HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-01-22 Public Comment - D. McWethy - RE_ Kagy road expansion and Kagy_SourdoughFrom:Dave McWethy
To:Agenda
Subject:RE: Kagy road expansion and Kagy/Sourdough
Date:Thursday, December 1, 2022 10:11:52 AM
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Dear Commissioners,
I have read the Bozeman Transportation Master Plan and would like to provide comments on
the proposed planning for improved traffic flow and vehicle/pedestrian safety for KagyBoulevard as well as the Kagy Blvd and S. Church Ave./Sourdough Rd. intersection.
I have two primary comments:
First, I am strongly opposed to expanding the width of Kagy. The current plan would only
exacerbate traffic flow issues and waste taxpayer resources. A better use of these resourceswould be to invest in support of non-vehicular (pedestrian, bike etc.) infrastructure. Expanding
one section of Kagy will only create a bottleneck and cause further traffic issues. There aremuch better approaches for addressing growth and commute challenges in Bozeman - the
current approach is backwards looking and fails to consider best practices well documented bythe Western Transportation Institute for rapidly growing urban areas. Widening roads has
consistently failed to address traffic flow, especially given the context and specific layout ofKagy Blvd and adjacent connecting roads.
Second, regarding the intersection of Kagy and Sourdough/Church, as noted in the Bozeman
Chronicle, this intersection is slated for improvements to address accidents and increasedvehicle use/traffic. Following best practices for traffic flow, vehicle and pedestrian safety, I
strongly support the establishment of a roundabout at this intersection. As has beendemonstrated with other heavily used intersections (College and 11th, BZN airport access via
Interstate 90 ramps), roundabouts provide much improved traffic flow and vehicle/pedestriansafety compared to other approaches. Additionally, a number of studies from the Western
Transportation Institute indicate this approach provides the best long-term management ofvehicle/pedestrian traffic.
I would be happy to provide additional comments.
Thank you for considering my comments,
Dave McWethy
3027 Candy LaneBozeman, MT 59715