Ada County HD, ID
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Project Prioritization Process
How does ACHD decide which projects make their way into the Integrated Five-Year Work Plan (IFYWP)?
Prioritization plays a crucial role in project selection. ACHD evaluates each project to gauge its potential impact on the community and to help inform which ones to address first. The ranking process aids ACHD in making well-informed decisions that align with our communities' priorities.
The ranking process is just one of the many inputs that go into the creation of the annual IFYWP. All project requests are filtered through our industry-leading prioritization methodology, adopted by the ACHD Commission in 2022. This methodology consists of specific metrics and weighting elements that were carefully created to evaluate/rank each project. Specific details on the criteria used are explained in greater detail below.
Prioritization Step 1 – Project Requests:
ACHD receives project requests from a wide variety of sources:
- Partner agencies (cities, county, and school districts)
- Community residents
- Advisory committees
- Neighborhood associations, and ACHD adopted plans
- Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
- Neighborhood plans
- Bike Master Plan, etc.
Prioritization Step 2 - Project Request Refinement:
In this phase, we thoroughly assess each project request for feasibility. We examine the location details to determine the necessary extents and scope, including potential enhancements such as:
- ADA upgrades
- Pedestrian crossings
- Traffic calming measures
- Pavement rehabilitation, etc.
In this stage we also develop initial cost estimates for the project.
Prioritization Step 3 – Project Scoring:
We then evaluate each project based on various criteria, including:
- Community impact
- Existing deficiencies
- Job and population densities
- Proximity to schools and civic facilities
See below for criteria breakdown. Projects are scored on a 100-point scale.
Prioritization Step 4 – Overall Project Rankings:
Once scored, all projects within each category are compiled into a single list, ranked from highest to lowest. This process helps determine which projects will be prioritized for inclusion in the IFYWP.
The project prioritization process and methodology apply to two main categories:
Community Programs and
Roads & Intersections.
Other project types, such as maintenance projects and bridges are developed using separate methodologies.
Project Prioritization Criteria
This category consists of major capital projects. These include arterial roadway widening projects as well as major intersection improvements. These are all derived from ACHD’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
The chart on the right outlines the key criteria for ranking our roadway and intersection projects.
See the details on the criteria used to evaluate Road and Intersection projects.
These projects encompass a diverse range of improvements, including pedestrian enhancements (such as sidewalks, pathways, and ADA upgrades), upgraded pedestrian crossings (such as RRFB/PHB signals), bike facility projects, and traffic calming initiatives. Community Programs projects may incorporate all these elements or focus on specific aspects.
See the details on the criteria used to evaluate Community Programs projects.
Project Prioritization Timeline
Project prioritization is conducted on an annual basis as a vital component to the development of the IFYWP. Each year, the total number of projects that we are able to score/prioritize will continue to increase as more are identified through our many public outreach efforts.
While the output of the project prioritization is a consideration in determining what projects are programed in the Integrated Five-Year Work Plan (IFYWP), there are many other considerations used in programming decision-making. Such considerations include available funding, geographic equity, Partner Agency support, and Commission direction to name a few. See below to learn more about our Partner Agency support.
Current most update project prioritization Lists by Year:
Partner Agency Prioritization
As part of our yearly effort, ACHD also relies heavily on our partner agencies to identify projects they would like to see moved into the IFYWP. We ask our partners to provide a list of project requests and to rank them according to their level of importance. Those partner agencies include the six cities (Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Kuna, Meridian, and Star), Ada County, the three school districts (Boise School District, Kuna School District, and West Ada School District), Boise State University, and Valley Regional Transit (VRT).