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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-05-18 Correspondence - Bozeman Area Public Safety to MDT - Lowering I-90 Speed Limit BOZ E MANMT FIRE DEPARTMENT February 5, 2018 Mike Tooley, Commission Director Montana Department of Transportation P.O. Box 201001 Helena,MT 59620-1001 RE: Interstate 90 Speed Limit Director Tooley, We are writing to follow up from the Transportation Coordination Committee meeting held in Bozeman on October 25, 2017. In that meeting, Chief Waldo from Bozeman Fire made the request of the TCC to reach out to MDT to evaluate lowering the speed limit on Interstate 90 from 75 mph to 65 mph in the Bozeman Urban Area.The TCC passed a motion to send a letter making this request and a letter was sent on November 15th. From there Chief Waldo was asked to attend the Bozeman Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee meeting on December 12th to discuss his concerns with the committee. From that a meeting,a letter was sent requesting that the speed limit on Interstate 90 be lowered from 75 mph to 65 mph from West of Amsterdam Road to East of Jackson Creek. It is our understanding that at the completion of the next census in 2020,that the City of Bozeman will most likely become a Metropolitan Planning Organization,which could automatically trigger a reduction of the speed limit in the greater Bozeman area. Based on the number of near misses that we have witnessed with our crews and the two incidents of Gallatin County Deputies being hit on the interstate (Dec 13, 2017 and Dec 30, 2017),we find waiting to take action an unacceptable risk. The City of Bozeman and the surrounding areas continue to grow and with this comes more traffic. Responding to calls on the interstate has become the most dangerous type of response for firefighters,law enforcement officers, and EMS providers in Bozeman and across the country. We are writing this letter to ask that MDT reconsider the current speed limit of 75 mph in the greater Bozeman area and look towards other communities along the I-90 corridor such as Billings, Butte,and Missoula as examples of a lower speed limit in urban areas. A lower speed limit not only provides for an increased level of safety for emergency responders but for the public as well. You will find the signatures of multiple public safety officials attached to this document as a sign of their support for this request. We have been made aware of a study that was done in 2015 related to this same topic,however we are not sure that public safety was adequately consulted on this issue and a number of public safety leaders were Bozeman, MT 59771-1230 TDD: 406-582-2301 THE MOST LIVABLE PLACE BOZE MAN MT FIRE DEPARTMENT not in their current positions during that 2015 time frame. The change in leadership,the growth that has occurred,and the evaluation of a high frequency risk make this a subject that we believe we should revisit now,instead of waiting. If you should have any further questions, or would like any additional data from the group of signees, please do not hesitate to contact any of us listed below. Thank you, Jos aldo Steve 0awford Fire ief Police Chief Bozeman Fire Department Bozeman Police Department Brian Goo&1h1J Mike Cech Sheriff Fire Chief Gallatin County Sheriff's Office Fort Ellis Fire Department rn Andrew Egs Ron Li droth Operations Manag Fire Chief American Medical Response Central Valley Fire District Cc: Andrea Surratt, City Manager,City of Bozeman Chuck Winn,Assistant City Manager,City of Bozeman Jim Doar, County Administrator, Gallatin County Craig Woolard, Public Works Director, City of Bozeman Jeff Ebert, District Coordinator, Montana Department of Transportation Bozeman, MT 59771-1230 TDD: 406-582-2301 THE MOST LIVABLE PLACE.