Idaho bill H 508 amends highway laws to clarify when bicycle and pedestrian facilities can be included in road projects. The bill specifies that such improvements may only be added as a secondary benefit to projects primarily designed for motor vehicles, or when funded by federal grants, or to enhance safety near schools/parks. It also requires highway projects to maintain minimum 50-foot right-of-way widths and prohibits reducing non-residential road widths except for federal requirements. These changes affect state transportation planning and project design under Idaho Code sections 40-605 and 40-117.
H 664 would remove a lower speed limit for large trucks in Idaho. Currently, trucks with five or more axles and a gross weight over 26,000 pounds must travel 10 miles per hour slower than other vehicles on most roads. The bill changes the law so these trucks can travel at the same speed limits as passenger cars and smaller trucks, without the 10 mph reduction. This change would take effect on July 1, 2026.
Idaho's S 1340 amends traffic laws to require drivers on multilane highways to use the right-hand lane unless passing, preparing for a left turn, or overtaking slower vehicles. It specifically prohibits driving in the left lane when not passing, and mandates that vehicles moving slower than normal traffic must stay in the right lane to avoid impeding faster vehicles. Violations - including driving slowly in the left lane - carry a $75 fine under amended sections 49-630 and 49-655 of the Idaho Code. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and includes signage requirements to inform drivers.
