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Compass director warns Meridian‑area growth will outpace current transportation funding
Summary
Craig Rayborn, executive director of Compass, told Meridian council members that rapid regional growth and shifting job centers are increasing commute distances and congestion, and that the region faces a roughly $5.5 billion unfunded gap beyond an anticipated $11 billion of funded projects.
Craig Rayborn, executive director of the regional planning organization Compass, told the Meridian City Council on Nov. 12 that rapid growth across Southwest Idaho is shifting where people live and work and increasing pressure on the local transportation system. "We're averaging about 15 new households a day and about 16 new jobs a day," Rayborn said, and he projected the region’s population would surpass 1 million by 2050 and reach about 1.3 million by 2055.
Rayborn presented heat‑maps of recent development and warned that traditional separations between Meridian and neighboring cities such as Kuna, Nampa and Star are “basically gone,” increasing cross‑jurisdiction travel through Meridian. He said the geographic shift of jobs and housing…
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