Meridian council presses ACHD for explanation after several projects delayed or removed from draft five-year plan

Meridian city staff briefed the City Council on the Ada County Highway District’s draft five‑year work plan for 2026–2030 and asked the council to provide direction for a comment letter to ACHD, due Sept. 10.

Council members said they were surprised to see projects the city had previously prioritized either delayed or removed from the programmed five‑year list. Staff said ACHD advanced some projects (including the Black Cat railroad crossing pedestrian safety work) while downgrading or removing roadway widening projects such as the Black Cat-Franklin segment from the capital projects list. Locust Grove is included in the plan; Meridian Road is not, and staff told council they had not received an explanation from ACHD for that difference.

Council members repeatedly urged improved coordination between ACHD and Idaho Transportation Department on how State Highway 16 and local intersections will open and operate. Councilman Taylor pointed to the intersection at Ustick and Venable and the upcoming community center there as an example where city developments and ACHD priorities must align. Staff said ACHD appears to be programming construction quickly but that some state work (State Highway 16) will open before ACHD’s programmed work, reinforcing the need for coordination.

Members also raised concern about the Black Cat corridor: while ACHD advanced the community safety program for the railroad crossing, the roadway widening at Black Cat and Franklin was removed from the five‑year capital list. Council members asked staff to request an explanation from ACHD and to press for corridor‑level reasoning rather than piecemeal project decisions. Several council members suggested the city reaffirm its top 3–5 priorities so ACHD can focus resources accordingly.

Council members discussed whether to remove from Meridian’s priority list projects that are already funded or in active construction, to conserve the city’s top slots for unfunded needs. Staff noted the transportation commission recommended keeping certain projects (Victory–Meridian to Locust Grove and 10 Mile–Cherry) at design readiness so they are “shelf ready” if funding becomes available. The transportation commission also recommended the city ask ACHD how changes to impact fee policy might affect available funding.

Staff said ACHD asked for formal comments by Sept. 10 but that the commission hearing is not until October and staff could deliver a letter up to the day prior; council directed staff to draft a letter based on the discussion and to return if the council wanted further refinement before sending.

Meridian council members left the discussion divided on whether ACHD’s edits reflect budget constraints (inflation and rising project costs were cited by staff as a major driver) or programmatic choices by ACHD. Several council members said they wanted a clear explanation of why Black Cat was dropped and whether impact‑fee changes would restore prior priorities.