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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-02-18 Public Comment - C. Younkin - Kagy CrosswalksFrom: Cindy Younkin To: staffsenate@montana.edu; connielange@montana.edu Cc: Robin Crough; Agenda Subject: Kagy crosswalks Date: Friday, February 02, 2018 1:00:35 PM Hello, I am not exactly sure who to direct this email to. Please forward this to the correct department and people if necessary. I sincerely thank you for your consideration of the following: As you can see from my email below, my office is off Kagy just west of 11th . I live by Valley View Golf Course. I drive on Kagy twice a day, 5 days a week, when I don’t walk to work. Since August, I have personally witnessed 4 fender benders between 11th and Willson. Unfortunately, was rear- ended myself on Monday, January 30, because of the crosswalk at the stadium. The officer who came said it happens frequently. If travelling east on Kagy, the distance from the light at 11th and the stadium crosswalk is too close. The car behind me last Monday was watching for pedestrians at the light, and the cars in front of me immediately came to a stop when I was about 2 car lengths through the light. The guy behind me slammed into me not expecting the traffic to stop within 10 yards of the light. Luckily no one was hurt. While any time of year the cross walk at the stadium is dangerous, it is particularly treacherous in winter when daylight hours are short and it is often slippery. The street is not lit there, and the pedestrians do not always push the button to activate the flashing lights. And frequently when they do, they immediately step into the street to cross bringing the vehicles to a screeching halt. I’ve witnessed or experienced these situations frequently. Let me know if you want specific examples – I’ve got them. It is just a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt. No driver wants to hit a pedestrian but it will happen sooner than later at that particular cross walk, and God forbid it is a Bobcat football player who gets hit. It will be a pitiful situation when it does because MSU and the City knows about the as yet unresolved problem and, in my opinion, it is probably the most dangerous crosswalk anywhere close to campus. As Bozeman grows, traffic will increase and the problem will only get worse. Something must be done, now, not after someone is seriously hurt. Like it or not, Kagy is a major east/west thoroughfare, as it must to be. MSU shouldn’t want it any other way so traffic has a way to get to campus and the stadium. Unfortunately, Kagy is already a mess on game days getting in and out of a game. There is a very simple, no cost solution: CLOSE the cross walk on Kagy at the stadium except during ball games and during Bobcat practices. Students/faculty and Staff can easily use the crosswalk at Kagy and 7th or at the light on 11th which is a short distance from the crosswalk. It is not inconvenient to cross at the light on 11th . When the Bobcats are practicing, if they’d just bunch up a little and get across quickly (rather than stringing out from the stadium to the field house), it would help prevent east bound traffic from getting backed up to 19th and west bound traffic from getting backed up to Willson (which happens frequently during practices). Most drivers love our Bobcats in the fall and give lots of thumbs up and encouragement as they go to and from practice, but their recognition of the traffic would be nice. After the football season, the crosswalk sign could be removed entirely, or covered with an appropriate structure of some kind so as to NOT encourage people to even WANT to cross there. The most expensive and lease desirable option, I would think, is an actual stop light similar to that by the High School on Main street. At least with that, pedestrians might wait until traffic stops before stepping into the busy street. Another solution in the future should be a tunnel under 11th . A tunnel would also help immensely with foot traffic on game days. When you consider safety and the cost of a serious injury to someone, closing the cross walk costs nothing and the cost of an actual stop light or a tunnel is miniscule compared to life in a wheelchair. While it is not my area of practice, there will be an injured person and an attorney waiting to file a lawsuit against both the City and MSU when that disaster happens. Don’t take those chances: I implore MSU and the City to please close the Kagy and Stadium crosswalk, now. Cindy E. Younkin Attorney at Law McLean, Younkin & Willett, PLLC 2066 Stadium Dr., Ste 101 Bozeman, MT 59715 Ph: 406.582.0027 Direct dial: 406.586.9060 Fax: 406.582.0028 cyounkin@bozeman.legal This electronic transmission may constitute an attorney client communication which is privileged by law. It is not intended for transmission to or receipt by any unauthorized persons. If you receive this transmission in error, please delete it from your system without copying it and please notify the sender immediately. Thank you.