MISSOULA — Whether you love Missoula's Reserve Street or just love to avoid it, changes may be coming.
On March 17, a transportation committee made up of city and county staff voted to approve a new safety plan for the roadway.
“We've got a plan adopted that shows us key projects for improving safety along the corridor," Missoula Metropolitan Organization senior planner Charlie Menefee told MTN.
From 2019 to 2023 there were more than 1,600 crashes on Reserve Street. More than 60 of those resulted in a serious injury or fatality.
That’s why there has been two years of study and public input to make Reserve Street safer for all who use it.
“We have the ability to then actually work towards implementing the various engineering interventions," Menefee said.
The safety action plan breaks the road down into three sections:
North Reserve from I-90 to Broadway Street, Broadway to the Clark Fork River, and the Clark Fork River to Brooks.
Each section will see specific improvements to intersections, access and turning, as well as raised medians, and separated spaces from traffic for those on foot or bike.
Public comment throughout the project noted that speed and lighting are concerns that persist throughout the entirety of the roadway.
“We have a lot of pathways of implementing those from low-cost projects to higher costs that are in the tens of millions of dollars," Menefee said.
Funding needs to be secured before any changes can actually take place.
“Not every federal grant, but a majority of them require a 20% local match. So, that can be provided by the City of Missoula, Missoula County, or Montana Department of Transportation," Menfee explained.
With funding, parts of the project would be implemented over the next 5 to 10 years. The adjustments are set in a tier system based on proposed effectiveness.
The plan states:
"Tier 1- Remove Severe Conflicts: Includes countermeasures that separate people and vehicles moving at different speeds or directions. Potential Tier 1 countermeasures on Reserve Street could include raised medians or protected bike lanes.
"Tier 2- Reduce Vehicle Speeds: Includes countermeasures that reduce vehicle speeds, thereby reducing the likelihood of a crash and the severity of a crash should one occur. Potential Tier 2 countermeasures on Reserve Street could include a reduced, corridor-wide speed limit with additional speed management strategies (e.g., enforcement, traffic signals coordinated to lower vehicle speeds).
"Tier 3 – Manage Conflicts in Time: Includes countermeasures that separate users in time using traffic control devices to reduce conflicts. Potential Tier 3 countermeasures on Reserve Street could include conversion of permitted left-turn phasing to protected at signalized intersections or the implementation of pedestrian hybrid beacons or signals at crossings.
"Tier 4 – Increase Attentive and Awareness: Includes countermeasures that alert people to potential conflicts. Potential Tier 4 countermeasures on Reserve Street could include improved lighting or dynamic feedback signs."
To view the entire plan click here.
