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Compass director outlines Communities in Motion, flags $5.5B shortfall and recommends regional rail
Summary
Compass executive director briefed the council on regional growth projections and transportation priorities, saying the regional plan shows about $11.1 billion funded with a roughly $5.5 billion unfunded gap and that the board's preferred alternative for east–west high-capacity transit is a rail option.
Boise — Craig, executive director of Compass (the region’s metropolitan planning organization), updated the Boise City Council on regional planning work, funding needs and recommended options for high-capacity east–west transit.
Craig told the council that Compass’ Communities in Motion long-range plan currently identifies roughly $11.1 billion of funded investments through 2050 but estimates total needs at about $16.5 billion — producing an approximately $5.5 billion shortfall (about $193 million per year). He said Compass is working on Communities in Motion 2055 and that the agency distributes federal transportation dollars, performs development review and provides technical assistance and grant support to member agencies.
On high-capacity options, Compass ran a planning-and-environmental linkage process that evaluated multiple alternatives. Craig described the three finalists — commuter rail, bus rapid transit and buses on dedicated lanes — and said the board approved a preliminary locally preferred alternative. “Of those…the rail option was the one that would generate the most ridership, would have the most consistent performance,” he said, noting rail also offers stronger opportunities for adjacent land‑use development in the corridor. The full document is expected to go to Compass’ board for final adoption in February.
Council members asked about modeling and relative benefits; Craig said the analysis provides directional projections of likely benefits and performance differences among candidate modes and emphasized that Compass will continue pursuing state and federal funding and a legislative strategy to address revenue shortfalls.
Council members and staff also noted local examples where Compass funding supported neighborhood safety or pathway projects and raised the Lake Hazel extension and the Federal Way–Broadway multiuse pathway as regional projects with local benefit.
