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Council asks ACHD for cost analysis, adds Black Cat railroad crossing mitigation to community program priorities
Summary
Meridian council finalized roadway priorities for the Ada County Highway District five-year plan and added a new community program to address the Black Cat railroad crossing choke point, asking ACHD for cost estimates comparing corridor alternatives and elevating the crossing mitigation into the top three priorities.
The Meridian City Council on March 11 finalized its recommendations to the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) for the agency's 2025 five-year plan and directed staff to request additional cost analyses for priority corridors. Council also added a new community program to address congestion and pedestrian safety at the Black Cat Road railroad crossing and placed that item among the city's top three community-program priorities.
Transportation staff presented a draft priority list (Exhibit A) and two corridor alternatives for focused study (Meridian Road vs. Locust Grove). Council members asked staff to request from ACHD a cost comparison that includes differences in right-of-way, 3-lane versus 5-lane alternatives, and future design implications. ACHD planning supervisor Kristi Inselman told the council ACHD can prepare a high-level cost estimate for each corridor and provide guidance within the next month, though a full engineering design and right-of-way study would take longer.
On community programs, councilors discussed recurring safety and access concerns at the Black Cat Road railroad crossing near a school and residential areas. Councilmember (mover) made a motion to add a new community program item focused on mitigating the Black Cat railroad crossing choke point and to place that program as priority number 3 on the city's list; the motion included transmitting Exhibit A (roadway priorities) to ACHD and asking ACHD to supply cost information for corridor alternatives. The motion passed on a voice vote.
Why it matters: The city's prioritized list and program requests shape which projects ACHD will consider for programming and funding. Elevating the Black Cat crossing as a near-term community program signals the city's interest in ACHD prioritizing safety and operational improvements at that location ahead of longer-range corridor projects.
Next steps: City staff will transmit Exhibit A and the revised community program list to ACHD, request the corridor cost analyses, and follow up with council when ACHD provides its high-level estimates. Staff also recommended coordinating with the fire department and ACHD on operational impacts for emergency response as part of the follow-up analysis.
Vote and motion: Council moved, seconded and approved adding the Black Cat crossing mitigation as community program priority No. 3 and forwarding Exhibit A to ACHD with a request for cost analyses; specific maker/second names were on the meeting record. ACHD indicated a high-level cost estimate can be provided within weeks, allowing council to refine priorities ahead of next year's five-year plan update.
