Residents press Coeur d'Alene for July 4 traffic controls at Fortgrounds; city staff to follow up on barricade options

Several Fortgrounds neighborhood residents told the Coeur d'Alene City Council on June 17 that the city should reinstate barricades or other traffic controls for the July 4 fireworks by the lake, citing pedestrian safety and past instances of gridlock and blocked emergency access.

Catherine Boss, who said she was representing several neighbors, described years when barricades limited motor vehicle access to a three‑block area near the fireworks staging area and said the past two years lacked those measures. "There is cars going by while people are watching, getting ready to watch and watching the fireworks," Boss said. She and others asked whether the city could restore barricades and whether residents could help staff them.

City Administrator Troy Timison responded that the city has had resource constraints and no formal policy authorizing routine street closures for this purpose. "We do things by policy, of course. We really don't have a policy for closing a street without a reason," Timison said. He told the council he had reached out to the neighborhood's homeowners association and planned to meet with the council member who lives closest to the area to identify volunteers and possible "local traffic only" signage.

Council members agreed to follow up. Mayor McEvers and councilors asked staff to convene a meeting with neighborhood representatives and to explore options that do not put volunteers in unsafe positions or require the city to close streets without an established policy. Timison said staff could place a reader board indicating "local traffic only" and would work with neighborhood leaders on next steps.

No formal action or ordinance was adopted at the meeting. The city recorded the concern and directed staff to pursue a meeting with the Fortgrounds Homeowners Association and the council member representing the area.