Whitefish Safe Streets for All

The City of Whitefish was awarded funds from the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary grant program to complete an Action Plan identifying the most significant transportation safety concerns in the community with implementation steps for projects and strategies to address those issues in addition to reducing fatalities and serious injuries within the City limits. RPA assisted the City in developing an Action Plan, which aims to address the safety needs of all users, though it places increased emphasis on non-motorist safety, in alignment with community priorities and values.

In support of the plan, RPA facilitated Task Force meetings, a walk audit, stakeholder meetings, City Council coordination, and a variety of public outreach including the Walk N Roll event, website postings and an online commenting map, and two in-person public meetings.

RPA conducted baseline data analysis for crashes occurring within the Whitefish City limits from 2018 to 2022, including crash characteristics, demographic details, and identification of a High Injury Network (HIN). After facilitating selection of focus areas and setting leadership commitment and goals for the plan, RPA identified a series of broad-based strategies associated with each of the four focus areas. Strategies involve the E’s of Transportation Safety (Education, Enforcement, Engineering, and EMS) and follow the Safe Systems Approach with specific attention on safe road users, vehicles, road, and speeds. Example actions range from educational campaigns to investments in infrastructure projects, new technologies, maintenance practices, policies, enforcement, and training, strategies are intended to address safety from numerous angles.

Additionally, RPA identified specific projects, programs, and policies to proactively address identified transportation safety concerns from all angles, including infrastructure improvements, programs focused on safe behaviors, and operational improvements. RPA also developed planning-level cost estimates for each of the project recommendations. Lastly, RPA developed a prioritization process and outlined steps necessary for future implementation efforts.

RPA has assisted the Great Falls MPO in completing and updating its long-range transportation plan over the past two decades. Most recently, our team developed a comprehensive new LRTP focusing on compliance with new federal regulations while developing a comprehensive vision for the multimodal transportation network over the next 20 years. The plan was developed through a collaborative approach with county, state, and city staff, elected officials, and local residents to provide a blueprint for guiding transportation investments based on system needs and associated decision-making principles. The LRTP provides a comprehensive and integrated strategy for transportation infrastructure and service improvements within the Great Falls area to improve transportation safety and efficiency for all roadway users.

The intersection of State Highway 55 and Banks Lowman Road is located approximately 41 miles north of Boise and provides access to a variety of recreational opportunities in the surrounding public lands. On weekends during the summer, the area experiences an influx of recreational traffic resulting in congestion and lengthy delays for vehicles along Banks Lowman Road. During busy days, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has implemented temporary flagging control to help control and alleviate congestion. As traffic volumes continue to increase, however, the existing strategy is inadequate to meet the growing demands at the intersection.

After collecting traffic data and observing vehicle queuing and turning movements in the field, RPA used a multi-step approach to evaluate existing and projected traffic conditions, including both deterministic and microsimulation analyses. To address operational and safety conditions at the site, RPA analyzed multiple alternatives included maintaining the existing two-way stop control, implementing flagging control more frequently, installing a traffic signal, and installing a single-lane roundabout.

While the existing stop control and peak day flagging operation is viable in the short term, the configuration is not sustainable for the long-term. The flagging operation is shown to help alleviate existing congestion concerns, however, the option offers minor capacity increases and would need to be implemented more frequently during the peak season. Automated flagging control was identified as an interim solution while designs for a more permanent solution are developed. Based on the results of the evaluation process, a traffic signal was identified as the preferred alternative for the intersection. Compared to the other traffic control scenarios, the roundabout was shown to provide the lowest capacity and shortest anticipated life. Conversely, the traffic signal provides the greatest life of all alternatives and the best operational performance under future growth scenarios.

Gallatin County has experienced significant growth over the past 40 years. The county has consistently outpaced the population growth of other Montana counties. This growth can be attributed to the evolving economies of the county’s largest cities, Bozeman and Belgrade, the continued expansion of Montana State University in Bozeman, and in-migration resulting from the high quality of life that the county offers. As Gallatin County continues to grow, it is important to understand growth trends to properly accommodate and prepare for the county’s current and future transportation needs.

The last regional county transportation plan was completed in 2007 with more recent updates completed for the urban areas of Bozeman and Belgrade. A new, comprehensive look at the transportation system in the growing suburban area was needed to understand system needs and investment opportunities over the next 20 years.

The Greater Triangle Area Transportation Plan (GTATP) provides a comprehensive and integrated strategy for transportation infrastructure and service improvements within the greater triangle area between Bozeman, Belgrade, Four Corners, and Gallatin Gateway. The GTATP focuses on strengthened roadway connections to facilitate safe and efficient travel between these quickly growing communities within the county. The plan addresses regional transportation issues, overall travel convenience, traffic safety, sustainability, funding, and multimodal connections. The GTATP includes recommendations for short-term improvements as well as long-term modifications and capital improvements to major roadways.

The GTATP serves as a guide for development of and investment in the region’s transportation system in a comprehensive manner. The GTATP was developed through a collaborative approach with county, state, and city staff, elected officials, and local residents. The plan provides a blueprint for guiding transportation infrastructure investments based on system needs and associated decision-making principles. The GTATP integrates previously completed planning efforts, includes detailed analysis of existing and projected transportation conditions, incorporates meaningful input from citizens and local officials, and provides a framework for future efforts within the context of state and federal rules, regulations, and funding allocations.

US Highway 93 (US 93) is an important highway corridor and supports local, regional, and nationwide transportation. The Ninepipe segment extends from Reference Post (RP) 40.0 to 44.5 south of Ronan, MT in Mission Valley. The corridor is situated in a highly sensitive ecological and cultural environment through federal and tribal lands designated for wildlife management, environmental protection, and cultural preservation. Improvements to the corridor are needed to address poor existing traffic operations, projected increases in traffic volumes, multiple safety concerns, and a lack of dedicated pedestrian and bicycle facilities.

Building from an alternative identified in previous environmental documentation, RPA worked collaboratively with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), and multiple environmental resource agencies to identify a feasible reconstruction concept that would optimize benefits and reduce impacts. The study evaluated geotechnical constraints, hydraulic considerations, wetland impacts, cultural influences, and right-of-way needs to evaluate improvement options in terms of impacts, construction costs, and feasibility considerations. Findings from this study will be used to assist MDT in project development decisions and will support a future environmental re-evaluation.