Welcome. This blog was created to inform and engage the public about the City of Missoula’s plans to rebuild Russell Street and about the efforts of citizens’ to make the project more friendly to our community.
Background: The City of Missoula is planning to rebuild Russell Street in the next few years. Despite substantial public comment calling for a three-lane facility, the current plan calls for a massive five-lane roadway. The city’s plan also requires acquiring and demolishing several houses and businesses. A coalition of groups is proposing a project with a more human scale that enhances the character of the corridor. Enter the Citizens’ Plan. The Citizen’s Plan strives to take input from ALL stakeholders to arrive at a plan that fits within the context of the neighborhood and the greater community.
The draft Environmental Impact Statement is now available for the city’s plan. Please take a moment to review the city’s plan
Then explore the Citizens’ Plan, 3-Plus for Russell Street. Download the PDF handout, sign our petition, come to the D-EIS presentation, and make comments on the city’s plan!
A number of guiding principles informed the design process for the Citizens’ Plan: The citizens’ plan works within the existing right-of-way (ROW). All segments include sidewalks, bike lanes, and two travel lanes. Space permitting, green boulevard strips, and center turn lanes are added.
Artist rendition of a Russell Street cross-section at Longstaff
This plan is very preferable. It will save lives and make the ride-walk-bike-bus experience much more workable! The roundabout at third is the only thing that is really necessary! It should be built with the Federal money for the bridge, which should be held to two lanes! The ‘future-use’ estimate the City Planners have strong-armed is criminally incompetent, (to the tune of $200,000 city money wasted).