The Ada County Highway District is planning significant safety upgrades for the intersection of 16th and Washington streets in Boise's North End. Starting in spring 2025, outdated traffic signals will be replaced with pedestrian-activated rapid rectangular flashing beacons to improve safety. Additional improvements include raised crosswalks, better lighting, and ADA-compliant ramps to enhance pedestrian access. Click here for more information on the project.(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)Every day, Dave and his dog, Brit, walk through the intersection of 16th and Washington, just north of State Street in Boise's North End.It's part of his routineand part of why he's concerned about the heavy traffic."It's hard to say because people tend to speed coming down here. Sometimes, I mean, I'll stand there for almost five minutes because the traffic's so heavy coming down from, you know, the upper part of town there, that you just can't get across," said North End resident Dave.Dave isn't alone in his frustrations.Last year, a 16-year-old Boise High School student, Jadin Zurawski, was struck and killed by a dump truck while crossing the intersection.Now, ACHD is planning major updates to the intersection.Starting in spring 2025, new pedestrian-activated rapid rectangular flashing beacons will replace the aging traffic signal.These beacons will alert drivers to pedestrians more effectively than the current setup, which is nearly 40 years old.The updated signals include one thing neighbors were hoping for: pedestrian buttons."Maybe get some buttons so they can cross the street. You know, if the kids could stay safe, that would be good," said another North End resident."Well, number one, you need a button for pedestrians. You've got to have a way to let that light know that you've been waiting and you need to cross the street," added Dave.Other planned updates include raised crosswalks to slow drivers down, improved lighting, and ADA-compliant ramps.ACHD says the changes are all part of their mission to prioritize pedestrian safety."Overall, you know, Boise does really good. Idaho and Boise's infrastructure is really good, I think. They do a lot of work, constantly working on things and updating things, maintaining things," said Dave.