HomeMy WebLinkAbout6-17-2020 Public Comment - M. Marcinek - Please Act to Improve Active Transportation in BozemanFrom:Matt Marcinek
To:Agenda
Subject:Please Act to Improve Active Transportation in Bozeman
Date:Wednesday, June 17, 2020 4:04:31 PM
Please act to improve the viability and safety of biking and walking in Bozeman by
increasing the “Annual Bike Path Improvement” Capital Improvement Program (CIP) line-
item by $50,000. This program pays for retrofit bicycle and pedestrian safety projects suchas crosswalks, flashing beacons, and protected bike lanes that improve the safety of biking
and walking in Bozeman.
· Active transportation is an essential means for Bozeman to achieve its climate
and affordability goals, reduce traffic congestion, and improve public health.
· New and reconstructed streets are built to a Complete Streets standard, but
much of Bozeman’s bicycle and pedestrian travel occurs on older streets that do not
meet modern standards.
· In 2019 four bicyclists and pedestrians were run over or killed within city limits.
Tragic incidents like these can be reduced with the types of safety improvements
the Annual Bike Path Improvement CIP item pays for.
· Bozeman’s trends mirror national trends, where cyclist and pedestrian deaths
are at their highest rate in nearly thirty years, due in part to distracted driving and
larger vehicles (1).
· In response to these trends, cities are acting to improve the safety of biking and
walking. For example, Seattle just increased its budget by $10.3 million for bike pathimprovements and by $11 million for walking routes (2). Bozeman’s proportional
equivalent would be increasing funding in FY2021 by $250,000 for biking routes and$265,000 for walking routes. Fort Collins budgets $11 million per year for bicycle
improvements and safe crossings.
· Improving bicycle and pedestrian safety is an opportunity for Bozeman to invest
in communities of color and other underserved populations. Black or African
American households are three times more likely to be without a car than white
households, and are more likely to bike for transportation than white households (3).
· Increasing funding for the Streets Maintenance Annual Bike Path Improvement
CIP from $50,000 to $100,000 will provide needed additional resources to retrofit
older streets to meet modern safety standards.
I request that the City of Bozeman rise to the challenge of providing safe streets by
increasing dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian safety, beginning with adding at
least $50,000 to the Annual Bike Path Improvement program in FY2021 and committing todo more in coming years. The safety of Bozeman residents who bike and walk depends on
it.
I also request that the City and Gallatin County increase conversations on improving the
ways paths, trails, and on-street bike lanes and routes can be identified as networks, and
improving how active transportation funding can be more effectively put to use. Consider
revamping existing structures into a collective City/County active transportation coalition or
broader-based advisory group to help guide progressive and innovative bicycle andpedestrian improvements throughout the Gallatin Valley.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment.--
Matt Marcinek 514 N Tracy Ave
Bozeman, MT