The Ada County Highway District's Terry Little recently presented a little pro/con list to the Boise City Council about one-way vs. two-way streets.

All of a sudden this year, the city and the Downtown Business Association have been talking about converting one-way streets to two-way streets. They seem to think it would be better for business—more eyballs and such.

Little is not so sure. Here is his list, as presented to the Boise City Council:

The advantages of one‐way streets are primarily:

1. Signal coordination is much better in an area such as a downtown where signals by necessity must be spaced closely together (For example, consider State Street vs. Main Street, 1st to 16th).

2. The capacity of one‐way streets is about 20% greater than that of two‐way streets meaning that fewer lanes and fewer through streets are needed if a functional one‐way grid system is established.

3. The congestion and delay for pedestrians, vehicles and transit is reduced as the cycle length can be much shorter with one‐way streets. The extra phases for left turn lanes are unnecessary with one‐way streets.

4. Pedestrian safety is improved as the pedestrian has fewer directions to be concerned about at intersections. Drivers have fewer potential conflicts to handle as well so can give more attention to pedestrian safety.

The advantages of two‐way streets are primarily:

1. Driver familiarity favors two‐way streets.

2. Minimizing “going around the block” favors two‐way streets.

3. Some land uses favor two‐way traffic.

Little did suggest that a few streets are candidates for conversion: 3rd, 4th,5th (not likely), 6th (not likely), 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th.

But the east-west and the big ones are not in the cards, according to ACHD, which owns the streets: Front/Myrtle, Capitol/9th, Main/Idaho, 15th/16th.

The Simplot family briefed Boise's Design Review Committee and other city officials this week on plans for Jack's Urban Meeting Place, AKA JUMP, which the family plans to build downtown, west of Bodo. The meeting was an informational work session which was open to the public, though public testimony was not part of the meeting because a formal application has not yet been submitted.

Design Review will be the first step in the approval process.

City staff took the images below of a 40-foot long model of the project. Click the photos for larger images.

Notice the tractors scattered throughout the floors, the copper banding along the exterior, the sidewalk landscaping and sculpture throughout. Also notice the sheer size of the project's circumference, the rooftop gardens and the jumbotron in the central courtyard.

This video from CCN's Jane Velez-Mitchell posted this morning on 8-year-old Robert Manwill's disappearance:

Mike Gaynor, former NYPD detective, told Velez-Mitchell that he does not believe the search for Robert is for a runaway child, but rather one for the recovery of his body at this point.

Velez-Mitchell asks what's wrong with America that more than 120 registered sex offenders live within a two-mile radius of Robert's home, and guest Dr. Dale Archer answered that the criminal pasts of the adults in Robert's life are highly relevant to his case and his home life is the "perfect storm" for abuse.

Robert disappeared from his mother's home July 24. Earlier this week, the Idaho Statesman broke the news that Robert's infant half brother had been removed from his mother's home after she was found guilty of fracturing the infant's skull. In addition, the mother's boyfriend has a slew of criminal convictions and has been barred by the courts from being alone with Robert's half sister.

Roughly 75 officers from the Boise, Meridian and Garden City police departments, as well as the Idaho State Police, the Ada County Sheriff's Office, and Probation and Parole will be leading what officials hope will be 1,000 volunteers in the search for Robert today.

If you have information about Manwill's whereabouts, contact call the tip line at 208-570-6457 or e-mail: findrobert@cityofboise.org

By one 2004 estimate, there were about 3,500 downtown residents. Between 35,000 and 40,000 work downtown depending if you count Boise State and St. Luke's as downtown. And on July 11, there were an estimated 17,468 people at the Saturday Capital City Market on Eighth Street.

More than 20 downtown residents showed up Thursday night for an organizational meeting of the newly formed Downtown Neighborhood Association. There was a five-way tie for the eighth seat on the board, so DNA coordinator Karen Sander, who runs the Downtown Business Association, opted to seat nine people and figure out how to deal with it at the first board meeting.

The list of board members includes: Gail Young, former Ada County Commissioner Judy Peavey-Derr, Brian Ballard, Diana and Walt Sledzieski, Rick Mattoon, business owner Theresa Browning, Teresa and Arthur Hamblin and new Boise resident Vivek Pahariya.

"You're the new pioneers and I think we actually owe you a debt of thanks," said Boise City Planning Chief Bruce Chatterton. Chatterton, who just bought a hybrid car, said he aspires to one day live downtown. Two city planners at the meeting urged the new association to get involved in downtown projects like the Simplot family's JUMP project. Only one person testified at hearings for a Whole Foods downtown, and they'd like to see more community input on large developments.

Chatterton and Pam Sheldon from CCDC briefed downtown residents on master plans for the city, specifically for the downtown area. In December, the city plans to consolidate many of the neighborhood plans into a comprehensive document.

Uncle Butch's road funding panel will meet next week to get organized. No rush though ... The Governor has given the task force until December to come up with long-term funding solutions for the Idaho Transportation Department. December 2010, that is.

“Our first meeting will largely be an organizational one,” Lt. Gov. Brad Little said. “But we intend to make substantial progress this year and return to work after the 2010 legislative session.”

Otter spokesman Mark Warbis said that the governor will take any concrete suggestions from the group as soon as they are ready, but that their task is to find a 20- to 30-year solution to road funding.

“The issue of transportation funding will be on the table during the 2010 Legislative session,” Warbis said. "The governor would welcome any solutions the taskforce can make by then, but he’s giving them until Dec. 2010 in recognition of the long-term solution we’re seeking."

We asked Warbis if the NOVEMBER 2010 elections might also be a consideration in the December date, to which he responded: "In recognition of the long-term solution we're seeking."

The organizational meeting of the Task Force on Modernizing Transportation Funding in Idaho starts at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, in the Joe R. Williams Building on State Street north of the Statehouse.

A separate legislative task force is also meeting to discuss the fate of Idaho State Police and Department of Parks and Rec funding. It's next meeting is Aug. 11.

The governor's group also includes many legislators and will rely on information from ITD and from the Idaho State Tax Commission, among other agencies.