HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-06-19 Public Comment - T. Hough - Cottonwood Road Construction PlanFrom:
To:Agenda
Subject:Cottonwood Road Construction
Date:Friday, September 06, 2019 12:35:56 PM
City of Bozeman
Attn: City Commission
PO BOX 1230
Bozeman, Montana 59771
Dear Bozeman City Commissioners,
I am deeply concerned with the currently proposed construction plans on Cottonwood Road
between Huffine and Durston Road. I feel that the absence of a left turn into or out of Classical Way
from Cottonwood Road is a dangerous solution.
Classical Way is a heavily used road because of Petra Academy (a PreK-12 school), the Bronken
Sports fields (utilized by local soccer, frisbee and lacrosse organizations, just to name a few), and
many other Montana organizations that utilize Petra Academy’s gym for their after school and
weekend activities. Restricting access will dramatically increase traffic in these once quiet
neighborhoods.
The restricted ingress and egress to Classical Way will force vehicles to reroute through the
neighborhood to the East of Cottonwood Road. These neighborhood roads will see a large increase
in traffic, which they were not designed for. The narrowing intersections, although great for
pedestrians, cause bottle necks when oversized vehicles or vehicle with trailers encounter oncoming
traffic. I believe this will put children and families in an unnecessary amount of risk on a daily basis.
It is also an enormous safety issue as emergency vehicles will only be able to enter and exit going in
one direction. An emergency situation at Petra Academy and/or the Bronken Fields is already a
safety concern of mine as there is only one entrance and exit out of this busy complex. Limiting the
direction of entry and exit could quite literally be a life or death matter.
It is my understanding that this decision has been made based on federally mandated taper ratios
and, because a left turn is planned for Water St. further south on Cottonwood Road, the close
proximity does not allow for there to be a left turn into Classical Way as well. There is already ample
access to the Valley West neighborhood. I strongly urge the revocation of the planned left turn for
Waters Street and add access to Classical Way instead. I believe this is the safest solution for both
the hundreds (some weekend there are thousands) of kids and families that access Classical Way
every day, as well as the safety of the residents of Valley West.
Commissioners, please hear our voices and work with us on amending the proposed plan. We feel
this is for the safety of your Bozeman students, your sports families, your emergency responders and
your Valley West residents.
Sincerely,
Todd Hough