HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-07-19 Public Comment - H. Collins - Bozeman High School Renovation Informal ReviewFrom: Chris Mehl
To: Agenda
Subject: FW: Pubic Comment - Bozeman High School Renovation Informal Review
Date: Monday, January 07, 2019 2:25:02 PM
Chris Mehl
Bozeman Deputy Mayor
cmehl@bozeman.net
406.581.4992
________________________________________
From: Heather Collins [heather.collins@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2019 2:21 PM
To: Chris Mehl; I-Ho Pomeroy; Jeff Krauss; Cyndy Andrus; Terry Cunningham
Subject: Pubic Comment - Bozeman High School Renovation Informal Review
Dear Mayor Andrus, Deputy Mayor Mehl, Commissioner Krauss, Commissioner Pomeroy, and Commissioner
Cunningham:
I am writing concerning the Bozeman High School Renovation Informal Review. As a mother of a student who
attends Bozeman High School, a neighbor who lives on North 10th Avenue one block from the entrance of the high
school, and a Bozeman community member, I wanted to speak up regarding my concern of the lack of any changes
being made to the current pedestrian, vehicle and bus situation on 11th Avenue primarily between West Mendenhall
Street and West Villard Street.
I am very concerned about the safety issues that are not currently being address regarding 11th Avenue, now and for
the future. My understanding is that no improvements are planned for 11th Avenue but instead drop off/pick up
traffic will be encouraged to utilize the Ruth Thibeault Way in the middle of the school. I also understand the school
believes that due to the reduction of students attending Bozeman High School due to the new high school, student
traffic use of 11th Avenue will be reduced.
Every morning before school starts and every afternoon after school gets out, hundreds of students, kindergarten
through high school aged utilize the buses on 11th Avenue which has become a transfer station. The number of
students in the future will not decrease due to a new high school, in fact, the number will increase. Increase with
more elementary schools, middle schools, and a new high school since this is where all come to transfer to the
correct bus to take them to their respective school. Some of these students are on a bus prior to arriving at the high
school, some walk and some are dropped off by vehicle.
The traffic that occurs during these times is scary. People pulling over illegally to drop off/pick up their students,
students dashing across the streets, not utilizing crosswalks and not paying attention to vehicles, and then regular
traffic that is using 11th Avenue to get from Durston Road out to Graf Street. 11th Avenue will only continue to
grow with the eventual connection all the way through to Baxter Lane to the north and Goldenstein Lane to the
south. A main arterial road bridging north and south Bozeman.
During the noon hour when students are released, students blatantly disregard the intention of the crosswalks and
will cross the street mid-block without making sure they are seen by passing vehicles.
There are crosswalks at each crossroad, Villard, Lamme, and Mendenhall but only Mendenhall has a flashing light.
Some students do utilize them but a lot just cross mid-block especially between Villard and Lamme.
With the addition of the auditorium and the new stadium, this will be an issue that will only get worse in the evening
as students and their families attend the nightly held events while parking along 11th Avenue and adjacent streets.
Could the bus transfer station be moved? Could new vibrant crosswalks be installed with lights flashing when
students need to cross such as the ones at Sacajawea Middle School? Could a no stopping zone be created on the
east side of 11th during these peak hours to allow better traffic flow and safe crossing at the intersections for
students? Could the school and community provide a better education for students and their parents about safety
concerns? Could resource officers and police officers help enforce pedestrian and vehicle traffic laws? (I do
appreciate the police currently patrolling for speeding) Could road crossing crosswalk sections, like on MSU near
the duck pond on 11th Ave, be created mid-block to alert vehicles to students crossing the street?
I am very concerned that soon we will have an incident that a student will be hurt or much worse. I am asking the
city commission and the Bozeman High School to work together in creating a safe corridor on 11th Avenue for our
students and our community.
Thank you in advance for reading my concerns.
Sincerely,
Heather Collins
409 North 10th Avenue
406.599.6614