HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-21-24 Public Comment - Z. Osman - Public Comment for 05_22_24 Transportation Board Meeting_ Fowler Avenue ConnectionFrom:Zehra Osman
To:Bozeman Public Comment; Nicholas Ross; Taylor Lonsdale; Takami Clark; Jennifer Madgic; Joey Morrison;tcunningham@msn.net; Douglas Fischer
Cc:Mike Roser; Daniel Carty; Adrianne Wallace; friendsoffowlerconnector@gmail.com; Angie Kociolek
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public Comment for 05/22/24 Transportation Board Meeting: Fowler Avenue Connection
Date:Tuesday, May 21, 2024 11:30:06 AM
Attachments:Comments and questions for City.pdf30% Design Comments .pdf
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(City Clerk: Please forward this email to the Transportation Advisory Board Members so they have adequate time
to read them. Additionally, please post these comments in the public record, including the email and each of the 2
attachments. Thank you.)
Honorable Transportation Advisory Board Members Kelly Pohl, Courtney Oyler, Hayden Gaines, Shannon
Mahoney, Rio Roland, Paul Reichert, Bryce Gordon, and City Staff,
The goal of our organization, Friends of Fowler Connector, is to work constructively with the City to make the FAC
as neighborhood friendly and environmentally responsible as possible. As such, we — as Friends of Fowler
Connector and concerned Bozeman residents — submit the following comments on the 30% Design for the Fowler
Avenue Connection prior to your board meeting on 05/22/24. Most of these comments were also submitted to the
City Commission and the Transportation and Engineering Staff in preparation for their open house on 05/8/2024,
and include the two pdf attachments below. One of the pdfs shows drawings the illustrate our recommendations.
At the May 8, 2024 open house, we were pleased to have meaningful dialogue with Director of Transportation and
Engineering Nick Ross. We appreciate the City’s response to the 2022 public comments and how the road has been
reduced from 5-lanes to 2-lanes. We also appreciate our mutual commitment to preserving the existing trees, which
are part of a riparian corridor that includes mature trees, birds, and wildlife that are all sustained by an irrigation
ditch. We look forward to continuing this constructive, productive, and meaningful relationship with the City as we
continue to engage in the design process.
We presented our comments and questions both in written public comment and orally at the May 8, 2024 FAC Open
House. Mr. Ross responded to many of our comments and question (see attachments below) and expressed that the
City would consider some of them:
Preserve Ecological Function and Ecosystem Services: The City’s commitment to planning for climate change
dictates that development must support “Regenerative Green-space, Food Systems, and Natural Environments.” The
City’s Community Plan outlines commitment to “our natural environment, parks, and open lands.” The FAC
corridor includes an approximately 124-year-old (circa 1900), mostly open irrigation ditch (aka Section Line Ditch)
that runs the entire length of the FAC, supporting self-sustaining native cottonwood trees, diverse populations of
migratory birds, and other wildlife. The FAC corridor also provides important summer shade for community
members and natural play areas for children. The FAC corridor is a part of Bozeman’s urban forest—the web of
mature trees on public and private lands that functions to moderate extreme temperatures across the Gallatin Valley.
In order to achieve our mutual goal of protecting these trees and the riparian system:
Determine the extent of the root zones of these mature trees.
Provide as much buffer as possible between the road development/construction and the root zones of the
mature trees to avoid/mitigate impacts to this root zone. This would require a narrow road profile, narrower
than what is shown in the 30% design.
Protect the tree root zones from compaction during construction activities. Install construction fencing that
prevents storage of construction materials and parking of construction equipment within the root zones of
these mature trees.
Allow the shared-use path to lie lightly on the landscape. Use permeable paving materials that allow water to
recharge and regenerate the riparian area.
Do not excavate deeply when installing the shared-use path.
Trail placement should be separated enough from the ditch to avoid erosion.
Embrace the opportunity of allowing the FAC’s well-separated shared-use path to become the N-S
connection to GVLT’s Raptor Route trail. The Raptor Route will connect the Gallatin River at Four Corners to
the M Trail. See KBZK’s video on this trail https://www.kbzk.com/news/local-news/gallatin-valley-land-trusts-raptor-route-to-make-bozeman-trails-safer-from-west-side-to-the-m . The FAC can be the west-side’s N-S
connection to the Raptor Route, providing a beautiful trail that winds along the existing riparian corridor withmature trees, which is preferable than a sidewalk up against the FAC roadway. The 30% design shows instead twosidewalks along the edge of the FAC roadway, which is expected to have 14,000 average daily vehicles, which doesnot provide a pleasant experience. Let’s embrace a unique opportunity we have with walking/biking along thepreserved riparian corridor. This is an opportunity to get people out of cars and use the Active Transportation (AT)system.
See ways to protect the riparian area (above).
Give the shared-use path and riparian corridor a maximum amount of buffer from the FAC roadway
Keep the FAC narrow as a 2-lane road with 11.5-foot wide lanes (without medians, without turn lanes,
without bike lanes in the road) to maximize the buffer between the road and the pathway.
Keep the shared-use path along the riparian corridor; well-separated from the FAC roadway
Allow users of the shared-use path to remain in the shade, enjoy the sights and sounds of the running water,
wildlife, and birds. This would allow a safe and natural N-S connection of West Side neighborhoods to the
GVLT’s Raptor Route.
Eliminate the raised medians:
These medians add excess road width (19 feet extra width)
Other "minor arterials" within Bozeman neighborhoods, such as Willson Ave, do not have raised medians.
The Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) do not
recommend raised medians on roads within neighborhoods and state that they are most useful on high-
volume, high-speed roads (FAC goes through neighborhoods). The FHWA/DOT link below states that this
is because raised medians can cause unsafe U-turns, increase traffic speeds by decreasing the perceived
friction through separating traffic flow directions, take up space that can be better used for wider sidewalks,
bike lanes, and landscape buffer. (see
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferjourney1/library/countermeasures/16.htm ).
Since curbs along raised medians can catch a vehicle tire, lanes are increased in width. In this case the 30%
design show the width increasing from 11.5’ width to 14’ width. Again, this adds to the overall width of the
road prism.
The natural vegetated “landscaped median” could instead be incorporated into the existing, natural-vegetated
buffer between the road and existing tree canopy.
No one wants to picnic on a landscaped median, and that space could instead easily accommodate a picnic
blanket next to the shared use path within the canopy of trees.
Please see the attached pdf of our 30% design comments to see our drawings that illustrate what can be
gained by eliminating raised medians.
Eliminate the center turn lanes to the extent possible:
Center turn lanes favor vehicular traffic convenience over pedestrian/school kid safety and convenience.
Neighborhood pedestrians/school kids would have to cross a wider road.
Turn lanes increase the number of lanes where vehicles must stop to allow a pedestrian/school kid to
cross; with not all vehicles being able to see the pedestrian/school kid attempting to cross.
The 30% design for the FAC between Durston and Huffine already does not show center turn lanes except at
major intersections, therefore it must be an acceptable approach.
Other “minor arterials” within Bozeman neighborhoods, such as Willson Ave, do not have center turn lanes.
Move all bike lanes and pedestrian path functions to one wider shared-use path:
Currently the 30% design has shared-use paths in close proximity to the road at 17’ from the road edge,
which is too close to the traffic. To put this into perspective, a typical parking space is 10-feet wide by 20-
feet long. So, in this scenario, a pedestrian/school kid would be separated from FAC traffic by the mere
length of a parking space. Pedestrians deserve a much wider buffer.
Bike lanes are currently shown at 6-feet wide and within the road. These bike lanes may be convenient for
our most ardent cyclists who are fast, fit, and confident in their biking skills. However, this type of bike lane
is not as accessible, favored, or used by our cyclists who are either more mobility-challenged, who are not as
experienced, who go slower, who are intimidated by cars rushing past, and/or those who have kids and pets
in tow. It is better to have a bike lane that is well-separated from vehicles in the road prism.
Bike lanes within the road often contain gravel, broken glass, and debris that can cause a cyclist to fall and,
most concerning, they may also fall into traffic. Of course the most ardent cyclists may be able to skillfully
navigate this. However, this condition is not considered accessible those cyclists who might be mobility-
challenged, are young, who lack experience, etc.
Instead, keep only one shared use path along the side of the tree canopy and riparian environment along the
creek (open Section Line Ditch), which would be much more shaded, pleasant, natural, and conducive to
walking/biking
Universally accessible bike paths should be the goal.
Combine all shared-use path function into one shared-use path to lessen the overall impact width.
Eliminate intersections at FAC for neighborhood streets at Cascade and Annie:
We appreciate how the City is making an effort to preserve the riparian corridor and mature tree canopy
along with the irrigation ditch (open Section Line Ditch) that sustains it.
Places where this tree canopy and open Section Line Ditch cannot be preserved, however, is at new
intersections. At these new intersections, trees are lost due to road work and grading, and the open Section
Line Ditch is put into a pipe, where it can no longer sustain existing vegetation, birds, and wildlife.
Some intersections such as Huffine, Babcock, Durston, and Oak may make sense for connectivity, and they
are only 0.50 miles apart. However, the 30% design goes further and connects the neighborhood streets of
Annie and Cascade with the FAC, adding vehicular connectivity at 0.25 miles. This connectivity is excessive
and is meant for the convenience of vehicles. It disrupts/compromises the pedestrian connectivity and safety
of shared use paths and also disrupts and unnecessarily negatively impacts the riparian corridor. Like the
Gallagator Linear Trail on Bozeman’s south side, it is OK to decide to preserve a continuous, existing,
mature, riparian corridor and shared-use path on the city’s west side. It’s a remarkable opportunity to have
this connectivity for the west side!
Eliminate intersections at FAC for neighborhood streets at Farmall, Annie, Lily, Rose, Oliver, and Cascade:
As mentioned above, FAC intersections at Huffine, Babcock, Durston, and Oak may make sense for connectivity;they are only 0.50 miles apart. However, the 30% design goes further and connects the FAC with every otherneighborhood street including Farmall, Oliver, Rose, Lily, Annie, and Cascade with the FAC, some of which areonly 250 feet apart! This causes safety concerns on neighborhood streets. At the 05/08/24 FAC meeting, the public
expressed concern about traffic short-cutting and speeding through these existing neighborhood streets, adversely
affecting residents, kids, and pedestrians, including kids walking to schools. Already, folks in Valley West have
expressed on social media that they were looking forward to accessing the FAC by using Cascade Street — in orderto avoid the school speed zone on Babcock. Unfortunately, over-connecting these neighborhood streets provides toomuch convenience for cars at the price of neighborhood pedestrian and school kid safety. It also encourages trafficshort cuts from other neighborhoods. If it is impossible to eliminate one or more of these intersections, werecommend the following mitigations:
stop signs
speed bumps
curb extensions
posted 15 mph speed zones at parks and playgrounds
flashing light crossings for school kids (such as what we have on Babcock and Durston)
Finally, during the May 8, 2024 FAC Open House, Mr. Nick Ross suggested a field trip to walk the length of the
project. The Friends of Fowler Connection is in favor of this form of public engagement in addition to other
opportunities. We look forward to working with you.
Respectfully,
Zehra Osman, Adrianne Wallace, Dan Carty, Mike Roser, and Angie Kociolek
**NOTE: Please see 2 pdf attachments with drawings illustrating our recommendations
Begin forwarded message:
From: Zehra Osman <zosman534@gmail.com>
Subject: Fwd: Fowler Avenue Connection Public Comments for 30% design meeting
Date: May 8, 2024 at 10:09:12 AM MDT
To: Takami Clark <tclark@bozeman.net>, nross@bozeman.net, tlonsdale@bozeman.net,
jmadgic@bozeman.net, dfischer@bozeman.net, jmorrison@bozeman.net,
TCunningham@bozeman.net
Cc: Mike Roser <mikeroser13@gmail.com>, Adrianne Wallace <avwallace@gmail.com>, Daniel
Carty <dgc12@hotmail.com>, Professional <zosman534@gmail.com>,
friendsoffowlerconnector@gmail.com
Honorable City Commissioners and City Staff,
Friends of Fowler Connector (FFC) submitted these public comments yesterday. For your
convenience, we are submitting these comments and questions to you directly in preparation for
tonight’s meeting. Please see the email and attachments below.
The goal of Friends of Fowler Connector is to work constructively with the City to make the FAC as
neighborhood and environmentally responsible as possible.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We have a group email (cc’d) and a Facebook
Page https://www.facebook.com/friendsoffowlerconnector
Respectfully,
Mike Roser, Adrianne Wallace, Daniel Carty, and Zehra Osman
Begin forwarded message:
From: Zehra Osman <zosman534@gmail.com>
Subject: Fowler Avenue Connection Public Comments for 30% design meeting
Date: May 7, 2024 at 12:06:50 PM MDT
To: comments@bozeman.net
Cc: Mike Roser <mikeroser13@gmail.com>, Adrianne Wallace
<avwallace@gmail.com>, Daniel Carty <dgc12@hotmail.com>, Professional
<zosman534@gmail.com>
Honorable City Commissioners, Takami Clark, Nick Ross, and Taylor Lonsdale,
Please see the two attached pdf documents for our comments on the City’s 30%
Design for the Fowler Avenue Connection
Respectfully,
Zehra Osman, Dan Carty, Adrianne Wallace, and Mike Rosen
Honorable City Commission Members, Takami Clark, Nick Ross, and Taylor Lonsdale,
The City of Bozeman’s (City) Fowler Ave Connector (FAC) road project, extending from
Oak St to Huffine Lane, will forever change the face of our part of town. As such, we—
as Friends of Fowler Connector and concerned Bozeman residents—are committed to
work with the City to ensure the FAC is built to be neighborhood-friendly and
environmentally responsible. To that end, Friends of Fowler Connector offers the
following list of questions and comments for the City in preparation for the May 8 FAC
open house and also as formal written and oral public comment to the City.
We are also attaching a pdf that illustrates comments on the 30% design (see
attached).
The following list of comments and questions are organized by the following categories,
with some intentional crossover: (1) Commitment to Public Transparency and Flexible
Design, (2) Land Use, (3) Road Use, (4) People Use, and (5) Ecological Function-
Ecosystem Services.
1.Commitment to Public Transparency and Flexible Design
In 2022, the City of Bozeman committed to public transparency and flexibility in all
phases of the FAC design; however, the City’s published 30% plans are currently
incomplete. Not all residents can read plan drawings. In order for the public to
clearly understand all phases of the FAC design, we have the following questions:
A.When will detailed, annotated plans and section elevations be available?
B.When will detailed, annotated sketches of vegetation disturbance and loss—
especially loss of mature, native trees—due to grading and construction be
available?
C.When will detailed, annotated sketches of where the City proposes to pipe or
culvert the Section Line Irrigation Ditch (irrigation ditch) be available? We note
that piping the irrigation ditch will eventually cause the loss of the riparian
vegetation along the irrigation ditch.
D.When will the City provide detailed plans for the land adjacent to the road?
E.Has the city committed to development between the FAC and the existing
neighborhoods?
2.Land Use
Some land (or rights-of-way) in the FAC corridor was previously owned by the City or
has been recently purchased, while other parcels of land in the FAC corridor are
privately owned. Consequently:
A.Which land in the corridor is City-owned?
Page of 1 4
B.Which land does the City plan to claim via eminent domain?
C.In what order does the City plan to build or modify the three sections of the FAC
(e.g., Oak to Durston, Durston to Babcock, and then Babcock to Huffine)?
D.What are the planned uses for the City-owned land adjacent to the expanded
road?
E.What are the planned uses for privately owned properties adjacent to the
expanded road?
F.How is the City planning to incorporate public parks and trail systems along this
corridor?
2.Road Use
Fowler Ave is slated to become a minor arterial road. Other minor arterials shown in the
City’s Transportation Master Plan include Willson, Mendenhall, and Babcock. Willson
Ave, like the FAC, runs through established neighborhoods and is a mostly 2-lane road
with low-speed limits, which protect the safety, livability, and walkability of the
neighborhoods. Consequently:
A.How will the city protect safety, livability, and walkability for neighborhoods in
areas slated for road expansion in and along the FAC?
B.What will be the speed limit on the FAC, and how will the city enforce that speed
limit?
C.How will the city protect commuter cyclist safety AND school-age cyclist safety in
the FAC corridor?
D.The Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and U.S. Department of
Transportation (USDOT) have determined that raised medians are most useful
on high-volume, high-speed roads. The FHWA/USDOT state that in
neighborhood applications, raised medians can actually increase speed of traffic,
create the need for unsafe U-turns, and take up space that can better be used
for separated bike and pedestrian paths and vegetated buffers. Knowing these
facts proves medians DO NOT calm traffic. How can the FAC incorporate traffic
calming designs that actually DO work? Please see https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/
saferjourney1/library/countermeasures/16.htm
E.Turn lanes favor convenience for the vehicle over pedestrians. Turn lanes also
increase the width of the road, which increases the amount of time a pedestrian
spends within the road prism while crossing. Additionally, turn lanes increase the
number of lanes where vehicles must stop to allow a pedestrian to cross; with
Page of 2 4
not all vehicles being able to see the pedestrian attempting to cross. The FAC
can function as a two standard-width (11.5 foot) lanes, minor arterial, without turn
lanes—like Willson Ave and other minor arterials in the City.
F.Keeping the FAC road limited to two standard-width (11.5 foot) lanes allows for
more design flexibility in the goal of saving existing mature vegetation and allows
for a well-separated, shared-use path along the shade of existing vegetation that
maximizes a buffer between it and the road prism.
4.People Use
Bozeman’s Community Plan outlines a commitment to “accessibility and mobility” for
people of all ages. It also commits to being “diverse, healthy, and inclusive, defined by
our vibrant neighborhoods, quality housing, walkability, excellent schools, numerous
parks and trails, and thriving areas of commerce.” Its commitment to planning for
climate change dictates that development must support “Diverse & Accessible
Transportation Options.” and “Regenerative Green-space, Food Systems, and Natural
Environments.” Consequently:
A.Who is the City consulting about walking path designs?
B.Who is the City consulting about biking access?
C.Who is the City consulting about accessibility for people with disabilities?
D.Who is the City consulting about safe accessibility for school children?
E.How is the City planning to determine community-use needs such as bike lanes
on roads vs off- road, shared-use bike and walking paths?
5.Ecological Function and Ecosystem Services
The City’s commitment to planning for climate change dictates that development must
support “Regenerative Green-space, Food Systems, and Natural Environments.” The
City’s Community Plan outlines commitment to “our natural environment, parks, and
open lands.” The FAC corridor includes ditch that runs and other wildlife. The FAC
corridor an approximately 124-year-old (circa 1900), mostly open irrigation the entire
length of the FAC, supporting self-sustaining native cottonwood trees, diverse
populations of migratory birds, and other wildlife. The FAC corridor also provides
important summer shade for community members and natural play areas for children.
The FAC corridor is a part of Bozeman’s urban forest—the web of mature trees on
public and private lands that functions to moderate extreme temperatures across the
Gallatin Valley.
Page of 3 4
A.How does the City plan to honor its commitment to protect the natural
environment of mature trees and riparian areas in the FAC corridor?
B.How does the City plan to preserve open water sources for birds and other
animals who have depended on the open irrigation ditch water since circa 1900?
C.How does the City plan to inform residents of where the irrigation ditch will
continue to be an open water source and where the City plans to pipe or culvert
the water underground?
D.How does the City plan to preserve the trees and shade the FAC corridor
currently provides for wildlife as well as community members?
E.How does the City plan to stay committed to its climate action plan by preserving
the important function of these mature trees for moderating extreme
temperatures?
F.How does the City plan to show community members which trees it plans to
destroy and remove and which trees it plans to maintain? When will this
information be available?
G.How will the City maintain the water needs for mature trees that depend on the
now-open irrigation ditch in areas where the irrigation ditch is slated to be
culverted?
H.Where does the City plan to leave dedicated green space in and along the FAC
corridor?
Comments on the 30% Design Drawings
Please see attached pdf of our comments on the design drawings.
Respectfully,
Dan Carty, Adrianne Wallace, Mike Roser, and Zehra Osman
Page of 4 4
Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
FAC 30% Design Comments
of 111
FAC Project Area
H
u
ff
in
e
Babco
c
k
Durst
o
n
Oak
of 112
Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
Future Gallatin Valley Land Trust Raptor Route
Separated shared-use trail
along FAC provides safe
connection
The GVLT Raptor Route will be a welcomed addition to Bozeman’s West Side, which currently lacks “Mountains to Main
Street” type of amenities. The FAC project includes both a road and pathways and presents an opportunity to provide a
N-S shared-use trail that is separated from the road prism. It will be more safe and more natural.
Raptor Route Trail by GVLT
of 113Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
FAC is to be a
“minor arterial”
of 114Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
No medians, no turn lanes
Other Minor Arterials Through Neighborhoods
The FAC is identified as a
“Minor Arterial”
Willson Avenue is another
Minor Arterial that runs
through neighborhoods
Therefore it is possible to
keep the road width
narrow by not including
raised medians and turn
lanes, which add almost
20-feet extra width of 115
Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
Area Between Durston and Oak
NKeep shared-use
trail along park-
like setting of
riparian area
Preserve mature
vegetation and
the open Section
Line Ditch that
provides the water
that sustains
mature trees
Do not further
bisect the
riparian area
and trail with
Annie Street
extension
Discourage
short cuts
through
neighborhoods
such as along
Meagher and
New Holland
of 116Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
Extraneous intersections encourage
rush-hour short cuts through
neighborhoods
Riparian area and trail
bisected by proposed Annie
Street extension
Shared-use 2-way
path separated from
road and is adjacent
to trees
Extraneous intersections eliminated
to eliminate traffic short cuts
through neighborhoods
Open Section Line Ditch
retained, which sustains
existing riparian
vegetation.
Width of road is narrowed by 19’
by eliminating raised medians
and turn lanes. Recommend 23’
road width, which includes 2
11.5’ lanes
Proposed FAC
30% Design
Comments &
Changes to
30% Design
Continuous raised medians adds an extra 12’ to the
overall road width. Lanes are shown extra wide (14’
each), which encourages speeding
Path is too close to
the road edge
Proposed Annie
Street extension
eliminated to
prevent bisecting of
riparian area
Putting the existing section
line ditch into a pipe will kill
existing vegetation that is
sustained by this water
of 117
Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
Area Between Babcock and Durston
Preserve mature
vegetation and
the open section
line ditch that
sustains it
Do not further
bisect the
riparian area
and trail with
extraneous
extensions
Very limited
space between
houses
of 118Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
No need for another
trail and bike lane ,
which adds to
disturbance width
Extraneous intersections bisect
riparian area, encourage rush-hour
short cuts through neighborhoods,
and add unsafe pedestrian crossings
Putting open section
line ditch into a pipe
will kill existing
vegetation.15 mph school zoneWidth of road is narrowed by 12’
by moving all trail and bike path
functions to separated shared
use path. Recommend Bity
Standard 11.5’ lanes
Proposed FAC
30% Design
Comments &
Changes to
30% Design
Shared-use 2-way path separated from road
Extraneous intersections eliminated
to provide continuous riparian area
and trail and eliminate traffic short
cuts through neighborhoods
Open Section Like
Ditch is retained
which sustains
existing riparian
vegetation.
What will this land use be?
of 119Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
Area Between Huffine and Babcock
Preserve mature
vegetation and
the open Section
Line Ditch that
provides the water
that sustains
mature trees
Keep shared-use
trail for bikes
and pedestrians
along park-like
setting of
riparian area
Maintain 15 mph zone
at kids’ ballfields
of 1110Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024
Putting the existing section
line ditch into a pipe will kill
existing vegetation that is
sustained by this water.
There are very few treed
and shaded areas to walk
and bike on Bozeman’s
West Side, so these existing
trails are precious
No need for bike
lane in the road
prism, which adds to
disturbance width.
Instead keep that
function in shared-
use path along trees
and separated from
the road.
Proposed FAC
30% Design
Create safe pedestrian
crossings to the park
Maintain 15 mph speed zone
at kids’ ballfields
Area Between Huffine and Babcock
of 1111Friends of Fowler 05/03/2024