Moving Forward
And time for action

YOUR Participation is crucial! Please come to the meeting, the more voices we have in SUPPORT FOR TRAFFIC CIRCLES the better!

Our 2nd meeting will be Thursday Oct. 22, 2015 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at City Hall (Commission Room )

The primary focus of the 1st meeting will be to figure out what type of traffic abatement or if any is needed.

Our first order of business? Figure out the main priority for our street:

• Increase the livability of our neighborhood by adding traffic abatement?
• And if so, What type of traffic abatement suits our street? Forced turns, speed bumps / humps, traffic circle inlays or traffic circles.
• OR Remove parking from one side of the road to make it easier and more convenient to get up and down our street?

WALLACE STREET SCHEDULE
Notice to Proceed Completed Topographical survey In progress 1st 2 public meeting 10/1/2015 nd 3 public meeting 10/22/2015 rd Final design submittal 2/1/16 public meeting 12/15/2015 Project bid March 2016 Construction complete Fall 2016

Download Letter

June 3rd Meeting
We received some great news!

The good news regarding costs:

• The City of Bozeman will be paying 85% of the street reconstruction and the home owners 15%. That's a screaming deal
• Estimated annual costs went down: $200 to $135.
• Estimated annual costs to add 3 traffic circles: $18.
• With the street reconstruction the costs of the traffic circles went from 75k or 225k for 3 traffic circles to 6k-10k a piece.

Timeline

Reconstruction Info:

• Improve road base and new pavement, new curbs and gutters
• Replace sidewalk panels damaged by street trees
• Drive aprons will be replaced between street and sidewalk.
• Project stays within existing right of way - maintain exact same width
• New storm water system

Debunking bad information from the last go around

• Corner lots will not lose all their parking. They will only lose 25ft of parking on each side. In which that space is illegal to park at anyways.
• Annual costs are not $800/year. Turns out the $150 dollar annual cost of street reconstruction and traffic circles is about the same price as just getting the traffic circles on the old proposal.

Entire Meeting Presentation

Traffic Circle History
It's been a long road.

In short in 2008 support failed by one vote but we are grated to enter the Traffic Calming program at the last step which is to just make another vote.

The city did a in dept analysis of our street and came up with the traffic circle plan of adding 2 traffic circles at Fridley and N. Wallace and Davis and N. Wallace.

Download Summary

Increase your property value It'll blow your mind.

"Most homebuyers prefer homes on streets with lower traffic volumes and speeds. For this reason homes on cul de sac streets command a price premium and new developments are being built with streets designed to control traffic. Reduced traffic speeds and pedestrian amenities can also make small commercial districts more attractive and accessible to nearby residents. One study found that traffic restraints that reduced traffic volumes on residential streets by several hundred vehicles per day increased house values by an average of 18%. Other studies find similar results."

Let's do some math:

That makes for a net increase of $42,000.

Download Study

Traffic/Speed Reduction Proven to reduce accidents by 75%*

"In terms of crash reduction, installation of modern roundabouts in place of conventional intersections was the most effective speed control intervention identified. Roundabouts are circular intersections defined by 2 operational and design principles: yield at entry, which requires entering traffic to yield the right of way to vehicles in the circle, and deflection of entering traffic, which causes vehicles to enter at low speed. European studies indicate that, on average, converting conventional intersections to roundabouts can reduce the rate of pedestrian crashes by about 75%"

* From study published by American Journal of Public Health - "A Review of Evidence-Based Traffic Engineering Measures Designed to Reduce Pedestrian–Motor Vehicle Crashes"

Basic Breakdown

Whole Study

The New Plan
Consists of street reconstruction and another traffic circle

New street reconstruction including curbs and driveway aprons and another traffic circle at Cottonwood and N. Wallace.

The city of Bozeman has completed an extensive study of the traffic impacts to the residents of North Wallace. The study revealed that the volume of traffic exceeds the intended street usage. The city has suggested the construction of traffic circles at the intersections of Davis and North Wallace and Fridley and North Wallace as a solution to mitigate traffic volume.

In order to receive a certified ballot from the city on the construction of the traffic circles ACS is required to circulate a Phase 3 Petition letter which will record a home owners preliminary interest in the project. Should 75% of the residence owners deem the project favorably the city will then issue a certified ballot. At that time a residence owner may change their vote either in favor or against. The certified ballot will indicate the exact costs of the project.

THE FAQ

Why do we have to pay anything for this? / Why isn't the city paying for it?

Due to 40-60 years of street neglect and insufficient maintenance our street needs to be totally reconstructed. And we are not alone. It would be too costly for the city to do all the streets that need reconstruction so they are asking the property owners to help out to the tune of a city: 85%, home owners 15% split. Pretty good deal.

In return you get new curbs, aprons, some sidewalk, better storm drainage and traffic reduction measures. Not to mention an estimated 18% increase in your property value.

Costs / Benefit Analysis
Clearly the benefits out weigh the costs

Costs

• Street Reconstructiuon is estimated to be around $135 per year based on 50ft of linear footage
• Inconvience of road construction
• Corner properties "lose" 25 ft of parking but that space is currently illegal to park at anyways
• With the street reconstruction the price of traffic circles are 6k - 10k apiece. That's an estimated annual cost of $18 per property.

Benefits of traffic circles

• Increased property values by up to 18%
• In the 2 studies presented on this website accident reduction was 75% to almost 100% after traffic circles were implemented.
• Traffic Reduction
• Truck traffic Reduction
• Noise/ Pollution Reduction
• Speed Reduction
• Safer street for everyone especially kids

Benefits of street reconstruction

• Increased property values
• Includes new curbs
• The best part! Everyone gets new driveway aprons