Lower Miller Creek Rd Project – Linda Vista Blvd to Jack Dr

Thank you for your question. We understand the interest in expanding the district to reduce costs for individual property owners.

The proposed Special Improvement District (SID) boundaries reflect the properties expected to benefit from the Lower Miller Creek Road improvements. Expanding the district would require additional review to determine whether other properties receive a direct benefit and could legally share the assessment costs. A larger district would not automatically reduce individual assessments.

The City will continue refining project costs and the proposed assessment methodology before City Council considers creating the SID. You can review the proposed district boundary, funding plan and Sept. 29 presentation on our Engage Missoula project page.

Thank you for your thoughtful questions, Connor. We understand the importance of knowing how the City will share project costs among existing property owners, new development and other funding sources.

The current $5.8 million project estimate includes a proposed funding mix of 43% impact fees (SIFD paid by new development), 41% SID assessments (paid by current residents withing the SID boundary), and 16% other sources, including developer contributions. Impact fees help fund infrastructure needs associated with new development, reducing the share proposed for existing property owners.

The City also anticipates assessments for nonresidential properties within the proposed SID, including the temple and school. However, individual property assessments and final contributions have not yet been established. The City will refine these amounts as engineering, project costs and the SID assessment methodology advance.

The current schedule anticipates notifying property owners in early 2027, followed by a public hearing and formal written protest period before City Council considers creating the SID.

You can review the Sept. 29 meeting presentation, funding and SID process handout, and proposed district boundary for additional details.

Thank you for sharing your concerns about the project's need and potential costs to homeowners.

The City identified Lower Miller Creek Road improvements years before the temple and nearby residential developments. The project addresses existing transportation needs, including roadway safety, drainage, sidewalks, bike facilities and safer crossings.

The preliminary funding plan assigns 43% of project costs to impact fees (SIFD paid by new development), 41% to SID assessments (current residents in the SID boundary), and 16% to other sources, including developer contributions. These figures remain estimates, and the City has not finalized individual property assessments.

Property owners will have an opportunity to formally protest the proposed SID. The current schedule anticipates mailed notices and a public protest hearing in early 2027. Notices will explain how to submit a written protest and the applicable deadline.

Please feel free to review the Sept. 29 presentation and related materials on our Engage page to learn more about the proposed SID boundary and funding information.

Thank you for sharing your concerns about road maintenance and the proposed assessment. We understand that residents want to know why they may need to help fund improvements, especially if they rarely use the road.

The City identified the need to improve Lower Miller Creek Road years before the current developments. The project will address roadway conditions, drainage, sidewalks, pedestrian safety and the sharp intersection at Old Bitterroot Road.

The proposed funding plan includes contributions from development-related sources, not just existing property owners. The City has not yet established the SID or finalized assessments. Property owners will receive formal notice and an opportunity to submit written protests before City Council considers creating the district.

You can review the proposed funding plan, SID boundary and Sept. 29 presentation on our Engage Missoula project page.

Thank you for raising the concern about wildfire evacuation in the Lower Miller Creek area. Emergency access and evacuation are important public-safety considerations, particularly in a neighborhood experiencing growth with constrained access. Here are some key considerations related to your questions:

• The Lower Miller Creek Road project is a reconstruction of a specific segment between Linda Vista Boulevard and Jack Drive. Adding a third travel lane to this segment would not provide a meaningful additional evacuation route because Lower Miller Creek Road remains a two-lane road beyond the project limits. In other words, widening this particular segment would not get residents out of the Lower Miller Creek area any faster.
• Wildfire evacuation was considered during the review and approval of development in this area, including the Riverfront Trails subdivision. Emergency considerations were discussed with City Council and public-safety officials, who indicated that the routes serving the Miller Creek area could be managed to provide for safe and effective evacuation in the event of a wildfire.
• There are known safety tradeoffs to simply making a street like Lower Miller Creek Road wider. This is a residential area with pedestrian and bicycle activity around a school, and wider roadways encourage higher vehicle speeds. Additional lanes also create more conflict points for people crossing or turning to/from the road. Both are contrary to the project's goals of providing a safe, multimodal street in a neighborhood.
• Boulevard trees are not being added instead of emergency access. Trees are a standard component of the City's street design standards and provide benefits including shade, traffic calming, reduced heat, and a more comfortable environment. Street trees are also specifically identified in the Miller Creek Area Comprehensive Plan's design standards.

All considered, the project will improve the overall roadway and access conditions (including emergency access) through roadway reconstruction, improved drainage and lighting, a roundabout at Old Bitterroot Road, and new pedestrian and bicycle facilities. These improvements will make Lower Miller Creek Road a safer, more functional street.

We hear the concern, particularly when it involves children getting on and off school buses. The Lower Miller Creek project will introduce physical improvements intended to create a safer, more predictable street environment within the project limits, including the new roundabout and pedestrian safety improvements.

The area described east of Linda Vista falls outside the primary limits of this project, so we don't want to imply that the current construction will directly address every speeding location along Lower Miller Creek Road. We will pass this specific concern about speeds, school bus stops and pedestrian crossings along to our Transportation Safety Team. Reports of drivers illegally passing a stopped school bus are also an enforcement issue and should be reported to law enforcement.

Thank you for sharing this. We take concerns about speeding, school bus stops and children crossing Lower Miller Creek Road seriously; and no, we do not want to wait for a serious crash before making safety improvements.

The current project provides several physical changes that support safe speeds. Within the project area, the design adds a mini roundabout, sidewalks, bike facilities, curb and gutter, and improved pedestrian crossings which all contribute in varying degrees to inducing safer, more conscientious driving behavior appropriate in a neighborhood, multimodal environment. The roundabout itself changes the roadway geometry and requires drivers to slow as they approach and travel through the intersection.

We also recognize that the speeding concern described here extends beyond the current project limits, including the stretch toward the existing Miller Creek roundabout. That broader concern deserves attention, but we don't want to suggest this project alone will solve speeding throughout the entire corridor. We will share these comments with our Transportation Safety Team so they can help inform future evaluation of Lower Miller Creek Road.

The project does include Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons at the Bigfork/Jordan intersection to enhance safety for pedestrians crossing Lower Miller Creek Rd. While a new school-zone speed limit is not currently included in project plan, City officials are evaluating posted speeds on Lower Miller Creek Rd, including posting a new school zone speed limit independently of this project.

The current schedule anticipates construction beginning in spring 2027, following the SID process and construction bidding and award. Based on the project scope, the schedule is estimated to last approximately six months (one construction season).

The project schedule remains preliminary, and actual construction timing will depend on finalizing funding sources and actual construction bids. We will continue posting schedule updates through the Engage Missoula project page as those milestones become firm.

We understand the concern about having additional ways in and out of Miller Creek. The proposed roundabout addresses a different, immediate safety need at the sharp 90-degree intersection of Lower Miller Creek Road and Old Bitterroot Road. The City identified the need for an intersection improvement before the Riverfront Trails development, and the new development accelerated that need. The roundabout will slow traffic through the intersection, decrease conflict points, and provide safer facilities for people walking and biking.

The City continues to evaluate transportation needs across the broader Miller Creek area, but those longer-term network improvements do not eliminate the safety and accessibility needs this project addresses today. The Lower Miller Creek project also fills significant gaps in sidewalks, bike facilities, lighting and storm drainage between Linda Vista Boulevard and Jack Drive.