Hi, I’m Marisa!
If we haven’t met yet, I live in Southwest Ada County and like many of you I have concerns for our community. Street safety, congestion and road work are issues we deal with daily. Our transportation choices are limited, commutes are long and often on two lane roads, our roads are unsafe for our children which means they can’t walk or bike like we did when we were kids. Needed road improvements are pushed further into the future with no slow down on growth to help the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) catch up. The kids in the picture to the right are my children and they are part of the reason why I am running for the ACHD commission in district 4.
I have lived in Idaho my entire life starting in Garden City, then Meridian and now in unincorporated SW Ada County. I have spent the last 8 years as the president of the Southwest Ada County Alliance, a volunteer group that works to improve quality of life for people living in SW Ada County. Over that 8 years I have attended nearly every ACHD Commission meeting, learning about the district’s history, processes and looking for solutions. I have learned that persistence, patience and an ability to question the status quo are the best ways to make measurable changes for our community. My priorities are below, pleases reach out if you would like to learn more. I hope to earn your vote in November.
This photo was taken by me, near my house on Cloverdale Rd. These are two of my children and I took this as we were walking back from a visit at their friend’s home in the subdivision next to ours.
This road was supposed to be improved a decade ago with sidewalks and a center turn lane, but it will likely be another 10 years before that happens.
This scenario repeats itself on most roads in SW Ada County all while cities and counties approve more growth. That is unacceptable.
Build Safe Roads for Everyone
What’s Happening: Speeding, distracted driving, and fewer police on the roads are making our streets more dangerous—especially for children and pedestrians.
Marisa’s Solution: Roads and intersections that are known to be unsafe should be redesigned and improved. ACHD often makes changes to one location only after a fatal crash happens. However, the unsafe design elements that led to the crash can be found on roads in all areas of the county. ACHD should be proactive and redesign flawed roads and intersections before people are hurt or killed on them. Law enforcement alone can’t solve this; smarter road design is key. New roads should be designed with safety for everyone as the priority.
Take on Congestion
What’s Happening: Roads are more crowded and travel times are longer. ACHD is decades behind on improvements, and rising labor and materials costs mean the budget can’t keep up.
Marisa’s Solution: Prioritize projects that make the biggest impact. Finish entire corridors before starting new ones. Focus on neglected areas where growth has already happened, before building roads for subdivisions not yet in existence.
Build Connectivity
What’s Happening: Freeway bottlenecks and limited routes make travel tough, especially in Southwest Ada County.
Marisa’s Solution: Build new connections like the Lake Hazel Extension to create a new road in and out of Southwest Ada County. Require better grid-based road systems in new developments to disperse traffic and improve traffic flow on major roads.
Use Taxpayer Funds Wisely
What’s Happening: Impact fees help pay for new roads, but don’t fix existing problems. ACHD has often over-promised and under-delivered, wasting money and frustrating residents.
Marisa’s Solution: Make transportation decisions based on need and return on investment—not politics. Be transparent about plans and budgets, and follow through on commitments made to our communities.
Get in Touch
Reach out with questions for me or sign up to volunteer on the campaign!