The Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) is asking Idaho Falls-area residents to help shape how people move around the region for the next quarter century, launching a public input campaign that runs through September 30, 2026.
The agency, which coordinates federally funded transportation planning for Bonneville County, wants to hear from drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and anyone who regularly navigates streets in Idaho Falls, Ammon, Iona, Ucon, and surrounding unincorporated areas. Resident feedback will feed directly into the organization’s Long-Range Transportation Plan — a forward-looking document that guides how transportation dollars get spent across the greater Idaho Falls region.
Two Ways to Participate Before the Deadline
BMPO has set up two participation tools on its website: a brief public survey and an interactive community input map. The map allows residents to click on specific locations and leave comments about how current road, sidewalk, or trail conditions affect their daily lives — whether that means getting to work, reaching a grocery store, dropping kids off at school, or accessing parks and recreational areas.
Both tools are available now, and the deadline to submit responses is 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2026. The organization is specifically seeking input on walking, biking, and driving priorities, making this a broad opportunity for residents regardless of how they typically get around.
Transportation planner DaNiel Jose emphasized how central community voices are to the agency’s work. “Public feedback is the foundation of our long-term transportation strategy, and this survey gives every resident a direct voice in how we prioritize future investments,” Jose said.
The interactive mapping feature is particularly notable because it allows residents to flag specific intersections, corridors, or neighborhoods — rather than responding in abstract terms about transportation in general. A driver frustrated with a particular stretch of road can mark it directly. A parent concerned about sidewalk gaps near a school can point to the exact location. That granular, location-specific data gives planners a clearer picture of where needs are greatest across the region.
What BMPO Does and Why It Matters
Metropolitan planning organizations were established nationwide in 1962 to ensure that cities and counties receiving federal transportation funds engage in coordinated, regional planning rather than making isolated decisions. BMPO serves as that coordinating body for Bonneville County, operating as a federally mandated and funded organization with a policy board made up of elected officials and representatives from Idaho Falls, Ammon, Iona, Ucon, the county itself, and the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD).
Because BMPO’s board draws from multiple jurisdictions, its Long-Range Transportation Plan reflects regional needs rather than the priorities of any single city. That structure matters when decisions involve corridors that cross city limits, projects that serve commuters traveling between communities, or infrastructure improvements near the unincorporated county areas that fall outside any city’s direct control.
The plan being developed now looks ahead roughly 25 years, meaning the priorities residents identify this summer could influence transportation investments well into the 2040s and 2050s. Road expansions, new pedestrian infrastructure, bicycle lane networks, transit options, and intersection improvements can all be shaped by how communities articulate their needs today.
For Bonneville County residents who regularly travel Highway 20, Interstate 15, or any of the arterial roads connecting Idaho Falls to surrounding communities, this is a direct opportunity to influence the regional infrastructure that affects daily life. Ongoing construction and improvement projects — including roundabout work that has closed Birch Street and South Boulevard — underscore how actively transportation conditions are evolving across the area.
What Comes Next
After the September 30 deadline, BMPO planners will analyze survey responses and map submissions to identify patterns in community concerns and priorities. That analysis will inform draft goals and investment priorities for the Long-Range Transportation Plan. Additional public engagement opportunities are expected as the plan takes shape, though the current survey and mapping activity represent the ground-floor chance to weigh in before priorities are established.
Residents can access both tools at the BMPO website. For broader statewide transportation and infrastructure news across Idaho, additional coverage is available at Idaho News.