Engage!

The past and future of Boise’s streetcar and electric rail system will take center stage tonight at the Fettuccine Forum, presented by Boise State. The free event is in the Rose Room on the historic Union Block, 718 W. Idaho Street. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the presentation begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by questions. Free appetizers will be served and fettuccine will be available for $5.

Historian Barbara Perry Bauer, the final speaker for this season, will talk about “Once Upon the Trolley: Boise’s Electric Road.” Perry Bauer, of TAG Historical Research and Consulting, is an authority on Boise neighborhood history, historical photography and founding of the trolley system. Her research recalls a time when inexpensive Snake River hydropower electrified a trolley loop from Boise to Caldwell, connecting the farm towns of Ustick, Nampa, Middleton, Meridian, Eagle and Star.

Following the forum, at 7 p.m., a trolley-bus tour will introduce riders to the current plan to rebuild the trolley system as a smart-growth development tool. Tickets for the tour are $20 at the door and include a copy of the book “Trolley: Boise Valley’s Electric Road.”

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