Downtown Safety–Access–Mobility Project

Description

The City of Missoula applied for a large federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant in February 2023. This grant would provide significant federal funding to Missoula to enhance safety and mobility in the Downtown area. The following projects were included in the grant application, and because they are close to one another and have like purposes, we combined them to create the Downtown Safety–Access–Mobility (Downtown SAM) overarching project:

• Higgins Avenue from Brooks to Broadway
• Front and Main St. Two-way Conversion between Orange and Madison streets
• Riverfront Trail Connections between Ryman St. and Kiwanis Park
• Downtown Signal Optimization – 22 signals between Orange and Van Buren streets

Receiving this federal funding would help fulfill long-term safety and mobility improvements in Downtown Missoula that are included in the Downtown Master Plan.

For further information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Please take a few moments to take the survey at the bottom of this page or ask any questions.

UPDATE:

A public meeting was held on May 9 that included an informational slideshow presentation followed by an opportunity for residents and downtown businesses owners to comment and ask questions about the projects. Prior to the meeting, six small group meetings with downtown businesses were held in late April and early May, and a summary notes document was compiled from those meetings.

Background

The Downtown Safety and Mobility (SAM) Project combines related projects in Downtown Missoula: Higgins Ave. Corridor Plan and Front & Main Two-Way Conversion. Downtown Missoula saw significant investment in new buildings, hotels, restaurants, breweries, and housing over the past ten years, but we have not invested in modernizing our street and transportation system.

Benefits of the DowntownSAM include:

• creating safer streets for walking, biking, driving, and public transportation;
• improving access and circulation for Downtown businesses, workers, residents, and visitors;
• establishing an inviting streetscape that showcases Downtown Missoula as a destination; and
• supporting economic health and investment in Downtown.

The original concept emerged in the 2009 Downtown Master Plan and was further evaluated in the updated 2019 Master Plan.

Improvements

Higgins Avenue from Brooks to Broadway:

• Dedicated left turn lanes
• Protected bike lanes
• Standardized lane widths
• Curb extensions
• Improved transit stops
• Wide sidewalks
• Street trees
• Improved lighting and ADA upgrades
• The conversion of Higgins will result in up to 50% reduction in crashes.
• An analysis of research on similar projects across the country indicates a strong potential for economic benefits, in part due to improvements to “quality of place” and in part due to the increased spending potential from new bicycle and pedestrian customers.

Front and Main St. Two-way Conversion:

• Restores Front and Main streets to two-way traffic
• Intersection improvements
• Curb extensions
• Signal upgrades, including a new signal at Front and Madison
• A protected bicycle loop running west on Front Street and east on Main Street
• Bus stop improvements

Riverfront Trail Connections

This is included in the North Riverside Parks and Trails Plan.

• Widening Ron’s River Trail to create safe and accessible connections between the trail and Front Street at four locations: Ryman Street Gateway, Pattee Street, Kiwanis Park, and the east side of Beartracks Bridge.
• Ryman Street between Front Street and the trail will be reconstructed, creating access for pedestrians and protected bicycle lanes between the Central Business District and the Riverfront Trail system.
• A new ADA-accessible ramp from Beartracks Bridge to the Riverfront Trail will provide a long-needed direct route between the bridge and riverfront commuter trail system.

Downtown Signal Optimization

The City of Missoula and Montana Department of Transportation will upgrade signal detection, controllers, and other hardware with this project and conduct analysis and optimization of the entire downtown signal system following construction.

Economic Benefits

The Benefit-Cost Analysis Memorandum demonstrates that DowntownSAM will result in nearly $5 in benefits and savings for every $1 invested. The value includes over $20 million in savings from crashes, $25 million in increased real estate value, and $25 million in health benefits. While there is an anticipated opportunity cost of about $2 million in potential traffic delay, there will also be $2.5 million in savings from reduced auto usage and emissions reduction.

Public Engagement

Over 3,000 community members participated in the 2019 Downtown Master Plan. More recently, public outreach for the Higgins Avenue Corridor Study included over 750 survey responses and 50 direct conversations with more than 70 business owners and employees. Public outreach for the Front and Main Two-Way conversion project engaged 141 residents and 14 stakeholder groups in 2021. In addition, there are Engage Missoula pages for the Higgins Avenue from Brooks to Broadway project, and the Front/Main Two-Way Conversion project. These pages include existing planning documents for the projects.

There is still an opportunity to provide input. City staff continue to meet with business owners and other stakeholders to hear concerns and answer questions and will continue to if the City is awarded the RAISE grant.

In addition, the Missoula Parking Commission is currently hosting public engagement with the Citywide Parking Plan.