“For the Brooks Street rapid transit system to work, we have to have a good connection into downtown, and Higgins is the most logical place for that to go,” said Wilson. Wilson described the effort as an extension of future plans for Brooks, saying Higgins will serve as a bridge between the downtown and Midtown districts – each connected by the future rapid transit bus system.
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The outcome could be timed with the full reopening of the new Beartracks Bridge. “We expect to hear about the grant around mid-November.”Īs plans for Brooks Street move forward, the city also is exploring the future of Higgins Avenue from Broadway to Brooks. “If we receive that grant, we will be in a position to have HDR begin detailed design, initiate right-of-way acquisition discussions and work even more closely with MDT to assure their approval of the design,” Buchanan said. The funding approved by MRA is contingent upon the grant. The city also is awaiting word on whether a planning grant will be approved. As proposed, the rapid bus transit system would use a center-running lane, enabling Mountain Line to launch 15-minute service without disrupting traffic in the heart of Midtown.Įllen Buchanan, director of MRA, said the city’s consultants at HDR are working on identifying the project’s right-of-way requirements while partnering with the Montana Department of Transportation to ensure it’s behind the effort. The Missoula Redevelopment Agency (MRA) in June freed up funding to help determine the feasibility and design of a transit-oriented corridor running the length of Brooks Street. “There should be funding, assuming everything passes, and there’s a real emphasis on projects like what we’ve been working on in the Brooks Street corridor, which would allow us to run higher frequency transit down Brooks.”Ĭonceptual plans of a rapid bus transit system on Brooks Street. It could also influence transportation plans for several corridors within the city. Mountain Line could benefit, expanding both its routes and hours of operation. Transit could emerge as a winner if the infrastructure bill passes Congress – something that could happen this week. “It informs all of our decision making related to building our transit networks and increasing multi-modal travel.” That forces us to be as efficient as possible with the infrastructure we have,” said Arron Wilson, the city’s transportation planner. “There are limited places for us to grow and build out new street networks. MISSOULA - As Congress debates the future of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the City of Missoula and its transportation planners are working to push a number of projects forward, hoping they’ll compete for funding when the time comes.įrom a rapid bus transit system on Brooks Street to the potential redesign of Higgins Avenue, the transportation plans are being reviewed for feasibility and future design, and transit will play a key role in their future.
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