Comments for “2014 Billings Urban Area Long Range Transportation Plan - DRAFT Recommended Projects”
-
Connect Fantan street from Wicks to Constitution allowing for another way out of Skyview.
-
Connect Siesta, El Rancho, or Sierra Granda to Gleneagles Blvd allowing another way out of Skyview.
-
Alkali Creek Road
Please connect the Bike trail at Alkali and Aronson to where the bike trail tunnels under Main Street. Right now the only way to get from one to the other is Airport road. I've had several near misses with cars pulling into the Chinese restaurant on the corner. Plus, traffic is a few feet from you going 50 mph.
-
I would like to second someone else's comment that the MET Bus system needs a technology upgrade. Some of the buses have radios that barely work. When I ride the bus, which I admit is not when most students are riding, there are lots of empty seats. I would think it would be much more efficient to have smaller buses on most routes.
It would also be convenient if a city bus had a route that went to the airport once or twice a day.
-
P34
The Dick Johnston Bridge is very dangerous with the two curves. Accidents in the winter are prevalent! Needs to be better kept with sand and de-icer.
-
Lockwood Service Expansion
Connection from Lockwood to Heights is needed as soon as possible. Would relieve congestion around Metra also.
-
Lockwood Service Expansion
Lockwood should be tied in with Billings bussing services, as well as with the bike trail system
-
Lockwood Interchange
A long term solution to relieve the traffic jam at the intersection of I-90 / 1st Ave (Old US 87) ramp, and at the Exhibition Drive (Main St) intersection could be: Simply continue Main Street due south and tie in with convenient on and off ramps on I-90 (West of Coulson Park). This could relieve a tremendous amount of traffic accumulating at the above mentioned intersections. Also, an elevated crossing, to allow non-stop traffic, could be designed at the intersection of Main and 1st Ave.
-
M39
This path should have never been built. It was built up to private business property without including any communication with property owners. It was a waste of money. Other bike path direction to Riverfront park needs to be pursued.
-
FR3
The railroad obstruction solution will be costly no matter which choice we make. My suggestion, and I've seen this in other cities, is to drop the inter-city railroad track below grade. This would allow the streets, like 27th, to cross the tracks without elevating the street grade. The tracks could slowly descend from the east end and return to street levels past the downtown crossings. We have to encourage railroad companies to pay their fare share of the construction. This could be a nonintrusive improvement to either the city or the railroad. I don't think that elevated streets in downtown Billings to cross the tracks is a workable solution.
-
The bus systems needs a technology upgrade - why are drivers still using medieval "clickers" to count riders and ticket types and then pen & paper to record the ridership? If we retrofit the buses with modern ticket systems the drivers could concentrate on driving and customers would have more options to pay for their rides - i.e. ticket kiosks with passes (single or multi-ride) by cash or debit, by on-line, pay by smart phone etc.
Next - there are some routes where the buses are WAY too big for the ridership and the run times are not conducive for working folks - especially shift workers - the hospitals, and downtown service businesses. I understand some runs cater to the middle and high school students but some don't have any secondary school riders. The runs start too late in the morning and end too early. I am not saying 24 hour service but maybe an early start and last run around midnight on at least 1 or 2 routes. This would be a big jump in service - but if you modernize the pass purchase, right-size the buses and have longer run times more working folks might use the system. -
Laurel Commuter
If this project will alleviate the need to expand lanes on I-90 in the next 20 years I'm all for that. The run times should be very limited though - 5:30 am to 7 am and then 4:30 pm to 6 pm. The early and late runs would allow "commuters" to catch in-city bus routes to their job/school locations and then back to the transfer center. An all day run on this route would not be cost effective. Have we surveyed major employers for employee residence zip code - how many 59044 residents work in the 59101 area? and vice versa?
-
Poly Drive
I hope the on-street bike lane will be a "sharrow" so on-street parking can be preserved on Poly - especially the segment from the 600 Block of Poly to 17th Street West.
-
Grand Avenue
Please finish four lanes from Zimmerman to Shiloh. Hugh bottleneck.
-
Zimmerman Trail
Please make a west end bypass. Shiloh and Zimmerman should not accommodate big heavy trucks; they are dangerous and ruin the road.
-
32nd St W/Gabel Rd
This intersections would be a good fit for a roundabout. North-south traffic is much lighter than the east-west through traffic on Gable.
-
Yellowstone Avenue
I think this is a great idea unfortunately Yellowstone Ave is already pretty tight when cars are parked on both sides of the road. I think this would be more helpful than a bike lane in 8th.
-
Inner Belt Loop
We need the inner belt loop for 1) safety as their are too few routes in and out of the Heights (remember the tornado) and 2) congestion on Main and Aronson and 3) Unity -- it will tie our city together and knock down demographic barriers.
-
Curb, gutter & sidewalk between King and Gabel would be a bonus!
-
This is a general comment for commuter bike trails - it's currently really difficult to travel on streets like Broadwater from the west end to downtown. Motorists just don't pay attention, and there is no lane. Portland, OR has a system of denoting side streets that run parallel to major arteries as bike streets. Cars are able to use these streets, but they also have large lanes for bicyle commuters, and those bicycles aren't taking up space on the arterials. That seems like a really useful option to travel east-west
-
THIS IS IN THE WROONG PLACE! This road need to me much further west, to connect out past Shilo, and not add traffic to Zimmerman Trail!
-
M42
A high priority would be that section from Aronson Ave to 6th Ave North. There's no shoulder along most of existing pavement making it difficult from pedestrians to travel this section.
-
East Airport Road
Add a pedestrian sidewalk along at least one edge of Aronson Road south of E Alkali Creek Rd, in particular on each side and under E Airport Road. There are nice sidewalks and a bike along Aronson north of Alkali Creek Road and then the sidewalk ends. It's extremely difficult for a pedestrian to cross Airport Road.
-
Mary Street Option 2
Having a back way out of the Heights along May Street and connecting to the Interstate is vitally important to a major population base that is seriously underserved by the current transportation system, and which will only be somewhat better served by the Zimmerman connection of the current inner Belt Loop being built.
-
The new paving/stripping on Rimrock Road between Zimmerman and Shiloh needs to be restripped to include a bike lane. Only the most recreational (the very young & old) will use the sidewalk.