HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-03-21 Public Comment - M. Egge - The Ives & North CentralFrom:Mark Egge
To:Agenda
Subject:Public Comment Re: reference #21165 for the Ives, reference #21029 for the North Central Master Site Plan
Date:Friday, December 3, 2021 11:13:44 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
City Planning Staff and Commission—
If approved, the collective buildings of the North Center Master Site Planincluding The Ives will generate thousands of new car-based trips to and
from the north side of downtown on a daily basis—primarily carried on
local streets. While the traffic study indicates that the capacity of the
surrounding streets is adequate to absorb the additional vehicle traffic, itdoes not describe how the impact on pedestrians and bicyclists will be
mitigated. At present, the adjacent streets are generally comfortable and
safe for cyclists and pedestrians, due primarily to the relatively low traffic
volumes and relatively low speeds.
I would strongly encourage the City to give itself a condition of approval
that, in exchange for collecting considerable impact fees and and a
tremendous incremental increase in property taxes, that the City invest inimproving the safety of walking and biking on nearby streets impacted by
the new development.
At present, an estimated one third of trips to and from downtown aremade by modes other than driving alone. In general, additional vehicle
traffic on a street reduces the safety, convenience, and comfort of walking
and biking. It is up to the city to ensure that the new development does
not reduce the walkability or safety of downtown and the adjacentneighborhoods.
In particular, the city should ensure that the surrounding streetscape
include design elements to promote the safety of pedestrians, includingpainted crosswalks and curb bump outs. Peach Street is desperately in
need of painted crosswalks—a need that will only be accentuated by the
thousands of new trips generated by the new development.
This afternoon I watched Ignacio, my 12-year-old neighbor, attempt to get
home after being dropped off by his bus on the other side of Peach Street.
I observed his nervousness as he waited at the curb, looking both ways,
waiting for a break in traffic. Perhaps a half-dozen cars passed without somuch as slowing—the drivers evidently too engrossed in their smartphonesto notice the 12-year-old boy standing at the crossing, or simply unwilling
to delay their trip to let a child pass. Finally, a driver stopped, and Ignacio
darted across and continued down the sidewalk to his home.
At a minimum, this intersection (and most Peach intersections betweenRouse and 7th) needs a painted crosswalk at the intersection to indicate to
drivers their obligation to yield to pedestrians. Bozeman's quaint days
when drivers would routinely yield to pedestrians at unmarked crossings
are long gone. Developments like The Ives will only make things worseunless the City acts proactively through engineering, education, and
enforcement to ensure that Downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods
remain walkable and safe for Bozemanites of all ages.
Mark Egge
542 N Black Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715