“Is the mayor here?” John Wolverton asked one of the mayor's assistants.
“He's not. He's at an A&F meeting,” answered the assistant, referring to an administration and finance meeting.
Wolverton and the others, who support an alternate plan called 3-Plus for Russell, had gathered earlier at the corner of Mullan Road and Reserve Street to point out the kind of road they do not want to see. Roughly a dozen people demonstrated, some carrying signs referring to the busy nature of Reserve and the challenges it poses for pedestrians.
“Do you want Russell & 3rd to look like this?”
“Ready, Set, Run!! Is this a pedestrian friendly intersection?”
“TO TAKE THE BUS YOU HAVE TO CROSS THE STREET.”
City officials have said the plan for Russell Street looks much more like Stephens Avenue than it does Reserve Street. Gregg Wood of the Public Works Department offered comparisons of road widths in an earlier e-mail: Reserve Street measures 81 feet near Mount Avenue and 88 feet near Mullan Road; Stephens is 90 feet with a wider median and on-street parking (and it's close to 70 feet without on-street parking); and the current proposal for Russell Street is 70 feet, with details available in the draft EIS.
The draft EIS is out for public comment through Oct. 20 and had received about 135 comments as of Tuesday morning. The document is available at www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/eis_ea.shtml. Some demonstrators said they planned to comment but also wanted the city's top elected official to see firsthand the volume of support for the 3-Plus option.
“We feel this is important enough that we want to bring it to the mayor's attention,” said Wolverton, who lives in the neighborhood.
Nancy Wilson, who over the years has attended many meetings on the project, said it's important for the mayor to see the petitions because the people who signed them vote.
“These are all active citizens who care about their community,” Wilson said.
Marta Meengs, who gave up time working on her house to participate in the demonstration, said she feels strongly about preserving quality in Missoula's neighborhoods.
“I hope they listen and they do a more neighborhood-friendly (and) safe street,” Meengs said.
Julie Merritt lives one block away from Russell, on the corner of Washburn Avenue and Eighth Street. She said she worries about the safety of her two small children in the neighborhood.
“I really don't think that we need five lanes,” Merritt said.
The “preferred alternative” calls for a sometimes four-, sometimes five-lane road with traffic signals at intersections and undercrossings for bicycles and pedestrians. The citizens' alternative would be a three-, sometimes four-lane road with roundabouts - and undercrossings for bicycles and pedestrians.
The 3-Plus folks argue the area is set to evolve with more of a mix of commercial and residential development. So Wolverton said it's important that the road encourage healthy transportation along its northern stretch as well. Plus, the “preferred” road would cut into at least one existing business. The 3-Plus people also say their option would be cheaper. Wilson said expensive land acquisition wouldn't be necessary, as it is to complete the “preferred alternative.” In a news release, Jim Sayer also commented on cost.
“At a time when there is great public concern about future funding sources for transportation, now is not the time for a costly five-lane roadway when a less expensive, neighborhood-friendly alternative like 3-Plus is available,” said Sayer, board chairman of the Bike-Walk Alliance for Missoula and part of the 3-Plus coalition.
A set of petitions landed Wednesday in the Public Works office, too. Director Steve King said he considers the packet part of the comments on the draft EIS. He also said it's too early to say if or how they affect the project.
Wolverton said 3-Plus advocates will continue to collect signatures. So far, proponents of 3-Plus for Russell include Missoula Advocates for Sustainable Transportation, the Rose Park Neighborhood Council, Bike-Walk Alliance for Missoula, Missoula Institute for Sustainable Transportation, ASUM Office of Transportation, Montana Transit Information Systems, and representatives from other affected neighborhoods, including Franklin-to-the-Fort, Emma Dickinson, and Riverfront.
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5262 or at keila.szpaller@missoulian.com.
The future
The Russell and Third streets project lost a big part of its projected funding at a meeting this week, Public Works director Steve King said Wednesday. He estimated the loss at roughly half the project's cost, but didn't have exact figures immediately available. Past transportation plans have fully funded the project, he said.
“So this would be a significant change in our long-range transportation plan,” he said.
At the Transportation Policy and Coordinating Committee, officials opted to fund only a portion of the project, though exactly what gets funded isn't yet clear.
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Chris wrote on Oct 16, 2008 5:38 PM: