The Downtown SAM project aims to improve Safety, Access and Mobility in Downtown Missoula. 

Safety: Improving safety means reducing the risk for crashes and increasing the level of comfort for people traveling Downtown. This includes things like slowing traffic, adding turn lanes, reducing multi-lane crossings, improving lighting, and providing separate spaces for different users (i.e. vehicle lanes, bikeways, and sidewalks).

Access: Access refers to the ease with which people can reach desired goods, services, activities, and destinations. The goal of improving access is to minimize the effort or distance required to reach important destinations, often focusing on enhancing quality of life and connectivity. Improving access means considering things like parking, ADA accessible routes, transit stops, loading zones, deliveries, emergency services, and new traffic signals (i.e. Front/Madison).

Mobility: Mobility refers to the ease  and efficiency with which people or goods can move between locations. The goal of improving mobility is to improve circulation and increase the ability for all modes to travel Downtown. Improving mobility includes things like signal timing and coordination, conversion of one-way streets, turn lanes, and separated facilities for different modes.

Focusing on Safety, Access, and Mobility supports economic health and investment by making Downtown a more inviting place and reinvesting in the infrastructure that helps Downtown Missoula be signature destination.

Goals of the Downtown SAM Project Include: 

• create safer streets for all modes of transportation;
• improve access and circulation for Downtown businesses, workers, residents, and visitors;
• establish an inviting streetscape that showcases Downtown Missoula as a destination; and
• support economic health and investment in Downtown.

Project Elements:

A) Higgins Ave Multi-Modal Improvements

• 4-to-3 lane conversion
• Improved bicycle facilities
• ADA access
• Bus stops and other street amenities
• Improvements to be installed from Brooks to Broadway (linear distance of 3,500 LF)

B) Front/Main Two-Way Restoration

• Restoration of both Front Street and Main Street from one-way to two-way traffic
• Improvements include:
  • Restriping, parking lane modifications, bicycle facilities, intersection improvements, a new signal at the intersection of Front Street/Madison, reconfiguration of the intersection at Front/Main/Orange.

C) Riverfront Trail Connections

• Widening of the Ron's River Trail (~2,400 ft of path)
• Gateway reconstruction of Ryman Street from Front Street to Carousel Drive (200 ft of roadway reconstruction)
• Enhanced trail access at Pattee Street
• Reconstruction of trail access between Front Street and Ron's River Trail at Kiwanis Park (~300-400 ft of trail)
• Construction of an ADA accessible ramp from the east side pedestrian path of Beartracks Bridge to Ron's River Trail/Caras Park

D) Signal Optimization

• Upgrade signal detection, controllers, and other hardware as needed at ~8 signals
• Conduct signal timing analysis and implement automated signal performance measures across ~ 22 downtown signals

Read more about the Grant Requirements.