Downtown Signal Optimization

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What are we doing?

  1. Signal modifications: upgrading the traffic signals and equipment directly on Higgins Ave, Front St, and Main St.
    • These signals will align with the new lane configurations on Higgins Avenue and intersection layouts at Front/Main/Orange and Front/Madison (new signal)
  2. Upgrading equipment and performing Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM) on 14 other traffic signals in the Downtown network.
    • The upgrades involve installing new equipment on the signals that will allow real-time data analysis to optimize signal timing and improve the overall system performance in the downtown area.

When are we doing it?

Current stage: DESIGN

  • currently at a 60% level of detail.
  • expecting to reach 100% design in Summer 2026.

Next Stage: CONSTRUCTION

  • Start of construction: TBD, potentially Spring 2027

Why are we doing it?

  1. The Signal Optimization project element is important to ensure the downtown transportation network operates efficiently.
  2. By upgrading equipment, we can review real-time traffic operations to ensure the optimum performance of the transportation network.
  3. Traffic signal upgrades are necessary as a result of the changes to Higgins Avenue and Front/Main Street two-way conversion.

How will this change/enhance Downtown Missoula?

SAFETY: Reducing the risk of crashes and increasing the level of comfort for all users traveling to and within downtown.

  • The upgraded equipment will gather real-time traffic data to help continuously improve signal timing and operations. This will enhance safety by making intersections more predictable, easier for all users to navigate, and will reduce crash risk. Specifically, this can:
    • Reduce red-light running and crashes
    • Improve safety for people walking by providing better crossing times
    • Create smoother traffic flow with fewer sudden stops

ACCESS: The ease with which people can reach desired goods, services, activities, and destinations using a variety of transportation modes

  • Improves access for people walking and rolling by providing more appropriate crossing times for people of all abilities.
  • Better signal coordination reduces delays and makes trips more consistent for drivers, transit, and other users.
  • Signal timing can be refined to better accommodate vehicles, transit, cyclists, and pedestrians using the downtown corridors.

MOBILITY: The ease, efficiency, and capability of moving people between destinations.

  • Improves traffic flow within downtown by moving people more efficiently.
  • Enhances travel time reliability by creating more consistent signal coordination.
  • Supports efficient movements for all users.

Click here to return to the full Downtown SAM project.

What are we doing?

  1. Signal modifications: upgrading the traffic signals and equipment directly on Higgins Ave, Front St, and Main St.
    • These signals will align with the new lane configurations on Higgins Avenue and intersection layouts at Front/Main/Orange and Front/Madison (new signal)
  2. Upgrading equipment and performing Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM) on 14 other traffic signals in the Downtown network.
    • The upgrades involve installing new equipment on the signals that will allow real-time data analysis to optimize signal timing and improve the overall system performance in the downtown area.

When are we doing it?

Current stage: DESIGN

  • currently at a 60% level of detail.
  • expecting to reach 100% design in Summer 2026.

Next Stage: CONSTRUCTION

  • Start of construction: TBD, potentially Spring 2027

Why are we doing it?

  1. The Signal Optimization project element is important to ensure the downtown transportation network operates efficiently.
  2. By upgrading equipment, we can review real-time traffic operations to ensure the optimum performance of the transportation network.
  3. Traffic signal upgrades are necessary as a result of the changes to Higgins Avenue and Front/Main Street two-way conversion.

How will this change/enhance Downtown Missoula?

SAFETY: Reducing the risk of crashes and increasing the level of comfort for all users traveling to and within downtown.

  • The upgraded equipment will gather real-time traffic data to help continuously improve signal timing and operations. This will enhance safety by making intersections more predictable, easier for all users to navigate, and will reduce crash risk. Specifically, this can:
    • Reduce red-light running and crashes
    • Improve safety for people walking by providing better crossing times
    • Create smoother traffic flow with fewer sudden stops

ACCESS: The ease with which people can reach desired goods, services, activities, and destinations using a variety of transportation modes

  • Improves access for people walking and rolling by providing more appropriate crossing times for people of all abilities.
  • Better signal coordination reduces delays and makes trips more consistent for drivers, transit, and other users.
  • Signal timing can be refined to better accommodate vehicles, transit, cyclists, and pedestrians using the downtown corridors.

MOBILITY: The ease, efficiency, and capability of moving people between destinations.

  • Improves traffic flow within downtown by moving people more efficiently.
  • Enhances travel time reliability by creating more consistent signal coordination.
  • Supports efficient movements for all users.

Click here to return to the full Downtown SAM project.

Have a question about Downtown Signal Optimization? Ask here.

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  • Share More of a request than question: Please expand on this idea you presented below. "giving pedestrians a 3–7 second head start before parallel vehicle movements receive a green light ". More than a head start, better yet, at least downtown on Saturdays give pedestrians their own green light. This is the case in the very busy Cape Town S.A. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront district. It is a working harbor with a dense tourist pedestrian interaction. The dedicated pedestrian lights make it work smoothly. Missoula is blessed with a vital downtown, but driving and turning downtown, especially on Saturdays can be frustrating with the steady flow of pedestrians occupying the crosswalks. With dedicated pedestrian lights traffic would flow better. on Facebook Share More of a request than question: Please expand on this idea you presented below. "giving pedestrians a 3–7 second head start before parallel vehicle movements receive a green light ". More than a head start, better yet, at least downtown on Saturdays give pedestrians their own green light. This is the case in the very busy Cape Town S.A. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront district. It is a working harbor with a dense tourist pedestrian interaction. The dedicated pedestrian lights make it work smoothly. Missoula is blessed with a vital downtown, but driving and turning downtown, especially on Saturdays can be frustrating with the steady flow of pedestrians occupying the crosswalks. With dedicated pedestrian lights traffic would flow better. on Twitter Share More of a request than question: Please expand on this idea you presented below. "giving pedestrians a 3–7 second head start before parallel vehicle movements receive a green light ". More than a head start, better yet, at least downtown on Saturdays give pedestrians their own green light. This is the case in the very busy Cape Town S.A. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront district. It is a working harbor with a dense tourist pedestrian interaction. The dedicated pedestrian lights make it work smoothly. Missoula is blessed with a vital downtown, but driving and turning downtown, especially on Saturdays can be frustrating with the steady flow of pedestrians occupying the crosswalks. With dedicated pedestrian lights traffic would flow better. on Linkedin Email More of a request than question: Please expand on this idea you presented below. "giving pedestrians a 3–7 second head start before parallel vehicle movements receive a green light ". More than a head start, better yet, at least downtown on Saturdays give pedestrians their own green light. This is the case in the very busy Cape Town S.A. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront district. It is a working harbor with a dense tourist pedestrian interaction. The dedicated pedestrian lights make it work smoothly. Missoula is blessed with a vital downtown, but driving and turning downtown, especially on Saturdays can be frustrating with the steady flow of pedestrians occupying the crosswalks. With dedicated pedestrian lights traffic would flow better. link

    More of a request than question: Please expand on this idea you presented below. "giving pedestrians a 3–7 second head start before parallel vehicle movements receive a green light ". More than a head start, better yet, at least downtown on Saturdays give pedestrians their own green light. This is the case in the very busy Cape Town S.A. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront district. It is a working harbor with a dense tourist pedestrian interaction. The dedicated pedestrian lights make it work smoothly. Missoula is blessed with a vital downtown, but driving and turning downtown, especially on Saturdays can be frustrating with the steady flow of pedestrians occupying the crosswalks. With dedicated pedestrian lights traffic would flow better.

    Runwilder asked 4 months ago

    Thanks for your question. 

    The 3-7 second head start that you’re referring to is called a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI). It gives people crossing an intersection a 3–7 second head start at a crosswalk before parallel vehicle movements get a green light. That small head start makes crosswalk users much more visible in the crosswalk and reduces conflicts with turning vehicles, especially right-turns and left-turns – this is one of the safety improvements we’ll be implementing to improve safety downtown. 

    What you are suggesting, a fully exclusive pedestrian phase (sometimes called a “pedestrian scramble” or “Barn Dance”) takes the LPI idea further.  With this concept, all vehicle movements are stopped while pedestrians/rollers can cross in every direction at once, including diagonally. This concept has been considered at specific intersections and during specific times of day, such as Saturday mornings when we know pedestrian activity is highest.  The traffic engineering and signal design work is still being designed, and nothing has been finalized as of yet.  Other factors need to be considered and fully analyzed before the design team can fully determine if this concept should be implemented. 

    All of that said, this concept could be implemented at a later date following construction since the signal equipment is being upgraded with the project.  Thank you for this suggestion; we will take this into consideration as we move forward.

    Regards,

    Downtown SAM Project Team

  • Share Can the city work on a better solution for the Madison/East Broadway intersection, just as a protected left hand turn for the north/south traffic? The blinking yellow coupled with south bound lanes being allowed to turn left or straight causes a dangerous situation for everyone. This includes pedestrians crossing E Broadway because those turning left are paying attention to traffic and not people crossing. on Facebook Share Can the city work on a better solution for the Madison/East Broadway intersection, just as a protected left hand turn for the north/south traffic? The blinking yellow coupled with south bound lanes being allowed to turn left or straight causes a dangerous situation for everyone. This includes pedestrians crossing E Broadway because those turning left are paying attention to traffic and not people crossing. on Twitter Share Can the city work on a better solution for the Madison/East Broadway intersection, just as a protected left hand turn for the north/south traffic? The blinking yellow coupled with south bound lanes being allowed to turn left or straight causes a dangerous situation for everyone. This includes pedestrians crossing E Broadway because those turning left are paying attention to traffic and not people crossing. on Linkedin Email Can the city work on a better solution for the Madison/East Broadway intersection, just as a protected left hand turn for the north/south traffic? The blinking yellow coupled with south bound lanes being allowed to turn left or straight causes a dangerous situation for everyone. This includes pedestrians crossing E Broadway because those turning left are paying attention to traffic and not people crossing. link

    Can the city work on a better solution for the Madison/East Broadway intersection, just as a protected left hand turn for the north/south traffic? The blinking yellow coupled with south bound lanes being allowed to turn left or straight causes a dangerous situation for everyone. This includes pedestrians crossing E Broadway because those turning left are paying attention to traffic and not people crossing.

    Maybe Missoula asked 10 months ago

    Thank you for your question!  This intersection has been identified to receive upgrades to the signal timing to improve safety for all users at the intersection. We have passed your comments on to our traffic engineers as they work through the design for the signal optimization project element.

    We appreciate your engagement,

    -Project Team

  • Share Hi there! I'm wondering/hoping if this project will address pedestrian use of signals. It really bothers me that the hip strip traffic lights require pedestrians to push a button to cross at all times of day. Often tourists don't know to do this, and are frustrated to have to wait through another light change. It's also frustrating for regular users to have to sprint to push a button, and sometimes the buttons don't work. There is really heavy pedestrian use in this area during the day, so it feels unneccesary. It also contributes to a feeling that this is a driving area, and pedestrians are an anomaly, which is not true. Automatic walk signals would make the neighborhood much friendlier for those on foot! Thank you! on Facebook Share Hi there! I'm wondering/hoping if this project will address pedestrian use of signals. It really bothers me that the hip strip traffic lights require pedestrians to push a button to cross at all times of day. Often tourists don't know to do this, and are frustrated to have to wait through another light change. It's also frustrating for regular users to have to sprint to push a button, and sometimes the buttons don't work. There is really heavy pedestrian use in this area during the day, so it feels unneccesary. It also contributes to a feeling that this is a driving area, and pedestrians are an anomaly, which is not true. Automatic walk signals would make the neighborhood much friendlier for those on foot! Thank you! on Twitter Share Hi there! I'm wondering/hoping if this project will address pedestrian use of signals. It really bothers me that the hip strip traffic lights require pedestrians to push a button to cross at all times of day. Often tourists don't know to do this, and are frustrated to have to wait through another light change. It's also frustrating for regular users to have to sprint to push a button, and sometimes the buttons don't work. There is really heavy pedestrian use in this area during the day, so it feels unneccesary. It also contributes to a feeling that this is a driving area, and pedestrians are an anomaly, which is not true. Automatic walk signals would make the neighborhood much friendlier for those on foot! Thank you! on Linkedin Email Hi there! I'm wondering/hoping if this project will address pedestrian use of signals. It really bothers me that the hip strip traffic lights require pedestrians to push a button to cross at all times of day. Often tourists don't know to do this, and are frustrated to have to wait through another light change. It's also frustrating for regular users to have to sprint to push a button, and sometimes the buttons don't work. There is really heavy pedestrian use in this area during the day, so it feels unneccesary. It also contributes to a feeling that this is a driving area, and pedestrians are an anomaly, which is not true. Automatic walk signals would make the neighborhood much friendlier for those on foot! Thank you! link

    Hi there! I'm wondering/hoping if this project will address pedestrian use of signals. It really bothers me that the hip strip traffic lights require pedestrians to push a button to cross at all times of day. Often tourists don't know to do this, and are frustrated to have to wait through another light change. It's also frustrating for regular users to have to sprint to push a button, and sometimes the buttons don't work. There is really heavy pedestrian use in this area during the day, so it feels unneccesary. It also contributes to a feeling that this is a driving area, and pedestrians are an anomaly, which is not true. Automatic walk signals would make the neighborhood much friendlier for those on foot! Thank you!

    adri802 asked 10 months ago

    Thanks for your question about Signal Optimization! The Project Team is actively exploring multiple solutions as we work on signal upgrades in downtown Missoula. As the team plans the signal upgrades, they are reviewing optimizations like 

    • ensuring a WALK signal is provided every cycle without requiring the push button activation 
    • upgrading push buttons to meet ADA compliance
    • giving pedestrians a 3–7 second head start before parallel vehicle movements receive a green light 
    • signal timing for all users, to ensure the timing meets current standards of safety.  

     

    Some aspects of optimization, like ADA compliance, are required as part of the grant we received for the project, but other aspects aren't finalized yet. We will have more information at the Open House we're planning for this fall (details to be announced soon!). We hope you'll join us!  

     

    Thanks for taking an interest in the Downtown SAM project, 

    -Project Team 

    #pedestrians,#walking
    #pedestrians #walking
Page last updated: 17 Apr 2026, 01:45 PM