News

Let’s Improve Missoula’s Reserve Street

Big picture approaches and "thinking outside the box" are critical to best manage Missoula’s growth and traffic challenges ahead. Here’s an insightful letter from a Grant Creek resident written after the Dec. 12 Grant Creek Neighborhood Council meeting, where MDT reiterated there’s currently little funding for major fixes to Reserve St.:

"Montana Department of Transportation, I wish to thank you for your informative presentation at our Neighborhood Council meeting last Tuesday. Your support with planning for connections of the Grant Creek Trail into the rest of the city and county trail system is much appreciated.

Time for discussion of several issues related to Reserve Street and vehicular traffic generally were limited at the meeting. I’d like to address several I believe deserve much more MDT consideration and support.

***

Join the Reserve Street discussion on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MissoulaReserveSt/

***

I-90/Grant Creek Road: Reconstruction of southbound Grant Cr. Rd. at I-90 is severely needed. Your planned reconstruction to three lanes will be helpful short-run, but a roundabout there would be more effective, safer and less expensive in the long run. I dislike seeing that much money spent on what is only a temporary fix, but thanks for doing all you can to get the project done in 2019 at the latest.

Of great concern to residents in Grant Creek is that no concurrent work is planned for the two (or 1 1/2?) northbound lanes. From I-90 north to Stonebridge Road, Grant Cr. Road is inadequately signed and marked, too narrow and very dangerous. Non-residents looking for McKenzie River, Town Pump, Come’On Inn, etc. are confused and swerve all over the road looking for their turn; nothing indicates where they ought to be driving. It is critical that the reconstruction project create two full-width northbound lanes with standard signing and marking well past Stonebridge Road.

Reserve Street: I’ve lived in Grant Creek (38 years) long enough to see Reserve Street go from two lanes, almost no traffic and ending at Mullan Road to the calamity it is today. This has got to be the worst city street in Montana, and is clearly the most dangerous. The projects you presented (barriers on the bridge, better signal coordination, etc.) will, again, be helpful. But much more radical measures must be taken.

Several Reserve St. intersections should be reconfigured into roundabouts. See: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/innovative/roundabouts/ The Broadway-eastbound to Reserve south-bound signal causes severe problems; try driving south on Reserve through that signal at 5:00 on Friday! That signal must be removed and replaced with a "merge" lane or round-about. Let me know if you’re not sure what happens there!

Traffic movement and safety would be enhanced if drivers turning left onto Reserve at any intersection turned into the left-most or nearest lane on Reserve. Drivers coming the opposite direction and turning right hesitate or refuse to turn, fearing collision with those turning into the farther (right) lane. The Montana Driver’s Manual appears unclear whether you must turn into the lane nearest the one you came from, unless lane delineator lines prohibit crossing to the farther lane. Lots of double yellow curving lane delineator lines around corners would help educate drivers, speed up traffic and prevent collisions. This is an easy, inexpensive fix.

Last, despite your planned improvements, Reserve St. is unacceptable and cannot continue to be written off as apparently as has been — unfixable. MDT, city and county planning and road agencies must stop ignoring it while surrounding commercial and residential infrastructure booms and total gridlock approaches. Everyone involved needs to discontinue "traditional" thinking and develop new, perhaps radical solutions. The long-discussed N/S Byway needs serious study. Kalispell did it; so can we. Russell St. can be built north and connect with I-90. I think Missoulians would support a gas tax increase for well thought-out solutions.

The bottom line is that radical things have to be done to reduce traffic on Reserve St. I hope MDT will begin leading a movement toward that goal, not just constructing the next project to be funded on an endless list.

Thanks for your attention and your continued support of the citizens in Grant Creek.

W. Beardsley, Missoula"

Roundabouts are often safer, more efficient, less costly and more aesthetically appealing than conventional intersection designs. – US Department of Transportation http://www.matr.net/article-80394.html

Posted in:

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.