There was a time when 8th Street wasn’t a place to linger. It was a place to go.
For decades, 8th Street functioned as a traditional downtown roadway. Cars moved through the heart of the city, while sidewalks carried pedestrians from one business to another.
Then 2020 changed the equation.
When Boise closed portions of 8th Street to vehicle traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants were able to expand into outdoor spaces, and pedestrians began occupying the street itself. What was once a road became a place to sit, eat, meet friends and simply be downtown.
The experiment worked.
Over time, the temporary pedestrian corridor became one of downtown Boise’s defining public spaces. The city ultimately moved toward making the two blocks between Main and Bannock permanently car-free.
Today, the two blocks of 8th Street between Main and Bannock are among the most recognizable gathering places in downtown Boise—a pedestrian corridor filled with restaurant patios, laughter, bicycles, art and people moving between some of the city’s most beloved businesses.
