Projects 

Crosswalk Flags The flag crossing projects improves the visibility of pedestrians at crosswalks by providing high visibility flags located on either side of the crosswalk.  Pedestrians pick up a flag on one side of the street and deposit it on the opposite side after crossing. Even when not carried by pedestrians, the flags greatly improve visibility of the crosswalks themselves, thereby increasing driver awareness of these important locations. The list at right shows where IFCP has already installed pedestrian flags. The crosswalk flags consist of ten fluorescent flags and two flag receptacles, on either side of the street, for picking up and depositing the flags before and after crossing.  The cost is approximately $50.00 per set and is paid for via our Adopt-a-Flag-Crossing Program, where citizens donate $50.00 to cover the cost for a particular crosswalk. IFCP would eventually like to install flags at crosswalks all over Idaho Falls because we believe that it is so important for our community to feel safe while walking/running/cycling.  We want to help Idaho Falls become an Earth-friendly human powered community with more pedestrians and cyclists than cars on our roadways.

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Neighborhood Sidewalk Repairs From the inception of IFCP, repair of old and deteriorating sidewalks emerged as an important issue to many of our members.  A neighborhood survey conducted by the Crows and Original Townsite Historic Neighborhood Association (COTHNA) had indicated that many residents in the numbered streets were concerned about the poor condition of sidewalks in their neighborhood.  However, many residents are surprised to learn that in Idaho Falls, the costs for sidewalk repair are the homeowner's responsibility.  For many homeowners, these costs are simply beyond their means, so many needed repairs are never performed. During August 2007, the IFCP Sidewalk Committee teamed up with COTHNA on this issue.  The two groups jointly drafted a letter to Mayor Fuhriman requesting that the City implement a sidewalk repair program to provide financial assistance to low and moderate income residents.  The letter suggested that the City consider allocating a portion of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds received each year from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  CDBG funds are specifically earmarked for projects involving low- to moderate-income households in our older neighborhoods.  IFCP and COTHNA then attended City Council meetings to explain the proposal, and in January 2008, the Council agreed, allocating $53,780 of CDBG funds for the sidewalk repair program.   We then worked with City Grants Coordinator Jan Blickenstaff and the Public Works Department engineering staff to develop a "concrete" plan of action to use the funds to best effect.   Instead of piecemeal repair of random sections of sidewalk around the City, the team decided to focus on the route along 10th Street extending from South Boulevard to Holmes Avenue.  In addition to the residents, sidewalks along 10th Street are used by many students walking between IF High School, the YMCA, the Aquatic Center, and the downtown area. The IFCP-COTHNA team mapped the broken sections of sidewalk along 10th Street, and contacted residents to inform them of the sidewalk repair program.  During September, contractor Shane Woolf Concrete replaced damaged sidewalks adjacent to 27 homes along 10th Street, as well as the worst sections of sidewalk along the south side of Kate Curley Park.  We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Mayor and City Council, as well as Jan Blickenstaff.  In addition, we owe a big thanks to Stephanie Rose, Pam Chase, and Kent Campbell for making this project happen.  We hope to submit another proposal to the City for similar sidewalk repairs in a different area during 2009.

Committees

• Transportation Network Improvements
• Streets, sidewalks and other pathways already in existence can be improved to better accommodate people-powered transportation.  Establishing bike lanes, building pedestrian bridges, improving crosswalks and curb-cuts, and implementing traffic calming measures are all examples of how we can adapt what has already been built. 
• Safety Issues
• Cyclist and Motorist Education
• IFCP works to educate motorists, pedestrians and cyclists about traffic laws, potential hazards, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and pathway etiquette.
• Fundraising
• Proposals and Grant Writing
  
• Because tax dollars are tight, IFCP seeks and has received additional funding through grant monies to pay for improvements, such as sidewalk repair and construction of bike lanes and multi-use pathways.  Funding has come from programs such as the Safe Routes to School Program, HUD Community Development Block Grants, and State Transportation Enhancement Funds. 
  
• Non-Profit Status

For more info about our organization or to help out on one of the committees, please email us.