- What is COMPASS?
- How is our population growing?
- What is the Treasure Valley?
- What is Communities in Motion?
- What is a regional long-range transportation plan?
- Why is transportation planning becoming more regional?
- Why is land use important in developing a transportation plan?
- What is multi-modal transportation?
What is COMPASS?
COMPASS (or Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho) is an association of local governments working together to plan for the future of Southwest Idaho . COMPASS members develop a plan for regional investments in transportation over the next 20-plus years. COMPASS addresses regional issues by:
- Coordinating and implementing planning efforts
- Ensuring local government and citizen involvement
- Developing policies to achieve solutions
- Providing resources to support effective planning
As the metropolitan planning organization for the Boise and Nampa Urbanized Areas, COMPASS is specifically tasked with development of a regional transportation plan.
How is our population growing?
The population in the Treasure Valley is up 44% since 1990 and by 2030 our population will grow another 60% from just over 500,000 to nearly 800,000. Rapid growth can easily result in more cars, more pollution and more congestion. Effective planning can help reduce these effects. Detailed demographic information can be obtained by clicking here.
What is the Treasure Valley?
The Treasure Valley generally refers to the metropolitan region spanning Ada and Canyon Counties, including the cities of Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell.
What is Communities in Motion?
Communities in Motion is the name of the regional long-range transportation plan being developed by Community Planning Association (COMPASS) in partnership with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). The name is meant to illustrate that Treasure Valley communities are growing rapidly and need transportation systems that help people and the goods and services they need to move between and within communities effectively. The name also implies changing values and new directions for our region.
Communities in Motion is a both a process and a plan. The process will use dynamic and interactive tools such as this website to ensure public participation, resulting in a plan that truly reflects regional values and goals. The plan will outline priorities that guide growth and maintenance of transportation systems for the next 20-plus years.
What is a regional long-range transportation plan?
A long-range transportation plan is a document resulting from a regional process of collaboration and consensus on a region's transportation system. This document serves as the defining vision for the region's transportation systems and services. The plan indicates all of the regional transportation improvements needed over the next 20 or more years. Putting a transportation plan together requires careful consideration of many factors, including population growth, economic trends, financial resources, community goals, preservation of both human and natural environments, and maintaining good quality of life.
Why is transportation planning becoming more regional?
Transportation planning today clearly requires a regional rather than a solely local view. Most people do not spend their entire day in one town. Driving to work, school, shops and recreation may require driving through several towns and rural areas. Communities acting individually cannot solve regional transportation demands. Also, funding resources are limited. It makes sense for communities to collaborate to make sure that transportation systems work smoothly together and that individual projects make the system as a whole stronger.
Why is land use important in developing a transportation plan?
The land use/transportation connection has been a growing concern in transportation planning over the last 10-20 years. Many communities, especially those larger areas seeking to improve the effectiveness of public transportation, have turned their focus on changing the way their communities develop. Higher density, well-designed housing, increased connectivity of streets, mixture of residential with appropriate commercial and services, and the placement of buildings closer to the street can all play a part in improving the use of alternatives and reducing the need to drive.
What is multi-modal transportation?
Multi-modal is a word used frequently in transportation planning to refer to several different ways of getting from one place to another. People often think of cars and roads when they think of transportation. Saying that Communities in Motion will be a “multi-modal” plan is to say that a variety of transportation choices will be considered. These choices include roadways, buses, other public transit, bicycles, pathways, carpooling, vanpooling, and work-from-home incentives. The emphasis is on increasing choices in transportation. The plan will explore transportation choices for persons who are elderly, disabled or who have a low-income, and will also consider the multiple modes of freight movement to and through Southwest Idaho such as trucks, rail, and air.
