The ACHD Commission thanks voters for approving the Local Vehicle Registration Fees on November 4, 2008. A super majority of voters said they were willing to pay a little more for projects to fight traffic congestion and provide more Safe Routes to School and miles of sidewalks and bike lanes.

Motorists registering their cars on January 1, 2009 will be subject to the new fees.

Today, the average motorist pays $13 annually for the local fee to register a vehicle, a cost that will rise to $24 after approval of the ballot measure. Owners of new cars (those one or two years old) will pay $40, while owners of vehicles that are three to seven years old will pay $36. Vehicles more than seven years old are subject to the lowest fee, $24. The age-based fee formula parallels the approach of the State of Idaho and was a requirement for ACHD to collect the fee in Ada County.

The Ada County Vehicle Registration Fee is separate from the State of Idaho registration fee, which is a maximum of $48 for a vehicle that is one or two years old and less for an older model. Ada County motorists pay both registration fees.

The ACHD Commission directed its Planning & Programming staff to put the new funds to work and the results will be seen in February when the latest version of the Five-Year Work Plan is adopted. The plan sets out ACHD's construction program for the next several years and will reflect more than $100 million in new projects and ones that will have their construction years advanced because of the expanded funding.

Frequently Asked Questions Q: When is the election? A: November 4, 2008 at your regular polling place where you will vote in the presidential election. The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and more information is available by calling the Ada County Elections Office at 287-6860 or using the web site, www.adaweb.net. Q: What is on the ballot? A: A measure to renew the Ada County Vehicle Registration Fee (currently $20 for a new car, less for an older one) and to expand the annual fee to provide more: Congestion reduction – enhanced signal timing, new signals at stop-controlled intersections, widened intersections, Sidewalks and bike lanes in Ada County – improving safe routes to school, alternative transportation and overall connectivity. The existing fee raises about $4 million a year. The average vehicle in Ada County is eight years old and its owner pays a local, annual fee of $13. Q: Why is this election needed? A: The fee passed by voters in 1990 will sunset at the end of 2010. In the 18 years since the fee was adopted, Ada County’s population has doubled to 405,000 and inflation and construction costs have reduced the fee’s buying power by half (the $20 from 1990 buys a little more than $10 in 2008). Ada County’s local roads have huge, unmet needs for reducing traffic congestion and for more sidewalks, bike lanes and safe routes to school. Q: What has the fee been used for? A: Originally, voters passed the fee to fund bridge repairs in Ada County. At the time, 25 bridges were weight-restricted – meaning the structures could not carry the traffic they were designed to handle – and three others were closed. The Boise Fire Department could not get trucks across the Americana Bridge. Within three years, the problem bridges were repaired or replaced, and many other roadway improvements were made. Today, Ada County’s bridges get high marks from the federal National Bridge Inventory. Q: What would the ballot measure accomplish? A: Voter approval would allow the ACHD to maintain the current level of road-building, maintenance and operations of the 2,130 miles of local road in Ada County and allow the District to reduce traffic congestion, while providing more safe routes to school, sidewalk construction and repair, and new bike lanes and routes. Each $1 of registration fee money is matched with $2 of impact fees paid by development. Q: Which roads would be improved? A: Improvements would target Ada County’s local roads, those apart from the freeway (Interstate 84) and the state highway (SH55/Eagle Road, Chinden Boulevard, etc.) systems. Q: How will any new funding be used? A: Renewing and enhancing the registration fee could allow ACHD to complete up to $12 million in additional projects – ones specifically targeted toward reducing traffic congestion (enhanced signal timing, signalizing stop-controlled intersections, widening projects to increase capacity), creating more safe routes to school (new sidewalks and bike lanes near schools, school crossings, etc.), and increasing the amount of sidewalk built and repaired. Q: Why now? A: Ada County has hundreds of millions of dollars in unmet transportation infrastructure needs. Under state law, the fee can only be taken to voters in an even-year election (2008, 2010, etc.). Waiting until 2010 means the backlog in needs will only grow. Q: How often would I pay the fee? A: Each year when you register your vehicle. Q: With gas above $4 a gallon, do we need more transportation improvements? A: Yes. The transportation system must be more efficient to save gas and travel time. Statistics show that commute times and trip lengths have gone up in Ada County for a number of years. Reducing congestion and providing more travel options is critical. Recently, the Boise Valley Economic Partnership surveyed business owners and managers about obstacles to their success. The condition of the local road network was the No. 1 negative cited by respondents. Q: Who supports this? A: The effort has drawn support from Ada County, Boise City, Eagle, Garden City, Meridian, Kuna and Star, as well as from the Boise and Meridian school districts, chambers of commerce, Ada County Citizens for Better Transportation and many other business and civic organizations. Q: What has ACHD done to be more efficient? A: The District commissioned efficiency audits to improve the services it provides to Ada County residents. Click here to see the results. Q: What happens if the measure fails? A: Proposals to further reduce traffic congestion and increase the amount of construction of sidewalks and bike facilities would have to be curtailed – and many other roadway improvements would be delayed or scaled back. Losing registration fees would directly cost ACHD $4 million a year in 2011. The use of another $8 million in development impact fees would be jeopardized without the local matching funds required by state law.

• New Bike Lanes • • Safe Routes to School • • Build and Repair Sidewalk • • Reduce Congestion • What would the new fee cost? Vehicles more than seven years old $24 Vehicles three to seven years old $36 Vehicles one and two years old $40 Motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles $8

Q: What would a renewed fee do? A: A reauthorized fee would raise an additional $4 million a year to: Fight traffic congestion by rebuilding intersections, signalizing stop-controlled intersections, enhancing signal coordination hardware and timing programs and other improvements ($2 million). Increase safe routes to school by adding more miles of sidewalks and bike lanes on key routes, as well as providing more signalized pedestrian crossings ($2 million). Additional funds would allow ACHD to devote more resources to those highlighted programs over and above the $5 to $6 million spent today.

More Information
For more information, contact ACHD Communications at 387-6107 or tellus@achd.ada.id.us
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