Your “Hack” To Skip Traffic in Boise Is Actually Illegal

Look, I get it - we've all been there. You're in traffic, the light is red, and the line is backed up (Eagle Rd. anyone?) for a few miles. You look over to the right and see that you can easily cut through that lot of the gas station instead of waiting a little while longer to make that right turn. Sure, you don't need gas from the gas station, but you need their clear path straight to get to the street you need to.

I've seen this happen in the Treasure Valley more times than I can count and have even thought about doing it myself but I hate to break it to you - it's illegal.

"But Chris, I already know it's illegal!"

You might but I can tell you right now that either a lot of people don't knowbad b... or a lot of people don't care. According to the code library for the City of Boise, code 6-8-9 says:

It shall be unlawful for the operator of any motor vehicle to drive upon or use any private driveway, private property or parking lot as a throughway to bypass an intersection controlled by a stop sign or traffic control signal.

There you have it, folks. What's crazier to me is despite that, people will continue to do as they please and break the law. It's not just gas stations either, this includes cutting through the parking lot of an Albertsons (but honestly, who hasn't done this?) or Fred Meyer... whatever private property you're using to avoid a stop sign or traffic control signal, you're breaking the law.