Communities in Motion 2055
What will the future hold? How many people will live here? How will we get around? Electric vehicles? Flying cars? Trains? How will we pay for it all?
To plan for the future and help answer questions such as these, COMPASS develops a regional long-range transportation plan – Communities in Motion – for Ada and Canyon Counties.
We update that plan every five years. The current plan, Communities in Motion 2050, was adopted in 2022 and looks to the year 2050. The next iteration, Communities in Motion 2055, is under development and is scheduled for completion no later than December 2027.
Scope of Work
We began work on Communities in Motion 2055 in 2023 and the planning process will include four main steps: build a foundation, develop topic areas, compare and prioritize, and invest and implement. The year 2024 is mainly focused on “develop topic areas.”
Communities in Motion 2055 will be a “minor” update to Communities in Motion 2050, meaning that it will build upon many of the tenets that were established for Communities in Motion 2050, including forecasted growth patterns, goals, and objectives.
Growth to 2055
In December 2023, the COMPASS Board of Directors accepted a forecasted 2055 population of 1.3 million for Ada and Canyon Counties. COMPASS staff is now working to allocate that future population among the cities and counties in the valley, using the growth patterns established through extensive public input for Communities in Motion 2050. The growth allocation will reflect additional forecasted population growth and on-the-ground development.
The forecasted growth allocation, called the “Communities in Motion 2055 Vision,” is anticipated to be adopted by the COMPASS Board of Directors in August 2024. It will serve as the backbone of the plan.
Goals and Objectives
As a “minor” update, Communities in Motion 2055 retains the same four goal areas established for Communities in Motion 2050:
The objectives supporting these goal areas are similar to those from Communities in Motion 2050 as well but have been simplified. The goals and objectives were approved by the COMPASS Board of Directors in February 2024, with amendments approved in April 2024.
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Safety |
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Economic Vitality |
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Convenience |
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Quality of Life |
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Public Participation
COMPASS will provide ongoing outreach on key topics in the plan throughout plan development, in addition to two specific opportunities for public participation.
Ongoing Outreach
We’ll share what is happening with the planning process itself and with key topics addressed in the plan through many different formats:
- Education series
- Social media
- Podcast
- Presentations
- This web site
- Feel free to reach out to us at any time with questions, comments, and feedback.
Public Participation
As the goals, objectives, and vision for growth will be based on those from Communities in Motion 2050, and were developed with significant public input, public participation for Communities in Motion 2055 will focus on two key areas: project prioritization criteria and review of the draft plan.
Project prioritization criteria: Spring 2025
COMPASS will seek your input into what types of criteria should be given the most weight when prioritizing projects funded in the plan. For example, should projects that address safety be given higher priority than those that address congestion? Or vice versa? COMPASS will then use your input to prioritize funding for transportation projects.
Draft plan: Summer 2027
COMPASS will share the draft plan with you for your review. We’ll ask for your feedback on all aspects of the plan – where did we hit the mark? Where did we miss?
What’s Next?
- COMPASS will allocate the forecasted population of 1.3 million to specific locations and types of development throughout the valley. The allocation is expected to be accepted by the COMPASS Board in August 2024.
- COMPASS is analyzing tensions and tradeoffs among growth patterns and types of transportation projects to set the stage for spring 2025 public participation on prioritization criteria.
- COMPASS is working on several related studies and plans that will feed into Communities in Motion 2055.
Related Links and Documents
Communities in Motion 2055
Related Studies and Plans
- Let’s Ride Treasure Valley (high-capacity transit planning and environmental linkages study)
- Regional Housing Coordination Plan
- Regional Safety Action Plan