HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-10-22 Public Comment - R. Zimmer - Omissions in Transportation Board Work PlanFrom:Ralph Zimmer
To:Agenda
Subject:Omissions in Transportation Board Work Plan
Date:Tuesday, May 10, 2022 11:54:00 AM
Importance:Low
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Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Mayor Andrus, Deputy Mayor Cunningham, and Commissioners Pomeroy, Madgic, andCoburn,
At tonight's City Commission meeting, you will be approving the work plans for the
City's (Super) Advisory Boards. Based on my over forty years of relevant education, training,experience, and citizen advocacy, in ground transportation I see some critical omissions in the
Transportation Board[s proposed work plan which I urge you to rectify prior to approving thatwork plan.
In the text which follows, PTS is the former Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee and
BABAB is the former Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board. As you know, those twogroups were "rolled together" with the Parking Commission to create the current
Transportation (Super) Board.
Recommendation #1 --- Road Projects & Transportation CIP's
The very first activity in Focus Area 2 of the Transportation Board's proposed work plan
is Criteria for the Priorization of Capital and Ped Projects". \
At the very least, doesn't the Commission want the Board to consider road projects (e.g.,Griffin, Fowler, and Kagy) as well as bike and ped projects? However, doesn't the
Commission want recommendations on the total CIP for ground transportation projects, notjust criteria for guiding those decisions? The criteria are juct a tool to help get to the mix of
projects to comprise the CIP. I would also suggest that the language be generic so it wouldapply to funding sources other than just the Citys CIP.
SUGGESTED MOTION: The first activity in Focus Area 2 of the TransportationBoard's proposed work plan shal be relabeled"Project Funding Recommendations"..
Recommendation #2 --- Routine Work
In the parking "arena" (i.e., Focus Area 1), provision for doing "routine work is wiselyincluded as a planned activity. Unfortunately, no similar provision is presently provided for
continuing the equally important ant routine work of PTS and BABAB (in Focus Area 2). That oversight needs to be corrected. Examples of such routine work include considering
citizen complaints and suggestions plus monitoring legislative bills both in Helena and DCinvolving safety and funding issues.
SUGGESTED MOTION: A new activity labeled "Routine Work" shall be added toFocus Area 2 of the Transportation Boards work plan.
Recommendation #3 --- Community Transportation Safety Plan
Safety for all motorists, cyclists, and Pedestrians is of paramount importance. The
Transportation Board's work plan needs to ensure that is a major area of emphasis.
Several years ago, the City agreed to implement the Community Transportation SafetyPlan (CTSP) that then federal dollars routed through the Montana Department of
Transportation funded. Bozeman City Engineer Rick Hixson put together a couple of dozencitizens to guide the development of that plan. The completed plan was then adopted by the
City Commission. At the Commission meeting where the plan's adoption was beingconsidered, the Commission made it clear that they did not want to burden City staff with the
plan's implementation and they specifically assigned the plan to PTS for implementation. Inturn, PTS created a subcommittee to spearhead that implementation.
The Transportation Board has now fallen heir to the plans implementation. The City is
morally and perhaps legally obligated to continue moving ahead with the plan'simplementation. It makes Bozeman a safer community.
SUGGESTED MOTION: A new activity labeled "Implementation of CommunityTransportation Safety Plan" shall be added to Focus Area 2 of the TransportationBoards work plan.
Thank you for your consideration.
Ralph W. Zimmer 1201 Highland Boulevard
Bozeman MT 59715 land line: (406) 586-9152
cc: Kelly Pohl
Jeff Mihelic Greg Sullivan
Taylor Lonsdale