top of page

Draft Purpose & Need

Purpose & Need

Purpose & Need statements are used to develop, evaluate, and guide the decision-making process. ITD encourages community and agency input in developing the proposed Purpose & Need of a project:

  • The purpose as to why improvements are being proposed

  • The transportation needs to be addressed and the underlying causes of the problems

The purpose of the SH-55 Deinhard/Boydstun project is to enhance highway safety and operations by:
  • Improving the mobility of local, regional, and north-south intrastate travel and commerce for traffic through and around the downtown core of McCall
  • Reducing travel time in and around McCall by traveling via the Deinhard/Boydstun corridor versus the existing SH-55 corridor
  • Improving safety for all modes of travel by reducing conflict points 
    between vehicles and pedestrians by the addition of signals and turn 
    lanes at intersections
  • Defining, designing, and prioritizing improvements to the proposed 
    exchanging of SH-55 and Deinhard/Boydstun to current state highway and city design standards

The existing SH-55 route through McCall has been an evolving corridor since the 1930s. In the more than 90 years since, McCall and the region have experienced substantial growth.

​

The need for these improvements is driven by the following:

  • Existing SH-55 is experiencing delay, safety, and congestion issues due 
    to the density of pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the City of McCall. SH-55 operates at speeds that limit the function of an efficient state highway link while creating high-risk conflict points with heavy seasonal pedestrian traffic. In turn, these conflict points create delay for local and regional travelers.

  • On SH-55, the turn at 3rd and Lake Streets does not meet current state 
    highway design standards.

  • To improve the functionality, an improved route for SH-55 with increased posted speed and access control, as needed.

  • Community engagement in the McCall Downtown Master Plan (2013), 
    McCall Transportation Plan (2017), and McCall Area Comprehensive 
    Plan (2018) all call for multimodal downtown roadways and/or directly 
    reference the creation of the SH-55 alternate route.

Additional Goals for the Project:

  • Consider the local culture, history, workforce, and economy of the City of McCall and Valley County

  • Support local and regional planning efforts

  • Avoid or minimize impacts to the environment including adding protections for Payette Lake

  • Understand the needs and movements of people who walk and bike in the project area, including seasonal traffic

bottom of page