Higgins Avenue Corridor Plan

Thank you for visiting the Higgins Avenue Corridor Plan: Brooks to Broadway Virtual Open House. Here you will find information about the project’s background, what we’ve heard so far from the community, and the preliminary concepts. At the end, you will be able to provide feedback on those concepts.

You can continue scrolling down to browse through the full content of the website or toggle to different sections using the navigation bar above. If you need printed materials mailed to you or need to make other arrangements to answer your questions, please call 406-552-6629 and we will be happy to help you.

This open house will be open through Sunday, April 3, 2022.

Have you been following the project? Feel free to use the short cuts at the top to skip ahead to the concepts.

We will have two virtual meeting sessions March 31st to answer your questions and discuss the concepts. To register for the meeting that works best for your schedule, please click one of the links below:

Virtual Presentation with Q&A #1 - Thursday, March 31, 12-1 PM

Virtual Presentation with Q&A #2 - Thursday, March 31, 6-7 PM.

The City of Missoula and Missoula Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), in collaboration with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), are planning the future of Higgins Avenue from Brooks Street to Broadway Street. The goal is to design a street that will serve all users and add to the economic vitality of the corridor.

We heard from the public and area businesses and property owners during our first round of public engagement this past summer (July-August 2021). We held in-person and virtual meetings, went door-to-door to area businesses, and hosted an online survey. In total, we heard from over 250 community members and held nearly 50 conversations with businesses and property owners.

Through this outreach we learned:

• People really like Higgins’ vibe and aesthetic. It is a unique place that attracts a range of people to shop, dine, and seek entertainment options, in addition to serving as a key transportation route.
• Parking is important to businesses along the corridor.
• There is interest in seeing enhanced public transportation (either bus or trolley)
• Safety was the top concern of respondents:
  • Biking does not fee safe due to motor vehicle speeds and volumes and the lack of separated bike lanes.
  • Crossing the street sometimes does not feel safe due to the volume and speed of turning vehicles.
  • The lack of left-turn lanes makes waiting to make a left-turn feel uncomfortable.
  • Parking lanes south of the Beartracks bridge feel narrow.

For a complete summary of the first round of outreach, please click  here .

The project team developed concepts for Higgins Avenue based on existing conditions, community feedback, and input from the City of Missoula and Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). Several options were considered, however, these three concepts best met the project’s objectives while taking into account feedback from the public.

The concepts are split out based on whether they are north or south of the Beartracks Bridge. There are three options for north of the bridge:

• No-Build – Higgins remains the same as it is today (i.e., four lanes with painted bike lanes)
• Concept A - Three lanes with raised bike lanes
• Concept B - Four lanes with raised bike lanes

There are four options for south of the bridge:

• No-Build – Higgins remains the same as it is today (i.e., four lanes with no bike lanes)
• Concept A - Three lanes with painted bike lanes
• Concept B - Three lane with raised bike lanes
• Concept C - Two lanes with dedicated bus lane

The next section will give you some background on the components of each option.

As you review the information about the preliminary concepts, consider the following:

• Think about how you typically use Higgins Avenue. How would these concepts change that experience?
  • While you’re driving, walking, biking, or taking the bus
  • While you’re trying to access a business along the street

The following evaluation matrix compares the three options:

Key differences between the concepts include:

• No Build (Existing Conditions):
  • Maintains existing motor vehicle capacity
  • Maintains existing on-street parking

• Concept A:
  • Provides separated bike lanes
  • Provides a center left-turn lane
  • Reduces the number of through lanes in each direction from two to one
  • Minimal impact to on-street parking

• Concept B:
  • Maintains existing motor vehicle capacity
  • Provides separated bike lanes
  • Results in moderate on-street parking losses

Under this option, Higgins Avenue remains unchanged. This offers the following advantages:

• Maintains motor vehicle capacity
• Does not impact on-street parking

Concerns about existing conditions include:

• Stressful biking conditions (over 2 crashes/year involving people biking from 2010-19)
• Left-turns are restricted at signalized intersections
• Narrow lanes feel tight for transit and freight vehicles
• There have been almost 6 injury crashes/year reported on this section of Higgins Avenue

This concept offers the following advantages:

• Provides left-turn lanes at signalized intersections and alley accesses
• Increases comfort and safety for people biking
• Left-turn lane could reduce certain crash types
• Improves business access for people biking

A key trade-off related to Concept A is:

• There will be additional motor vehicle congestion (it could take 30 seconds to over one minute longer to travel between Front Street and Broadway Street during the PM peak period)
  • The additional delay would be less during other times of the day

Please fill out the survey below to provide your feedback on Concept A

This concept offers the following advantages:

• Increases comfort and safety for people biking
• Improves business access for people biking
• No change to motor vehicle capacity

A key trade-off related to Concept A is:

• Loss of on-street parking (about 21 spaces)

Please fill out the survey below to provide your feedback on Concept B

As you review the information about the preliminary concepts, consider the following:

• Think about how you typically use Higgins Avenue. How would these concepts change that experience?
  • While you're driving, walking, or taking the bus
  • While you're trying to access a business along the street

The following evaluation matrix compares the three options:

Key differences between the concepts include:

• No-Build (Existing Conditions):
  • Maintains existing motor vehicle capacity
  • Maintains existing on-street parking
• Concept A:
  • Provides bike lanes
  • Provides a center left-turn lane
  • Reduces the number of through lanes in each direction from two to one
  • Minimal impacts to on-street parking
• Concept B:
  • Provides separated bike lanes
  • Provides a center left-turn lane
  • Reduces the number of through lanes in each direction from two to one
  • Results in moderate on-street parking losses
• Concept C:
  • Provides separated bike lanes
  • Reduces the number of through lanes in each direction from two to one
  • Maintains existing on-street parking - potentially increases the number of spaces
  • Provides dedicated bus only lanes, improving transit reliability, speed, visibility, and access

Under this option, Higgins Avenue remains unchanged. This offers the following advantages:

• Maintains motor vehicle capacity
• Does not impact on-street parking

Concerns about existing conditions include:

• No bike lanes (about 1.5 crashes/year involving people biking from 2010-19)
• Left-turns are restricted at signalized intersections
• No left-turn lane for vehicles turning left into driveways
• Narrow lanes feel tight for transit and freight vehicles
• There have been around 6 injury crashes/year reported on this section of Higgins Avenue
• On-street parking spaces feel tight

This concept offers the following advantages:

• Provides left-turn lanes at signalized intersections and business accesses
• Increases comfort and safety for people biking
• Left-turn lane could reduce certain crash types
• Improves business access for people driving
• Maintains on-street parking

Some trade-offs related to Concept A include:

• Does not provide a low-stress biking experience and there will be conflicts between people biking and cars going in/out of the parking lane
• There will be additional motor vehicle congestion (it could take 15 seconds to over one minute longer to travel between Brooks Street and 4th Street during the PM peak period)
  • The additional delay would be less during other times of the day

Please fill out the survey below to provide your feedback on Concept A

This concept offers the following:

• Provides left-turn lanes at signalized intersections and business accesses
• Increases comfort and safety for people biking
• Left-turn lane could reduce certain crash types
• Improves business access for people biking and driving

Some trade-offs related to Concept B include:

• There will be additional motor vehicle congestion (it could take 15 seconds to over one minute longer to travel between Brooks Street and 4th Street during the PM peak period)
  • The additional delay would be less during other times of the day
• Loss of on-street parking (about 10 spaces)

Please fill out the survey below to provide your feedback on Concept B

This concept offers the following advantages:

• Increases comfort and safety for people biking
• Left-turn lane could reduce certain crash types
• Improves transit reliability, speeds, visibility and access

Some trade-offs related to Concept C include:

• There will be additional motor vehicle congestion (it could take 15 seconds to over one minute longer to travel between Brooks Street and 4th Street during the PM peak period)
  • The additional delay would be less during other times of the day
• Left-turns will be restricted throughout the corridor

Please fill out the survey below to provide your feedback on Concept C

Please take a moment to provide us some additional feedback and information. Thanks!

Based on the evaluation metrics presented earlier, engineering considerations, and the feedback received from this open house, and the public meetings held on March 31st, the City will work with MDT to select a preferred alternative. The preferred design is expected to be presented to the Missoula City Council for adoption in Summer 2022.

Aaron Wilson, Infrastructure & Mobility Planning Manager City of Missoula Public Works & Mobility Department 406-552-6668

 WilsonA@ci.missoula.mt.us