HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-26-23 Public Comment - M. Parsons - [EXTERNAL]Public Comment - Transportation BoardFrom:Matt Parsons
To:Agenda
Cc:Adam Johnson
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public Comment - Transportation Board
Date:Wednesday, July 26, 2023 12:12:31 PM
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Dear Members of the Transportation Board,
Please accept this public comment on the Kagy Blvd. project scope of work – Resolution 2023-02. I
appreciate the Transportation Board and City Staff’s hard work on this project. The Gallatin Valley
Land Trust is excited that the focus of this project is on safety for all users, and that it is looking at
“future demands for all modes of travel within the 20-year horizon…” It is encouraging to see the
incorporation of bike/ped grade separated crossings at 11th and 7th Aves, as well as shared use paths
on both sides of Kagy. This will greatly improve the safety and comfort of people using active
transportation in and around the University, as well as in nearby residential and commercial centers.
GVLT also urges the Board to consider the Gallagator Trail as a major component of active
transportation traffic when it considers the 20-year horizon for this project. Currently, the Gallagator
sees approximately 250,000 user visits annually at the trail’s Garfield intersection. We also know that
the segment terminating at the Museum of the Rockies serving neighborhoods south of Kagy Blvd. is
a major commuter route to the University. Recently, the Museum of the Rockies began its campus
master planning process, and GVLT has been encouraged to hear that extending the Gallgator
through their campus is a major component of that plan. In addition, with the completion of the
Gallagator in the new Blackwood Groves subdivision, and a potential land acquisition near Eagle
Mount, the Gallagator will stretch through hundreds of homes all the way to Goldenstein Ln. When
these trail connections are complete, the Gallagator will be transformed from a fragmented route
into a major north-south active transportation highway, stretching all the way from the Bozeman
Public Library to the southern-most city limits.
This route connects not just MSU, but also two major public schools servicing homes along the
Gallagator route. The soon-to-be-adopted Parks, Recreation, and Active Transportation Plan (PRAT)
elevates this route to “Anchor Route” status, prioritizing it among other active transportation routes
around the city. GVLT urges the Transportation Board to consider all means and resources necessary
to giving the Gallagator the safest bicycle and pedestrian treatments available within the scope of
this project. An at-grade crossing over a newly built Kagy Blvd. will create a barrier for many active
transportation users. Whatever can be done to reduce the severity of this barrier will be welcomed
by an increase in active transportation by the community.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Matt Parsons, Trails Director
Gallatin Valley Land Trust
MATT PARSONS ▪ Trails Director
406.587.8404 ext. 103
212 S. Wallace Suite 101 ▪ Bozeman, MT 59715
www.GVLT.org ▪ Hike Kind