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June 2003 7UDQ3ODQ8SGDWH&RPSOHWHG On March 27 the TranPlan 21 Steering Committee gave final approval to the first update of TranPlan 21 since it was origi- nally developed in 1995. TranPlan 21 is Montana’s statewide multimodal transporta- tion plan. The update effort, which in- volved over a year of work and extensive 6DPSOH7UDQ3ODQ$FWLRQV public input, resulted in a plan that sets transportation policy goals and actions for (FRQRPLF'HYHORSPHQW MDT and Montana for the next twenty $FWLRQ& years. &RRUGLQDWHZLWKDQGSURYLGHVXSSRUWWR The original goals of the update were to ORFDOHFRQRPLFGHYHORSPHQWLQLWLDWLYHV address economic development issues in response to a resolution of Montana’s 57th 5RDGZD\6\VWHP3HUIRUPDQFH legislature and revise the plan to provide clearer guidance to MDT’s Perform- $FWLRQ$ ance Programming Process (P3). However, following input from the public (QKDQFHWKH3HUIRUPDQFH3URJUDPPLQJ during the first of three rounds of public involvement, the Steering Commit- 3URFHVV 3 WRVWUHQJWKHQWKHOLQNEH tee decided to address additional issues including the development of a new WZHHQSROLF\DQGSODQQLQJJRDOVDQGSUR policy paper devoted to traveler safety issues. MHFWVHOHFWLRQ Because of the focus on economic development matters, the consultant team for the update included several firms with extensive experience in trans- 7UDYHOHU6DIHW\ portation and economic issues. The team was led by Dye Management $FWLRQ$ Group and included Cambridge Systematics and Economic Development $GGUHVVVDIHW\UHTXLUHPHQWVLQFOXGLQJ Research Group. The team’s efforts were supported and guided by two pan- ERWKGULYHUIDWLJXHDQGSHUVRQDOVDIHW\LQ els of representatives from Montana business organizations and government XSGDWHVWRWKH5HVW$UHD3ODQ agencies involved in economic development initiatives. The public involvement process for the update provided a wide variety %LF\FOHDQG3HGHVWULDQ7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ of opportunities for Montanans to participate in setting Montana’s transporta- $FWLRQ$ tion priorities. These opportunities ranged from telephone and mail-out sur- :RUNZLWKWKH'HSDUWPHQWRI&RPPHUFH veys to regional meetings with focus groups and the public. The update ef- WRPDLQWDLQELF\FOHUHODWHGWRXULVWJXLGHV fort benefited greatly from the many comments and suggestions we received DQGLQIRUPDWLRQ from Montanans who took advantage of these opportunities. 3XEOLF7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ $FWLRQ$ 7RUHTXHVWRUYLHZDFRS\RIWKH7UDQ3ODQ8SGDWH 6XSSRUWORFDOSURPRWLRQDOHGXFDWLRQDO ¾9LVLW0'7·VZHEVLWHDWZZZPGWVWDWHPWXV SURJUDPVWRSXEOLFL]HSXEOLFWUDQVSRUWD WLRQRSSRUWXQLWLHV ¾&DOO RUIRU77<FDOORU ¾(PDLOXVDWWUDQSODQ#VWDWHPWXV ¾9LVLW\RXUORFDO0RQWDQDOLEUDU\ 866HOHFWHGIRU$FFHOHUDWHG (QYLURQPHQWDO5HYLHZ In an effort to address designs that complement the communities and surrounding some of the issues com- area. plex highway construc- yContinuing to support a regional vanpool program, park and tion projects face, Presi- ride lots, and other demand management efforts along the dent Bush issued an Ex- Hamilton-to-Missoula corridor. ecutive Order in late yProviding wildlife crossings where appropriate along the 2002 to “promote envi- Hamilton-to-Lolo corridor. ronmental stewardship in As a result of MDT’s stewardship, design elements have the nation's transporta- A view of US 93 and Flathead Lake been developed to accommodate cultural needs while also al- from Polson Hill tion system and expedite lowing the construction of a safe and efficient transportation environmental reviews facility to move forward. of high-priority transportation infrastructure projects.” As a Currently, 30 projects are in various stages of development result of the President’s order, high priority projects were nomi- throughout this corridor. MDT has already completed construc- nated nationwide to receive special attention and accelerated tion on eight segments, totaling 21.5 miles, and plans for six environmental review. Of the 70 projects requested nationally additional eight-mile segments of the corridor in the summer of by governors and local officials, Montana’s US 93 corridor was 2003. The remaining project segments are in the preliminary one of six projects selected by the U.S. Secretary of Transporta- nonconstruction stages of development. tion. Even though much of the environmental review for the cor- Missoula District Administrator Loran Frazier welcomed ridor is nearing completion, MDT still faces the potential of US 93’s selection and said, “Every year we have people dying environmental issues delaying construction as project-level de- somewhere on Highway 93, and the sooner we get these im- tails are reviewed through the federal permitting processes. provements, the better off we all will be.” In the letter request- US 93’s national recognition as a corridor deserving accelerated ing that US 93 be added to the list of priority projects, Governor review will keep momentum behind improving one of Mon- Martz said improving the highway has for years been the state’s tana’s most heavily traveled highways and also places MDT as a top priority for road construction. The Governor also said leader in developing context-sensitive design and promoting US 93 is known as one of Montana’s most dangerous roads. environmental stewardship. The development of the President’s accelerated review If you have any questions about the accelerated review process does not allow any project to circumvent the existing process or about the status of projects along the US 93 corridor, environmental review processes. However, it does ensure that please contact Loran Frazier at 523-5800 or e-mail him at project development will continue and that a lot of support and [email protected]. oversight will be available to avoid undue delay from federal agency reviewers. With a history of nearly 20 years of environ- mental process and the immediate need to provide safe facilities, 5DLO+LJKZD\*UDGH the US 93 project is a perfect candidate for the accelerated re- view program. Also, the US 93 corridor provides an excellent 6HSDUDWLRQ6WXG\&RQFOXGHG example of the Department’s direction in environmental stew- Interstate Engineering Inc. recently completed a study of grade ardship and can serve as a national model for projects in envi- separation needs at rail-highway grade crossings around the ronmentally sensitive locations. Some of the stewardship prac- state. tices undertaken in developing the US 93 corridor include: The study was conducted in two phases to examine the po- yMDT’s genuine efforts to reach a shared vision with the tential benefits and costs of new underpasses or overpasses at Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) for pro- Montana’s 20 busiest at-grade crossings. Phase I of the study jects on reservation lands. evaluated the physical feasibility of building a grade separation yConsidering the CSKT’s cultural linkage to wildlife, and at each location and determined the evaluation criteria to be developing goals to reduce mortality and habitat loss, and used for a needs-based ranking tool. Phase II estimated the cost to increase connectivity between habitats. to build structures at candidate locations and included the devel- yProviding roadway signing, visitor centers, and roadway opment and application of the ranking tool. Each phase of the alignment on CSKT reservation lands to provide the trav- study involved input from local officials and members of the eler a unified vision of the traditional ways of the tribe. community through meetings, public open houses, and surveys. yWorking with community focus groups between Hamilton For more information about the Statewide Rail/Highway and Lolo through the project design process to develop Grade Separation Needs Study, contact Kris Christensen at 444-9240 or [email protected]. 2 8SGDWLQJ0RQWDQD·V7UDIILF&RGH 7KH3URFHVV 7KH&KDQJHV Title 61, Chapter 8, of the Montana The 2003 Legislature adopted a number of changes to the traffic Code Annotated (MCA) covers traf- code based on the work of the panel formed in response to Sen- fic regulations, establishes the rules ate Joint Resolution 6. The revisions, which will take effect on of the road, and defines enforcement procedures and penalties October 1, 2003, address new technology, current practice, for disregarding those rules. MDT brought the following con- problem areas, ambiguities, and conflicts. cerns about Chapter 8 to the attention of the 2001 Legislature: Following is a partial, generalized list of the changes. To y The Traffic Regulations had not been updated for several see the actual law, visit the State of Montana Web Site at decades. www.state.mt.us and view the Montana Code Annotated on the State Law Library page. y There were conflicts and omissions in relation to the Uni- y form Vehicle Code. Drivers must obey the traffic directions of flag persons and crossing guards. y Some traffic laws were ambiguous and needed clarification. y Vehicles facing a steady red arrow signal may not enter the y The language was not uniform. intersection to make the movement indicated by the arrow. In response to these concerns, the 2001 Legislature passed y An orange upraised palm symbol is equivalent to the Senate Joint Resolution 6 (SJR 6), which directed that an in- “Don’t Walk” signal, and the white walking person symbol terim committee be assigned or sufficient staff resources be al- is equivalent to the “Walk” signal. located to study and revise traffic codes to provide clarity and y A steady downward green arrow means the driver can drive uniformity. The resolution also requested that a bill with sug- in the indicated lane.