissed-off white folks & Latinos.
Top ↑I don’t know what city you’re living in, or what immediate expectations you have, but I think Idaho Falls does a great job at snow removal. They don’t plow until it’s enough to cause problems (keeping costs low), they plow within a couple days of major storms (fast response), they plow the entire city in under a week (there is a reality of physical space people), and they plow out everyone’s driveway and mailboxes after plowing snow to the sides.
A few years ago they were even out on Christmas eve plowing snow because the forecast was on Christmas was freezing rain.
What more do you want? If you have better ideas for how to execute snow removal, visit the mayor and share your ideas. Don’t just bitch about it.
Top ↑Well the Holmes project is done and its a disaster already. Congestion was horrible on it today and its only going to get infinitely worse when school starts up. The neighborhoods around IF High already get terrorized by too many speeding students and its going to be even worse now that more of them will be avoiding Holmes because its turned into a parking lot with cars backed up endlessly in both directions.
Top ↑“…its a disaster already”
Man, just can’t give anything a chance can you? It’s only been open for about five minutes.
Top ↑