Steetcar
In 1887 the, one year after the capitol building was complete, Boise built a streetcar system. The streetcar system was limited within the city of Boise in its early stages. It connected the downtown/capital building area with the newer homes built on Warm Springs Avenue (possibly the first "suburb" of Boise). In 1907 the street car became electric and connected all of the Treasure Valley, including towns such as; Eagle, Caldwell, Nampa, and Star. The Boise streetcar system soon became known as "the Loop." which was a popular family activity on Sundays in the Treasure Valley. The excitement and usefulness of the streetcar started to decrease in 1927 with the need for space for automobiles. The streetcar system ended in 1928 because of financial difficulties. Today's roads follow the path initially set up by the streetcar system in 1907. In 2009 Boise Mayor David Bieter submitted a proposal for a new streetcar system to be introduced into the Treasure Valley. His intention was to relieve some of the commuting congestion from the surrounding cities to Boise. His ultimate goal was to bring new economic life to downtown Boise. He proposed to use grant money for transportation made available from the Obama administration. Mayor Bieter cites the economic prosperity experienced by the city of Boise in 1907 due to the transportation plan of the streetcar. It is unlikely in today’s time that a streetcar could accommodate to number of people who commute into Boise on the weekdays. It could, however, be useful transportation for weekend events that create parking problems and road closures. Evening use may also be helpful to the Mayors plan to bring people to downtown. This proposal has not been approved by the city, but plans may be in the works to propose yet again.
See the links below for more detailed information on the 2009 proposal and narrative about the Boise Streetcar: http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/27409/C108/L108/
http://www.trainweb.org/oerhs/history/boise.htm
http://www.boise.org/uploads/PressRoomDocuments/PR-History%20of%20Boise.pdf
