HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-20-20 Public Comment - A. May - Transportation infrastructure from Kagy from 11th to WillsonFrom:Allen May
To:Terry Cunningham
Cc:Agenda
Subject:Transportation infrastructure from Kagy from 11th to Willson
Date:Sunday, December 20, 2020 5:58:05 PM
Dear Deputy Mayor Cunningham,
I hope you are well and enjoying a peaceful holiday season.
It has come to my attention that the City of Bozeman is planning to pursue a four lane roadexpansion project on Kagy. This proposed project would run counter to the
significant community input provided in 2016 in support of a three lane option with extensivemulti modal infrastructure facilitating safe and efficient pedestrian and bicycle usage, both
east/west and more importantly, north/south on Willson. I was actively engaged in thatcommunity process and worked to encourage south Bozeman neighbors, per the request of city
leaders, to engage in what was an inclusive and transparent process that produced abalanced recommendation without much public dissent.
I now have deep concerns about the current process and project now proposed, including but
not limited to the following.
From my understanding a small group of stakeholders met after the community processwas completed and they independently decided that a four lane project without any
infrastructure faciltiating north/south multi modal transportation would be pursued. Expansion of single vehicle infrastructure for $15+ million that only saves a limited
number of users a minimal amount of time seems frankly hard to believe given a currentneed for fiscal stewardship of public dollars.
When the majority of our City's carbon pollution is associated with transportation itdoes not seem reasonable to expand road capacity in a manner that would incentivize
and expand single vehicle usage while effectively constructing an east/west barrier toresidents south of Kagy that walk and bike to the University and downtown for work,
shopping, and entertainment.
As I understand, the Commission will be taking this issue up on Tuesday of this
week(12/22/20) and I would encourage you to delay any further effort to study and or approvethe four lane proposal until it can be thoroughly vetted via our new Community Engagement
Initiative and considered in light of our new Community Plan and emerging Cllimate ActionPlan.
Thank you Terry and feel free to contact me if you have more information I should be aware
of.
Best,Allen