HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-24-23 Public Comment - D. Carty - Bicycle Friendly Bozeman (TAB Meeting Apr 26, 2023)From:Daniel Carty
To:Agenda
Cc:Cyndy Andrus; Nicholas Ross; Taylor Lonsdale; Candace Mastel
Subject:Bicycle Friendly Bozeman (TAB Meeting Apr 26, 2023)
Date:Monday, April 24, 2023 8:02:19 PM
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Date: April 25, 2023
To: City of Bozeman (City) Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) and City
Commission (CC)
Subject: Bicycle Friendly Bozeman, TAB Meeting (Action Item J.2), Wed, Apr 26,
2023, 6 PM, City Hall
I am wrting to comment on the Bicycle Friendly Bozeman presentation scheduled for
the City's TAB meeting on Wed Apr, 26 (as follows):
(1) Bozeman's long-term bicycling goal should be to become the preeminent bicycle
friendly city in the U.S. To start that process, the City will need to improve its current
League of American Bicyclists (LAB) ranking from silver level to platinum level byfollowing the suggestions of the LAB. Particularly, the City needs more designated
and safe on-road and off-road bicycle routes that link the outer suburbs to the
downtown core. On-road bicycle routes should be painted green and cleaned
frequently—and selected on-road bicycle routes should be designated for wintercommuting and be kept as free as possible from snow and ice. Also, bicyclists should
be allowed the option to ride through roundabouts and not be directed off onto
sidewalks for crossing these types of intersections. Moreover, Bozeman's downtown
core needs to become a place where bicycles can be ridden safely and parked safely(e.g., short-term and day-long parking options protected from bad weather and
bicycle theft).
(2) Bozeman should become a destination city for long, challenging day rides andmulti-day bicycle touring—especially self-supported bicycle touring. The City of
Bozeman should be the leader in working with county, city, and town governments in
Gallatin, Park, Madison, Jefferson, and Broadwater counties—as well as the NPS in
Yellowstone National Park—to develop a network of connected and safe on-road andoff-road loop routes. If Bozeman were to develop a partnership with the nonprofit,
Adventure Cycling Association (Missoula, MT), then long on-road and off-road loop
touring routes could be developed. Also, if passenger train service were to return to
Bozeman, then think how much fun it would be for bicyclists to travel—with their bikes—by train to Bozeman, do a long bicycle loop tour, and then travel home by train. Not
to mention the economic benefits to the community of Bozeman as a whole.
(3) The safety problems created by electric bicycles (e-bikes) and rental electricscooters (banned in Rome, Italy, and in many U.S. cites, for obvious reasons) must
be solved. E-bikes and rental electric scooters are motor vehicles. As such, they
should be licensed by MT DMV, should require a special MT DMV-issued license to
operate, and—within Bozeman's city limits—should be banned from bicycle lanes set
up for human-powered bicycles.
Thank you for helping to make Bozeman a more bicycle friendly city.
Daniel Carty
213 N. Third Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
dgc12@hotmail.com
406-548-2810