HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-31-23 Public Comment - D. McWethy - Kagy_Church_Sourdough intersection projectFrom:Dave McWethy
To:Agenda
Subject:Kagy/Church/Sourdough intersection project
Date:Friday, March 31, 2023 3:00:07 PM
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Dear Commissioners,
Could you please respond with a status update regarding the Kagy/Church-Sourdough
intersection project (roundabout/traffic flow project)?
Additionally, I would like to provide a few comments about planning for this project:
I have read the Bozeman Transportation Master Plan and would like to provide comments onthe proposed planning for improved traffic flow and vehicle/pedestrian safety for Kagy
Boulevard as well as the Kagy Blvd and S. Church Ave./Sourdough Rd. intersection.
I have two primary comments focused on Kagy and the Kagy/Sourdough intersection:
First, I am strongly opposed to expanding the width of Kagy. The current plan would onlyexacerbate traffic flow issues and waste taxpayer resources. A better use of these resources
would be to invest in support of non-vehicular (pedestrian, bicycle etc.) infrastructure.Expanding one section of Kagy will only create a bottleneck and cause further traffic issues.
There are much better approaches for addressing growth and commute challenges in Bozeman- the current approach is backwards looking and fails to consider best practices well
documented by the Western Transportation Institute for rapidly growing urban areas.Widening roads has consistently failed to address traffic flow, especially given the context and
specific layout of Kagy Blvd and adjacent connecting roads.
Second, regarding the intersection of Kagy and Sourdough/Church, as noted in the BozemanChronicle, this intersection is slated for improvements to address accidents and increased
vehicle use/traffic. Following best practices for traffic flow, vehicle and pedestrian safety, Istrongly support the establishment of a roundabout at this intersection. As has been
demonstrated with other heavily used intersections (College and 11th, BZN airport access viaInterstate 90 ramps), roundabouts provide much improved traffic flow and vehicle/pedestrian
safety compared to other approaches. Additionally, a number of studies from the WesternTransportation Institute indicate this approach provides the best long-term management of
vehicle/pedestrian traffic and reduces costs required when focusing solely on supportingvehicular traffic/infrastructure.
I would be happy to provide additional comments.
Thank you for considering my comments,
Dave McWethy
3027 Candy LaneBozeman, MT 59715