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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-02-18 Public Comment - M. Brown, Safer Bozeman and Gallatin County - I-90 Speed LimitFrom: Marilee Brown To: Agenda Subject: temporary 65mph on I-90 Date: Friday, March 02, 2018 2:09:20 PM Attachments: I-90 temp. speed reduction .pdf Madam Mayor, Commissioners, and staff, Safer Bozeman and Gallatin County is very much in support of a temporary speed reduction to 65mph until a further speed study can be made. I am attaching a report made on Feb. 14, 2018 with detailed information of why this can and should be made. Thank you for your hard work and consideration, Marilee Brown, Director Safer Bozeman and Gallatin County 406-579-5447 Supporting Documentation and Data for a Temporary Speed Reduction on I-90 in By Gallatin Marilee Brown County – Safer Feb. 14, Bozeman – Bozeman/2018 and Gallatin Belgrade. County Introduction temporarily Using reduce the following the speed documentation, along I-90 in the the Belgrade State and Transportation Bozeman vicinity Commission without can the immediate the needed use of until a need preliminary a full for study a new visual can speed or be engineering study. done. According This review review to along state should with law take the 61-2016 into 8-309 consideration study (see is # all 7 below) that the is following Supporting ! ! ! ! An of Stacking Reports Hazardous 4 that increase urban has from on areas Data entrances developed the of EMS traffic highway in of and Montana increased volume to since the during History Interstate the with by calls 2016 events almost a posted and study and and 50% dangerous cyclists 65 rush was exceeding mph published: hours. on on occurrences. the the or shoulders. interstate almost meeting system. the counts 1. Bolan, Sept. Sept. 22, Traffic Due 2016 2016 to Operations Senate with Engineering an bill “engineering engineer 375 Study increasing presented and traffic Montana’s Jeff investigation”. Ebert, Interstate the Butte System Temporary District to Administrator 80 “speed mph, limits Danielle on of 75 for mph the ! ! The Over 2015 area 80mph were 2016 and 540 in used speed the were crashes engineering on study limit”. expected segments were area. study reported to And that go used down “staff a higher in 2014 a once reasonably three-traffic density the year Airport volume believed of period crashes Interchange data. from may occurred June not opened have 1, 2012 in been the in to Belgrade 2016. suitable May 31, ! The the support Bozeman-conclusion a 65mph Belgrade stated, speed area limit, “under is as not the observed present experiencing in traffic other the urban volume type areas”. and of operation interchange that spacing would 2. Concurrence was asked of “appropriate local contacts”. received only authority Support by City to to and respond. not County raise On Clerks the Oct. speed 25, on 2016 Oct. to 80mph 6, the 2016. Commission was Gallatin asked stated County for by that Commission the they MDT supported in was a letter the the study. 3. compared Increase A This review to was in the Traffic done of 2014 the without current Counts data the at traffic since participation the 2014 volume same data points of posted the used TCC, on on in staff, the the the MDT MDT or speed EMS. website website study. in shows 2016 that and Bozeman/Out Belgrade of all the has Montana increased Cities in traffic with a count 65mph by on almost the Interstate 50% between System, 2014 the and Bozeman 2016. area averaged the overpasses. Place Bozeman W. Bozeman Between Belgrade W Butte of of eastbound N has RR Measured 47-19th bridge N. more 16-has 1C-16-16-Ave. 19th Other 3A-002 3A-just 3A-traffic traffic & and 001 039 (002 E. east 2,Cities 127+000 of N. with 306+than N. 307+7th 304+bound) 0.were less 7th 112 points 0.3 .0.263 than 192 036 of measured the midway Bozeman/4 cities between 19,2014 16,17,between 050 820 940 Belgrade. and their is the almost 7th most 2016 21,25,28,The street, 408 693 981 equal used following 19th overpasses. to % 27% 43% 52% street Billings is increase a sampling and which Jackrabbit when using W Missoula of Harrison 32-3A-002 103+0.997 14,480 18,624 28% Between Missoula Between Reserve Van 32-Buren 3A-004 & Orange & E. 106-Missoula 0.St. 622 S. 18,20,910 890 22,24,118 982 17% 12% Billings E of W Billings 56-4A-334 446+0.680 30,970 32,064 10% Billings S Billings S.W. of 27th of Lockwood St. 56-56-(4A-4A-A-59) 003 004 447+451+0.0.823 449 28,27,940 500 30,29,361 204 10% 10% Great All under Falls 10,(Interstate 000 15) 10,000 4. of 4 Crashes years. The Montana This have did increased not Highway include according Patrol off and recently on to ramps the looked MHP. or intersections, at mile marker and 298-was 300 in over the Belgrade a period area number. of Jan the 1, new 2014 interchange through Dec. which 31 the 2015 2016 = 35 speed study stated was expected to go down in This in number shows Jan 1, – a not 2016 31% up. through increase Dec. in an 31 area 2017 that = 46 was expected according to the study to go down 5. bound two rush Hazards years. hours. The 19th However, Bozeman street exit. Transportation other A signal areas alleviating have Master been that reported Plan one identified area by patrols will a be stacking and installed EMS problem during in approximately on events the East and along with Other a curve hazards making include it difficult the westbound to merge with onramp traffic at going Main, at which 75mph. has poor visibility Frontage Cyclists Road) having and use no the other interstate direct shoulders route to between travel between Belgrade the and two Bozeman cities. (along 6. I-15/Examples 1-A 90 Temporary Butte of – lasting Temporary Speed 8 years Reduction Speed until made Reductions without permanent a without speed in 2016. study a speed was study. made in 2009 on as the On local Dec. authority) 3, 2009, made the Butte a request District of State the Transportation Commissioner Rick Commission Griffith (possibly to temporarily acting reduce MDT (please legal the see department, speed transcript limit below)on Tim I-15/. Reardon, I-90 in Butte. explained Director how Jim to lower Lynch the along speed with limit the head to 65 of mph the Temporary No further Speed Reduction meeting with was made the Commission and remained seems in effect to until have Sept. been of held, 2016 but when the it was entire part of made MHP I-90)permanent Butte . District by which the Commission. was comprised (Please of 8 counties note that and the most 35 deaths of I-15 were and a in large the The minutes are as follows with Commissioner Rick Griffith speaking first: 7. Supporting Montana Code: 61-8-309. Establishment of special speed zones -- engineering and traffic investigation. (1) (d) A local authority may request a temporary special reduced or increased speed zone for a route or route segment that is under consideration for a reduced or increased speed limit under subsection (1)(a), (1)(b), or (1)(c). If a local authority makes multiple requests for temporary special reduced or increased speed zones, the local authority shall prioritize the requests. The department of transportation shall conduct a preliminary visual and engineering review of a route or a route segment for which a temporary special speed zone is requested. The reviewing party must include a representative of the local authority. Upon completion of the preliminary review, if the department of transportation concurs with the local authority that a temporary special reduced or increased speed limit is warranted, a temporary special reduced or increased speed zone may be established upon formal approval by the commission. The temporary special reduced or increased speed limit remains in effect until a complete traffic and engineering study has been done on the route or route segment and the commission has made a determination on changing Conclusion. the “Under speed limit. the present traffic volume and interchange spacing, along with increased crashes and EMS calls, the Bozeman-Belgrade area” is currently “experiencing the type of operation that would support a 65mph speed limit, as observed in other urban areas” (MDT engineering study of Sept. 22, 2016). Therefore, we believe a temporary speed limit is allowed under State law using a preliminary visual and engineering review along with the Sept. 22, 2016 study until the next traffic study is accomplished.