HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-18-19 Public Comment - R. Zimmer (on behalf of the PTSC) - Capital Improvement PlanFrom:Ralph Zimmer
To:Agenda
Subject:recommendation for change in City"s bike/ped project budgeting process,
Date:Monday, November 18, 2019 8:42:26 AM
Monday, November 18, 2019
Mayor Andrus & Fellow Commissioners,
We feel there needs to be a modification in the City's practices of
allocating funds to bike/ped projects. While the existing system of
having a five-year CIP works reasonably well for road projects, it
works less well for bike/ped projects.
One reason for the difference is the funding for road projects is
continuous and can be estimated and programmed into the future while
funding for bike/ped projects is spasmodic,, usually tied to specific
projects, and cannot be anticipated years in advance. Another
difference is as the City expands outward there usually are existing
albeit often inadequate roads for vehicle use but rarely are existing
facilities for bike/ped use.
The City appears committed to encouraging alternative
transportation. Keeping bicyclists and pedestrians out of the
traffic lanes and, better yet, separated from the roadway improves
safety for both vehicles and the non-motorized
travelers. Infrastructure for enabling non-motorized travel provides
an alternative for those who can't drive because of youth,
handicapping conditions, age, or economic constraints.
Specific needs (including but not limited to required match money)
cannot be anticipated five years in advance of the need. Perhaps the
best remedy is to put set-asides in each year of the five year CIP
whose specific use will be determined when that year
occurs. Apparently there is such a $50K set-aside now, but that
amount is both inadequate and to some confusing. (City staff has
told us it is for bike/ped projects, but it appears some bicycling
advocates feel it is exclusively for bicycle projects.)
Our committee suggested a $500K per year set-aside be put into the
CIP. City staff deemed its priority wasn't sufficient to make it
into the proposed CIP. We disagree and urge the Commission to put a
set-aside significantly in excess of $50K per year into the
CIP. Obviously one of the options you have is to "ramp up" from $50K
in Year #1 to a SUBSTANTIALLY larger amount in Year #5.
There is another problem which would perhaps be solved by
implementation of the above request.. This problem is illustrated by
the staff's rejection of a couple of our recommendations because the
sites in question PRESENTLY lie outside the City limits. If we have
to sit on our thumbs until such sites are included in the City's
boundaries and then and only then start the process of working up
through the five years in the CIP, we will have an unnecessarily long
delay in getting those projects built. We would suggest putting them
in the CIP now and then see what their status is when they work their
way up to Year #1 in the CIP schedule. If at that point the sites
are still outside the City limits, the money could be diverted to
other projects. However, if the sites are then in the City limits,
money will be available to construct them on a much more timely basis.
Thank you for consideration of our recommendations.
As an aside, the supporting documents for the CIP recommendations
you are considering this evening says the Montana Department of
Transportation NOW supports construction of the fourth leg of the
frontage road/Valley Center Spur intersection. We would be overjoyed
if that statement is correct, but we strongly suspect that was a typo
error and the correct word is "not".
Ralph
Ralph W. Zimmer, Chairperson
Bozeman (Area) Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee (PTS)
cc: City Management
BABAB Chairperson
PTS Officers