At Bonners Ferry workshop, residents press ITD for US-95 safety fixes

More than 100 residents, elected officials and state staff spent four hours at Bonners Ferry High School pressing the Idaho Transportation Department for safety fixes on U.S. 95 between Ponderay and the Canadian border. The Jan. 30 workshop laid out crash data and ITD plans while collecting suggestions from the public on near-term improvements.

ITD displayed data showing 750 crashes on U.S. 95 in Boundary County since 2020, with 31 percent wildlife-related collisions and 22 percent intersection-related incidents. About 73 percent of crashes resulted in property damage only, 204 involved injuries and 13 were fatal, including three fatalities in 2025. A large projector showed statewide crash slides while posters and staffed stations in the gym highlighted projects and resources.

Attendees recorded ideas on Post-it notes and filled forms in a library station. Common suggestions included movable, illuminated signs that display the speeds of oncoming vehicles; signage reading "Lights on for safety"; reducing the speed limit to 45 mph; adding additional passing lanes in both directions; and offering drivers more education on the highway. Gary Davis, an ITD transportation technician, noted that his work often brings him to crash scenes, underscoring the local urgency.

ITD District 1 Engineer Ryan Hawkins described the tone of the meeting as constructive. "The people are very engaged up here and I’ve had so many good, constructive conversations," Hawkins said. "It’s amazing how many people are pretty good traffic engineers just by driving the roads." Hawkins added that the meeting helped ITD learn from the community. "It’s been great to meet with people in their community," Hawkins said. "I think it’s something we should do more often."

Hawkins also framed the limits on what can be delivered quickly. "The budget situation right now is already slowing down ITD projects," he said. "Today, we’re really here to see if there’s any low-hanging fruit where signage would help. Signs are inexpensive. Changing roads, widening them, adding passing lanes or altering elevations is more expensive."

ITD’s earliest scheduled work in Boundary County is a pavement preservation project in 2028. Targeted safety improvements on Kootenai Trail, Mountain Meadows and Elmira roads are expected in 2030, and an intersection improvement at School House Road is slated for 2032. All three Boundary County commissioners and members of the Bonners Ferry City Council attended the meeting alongside Idaho State Police troopers and local law enforcement.

For residents, the workshop made clear both the scale of the safety problem and the practical trade-offs facing state planners. ITD is accepting public comments online through Feb. 13, 2026, and Hawkins signaled the agency may hold more community meetings as it weighs low-cost signs and longer-term roadway work. What comes next will be whether the low-hanging fixes the community urged translate into visible changes on U.S. 95 before the larger projects arrive.