Active Transportation Update: Let the youth lead the way!
Our community values biking, walking, strolling, and rolling. We are resilient and healthy because of our relatively safe streets, small footprint, and access to open space. We are privileged to experience a life outside our cars that connects us to this place.
However, with growth, planning tends to prioritize automobile convenience and infrastructure over walkable and bikeable communities.
With the new Growth Policy, and trails and active transportation plans at our doorstep, we have an opportunity to participate in putting walking, biking, and rolling at the heart of development. This email aims to keep you informed and connected. We hope to make this a regular update on the coalition's work.
Thanks for your passion and for supporting the Active Transportation Coalition.
Summer Interns’ ATC research project presentation: Recommendations for a bikeable and walkable community
Let the youth lead the way!
Inspired by the work of the Active Transportation Coalition and City’s Trails and AT Plan, PCEC’s conservation leadership interns (Annika, Severn and Stella) embarked on a research project to create more walkable and bikeable communities. Drawing lessons from similar towns across the US and in Montana, they presented to a number of residents, organizations and local officials. Following their public presentation, they were invited by the City to participate in local planning efforts and present their findings to the Livingston Planning Board. We are impressed and excited to take their recommendations forward:
Highlight our resources and assets (like the Yellowstone River) through better signage and wayfinding.
Integrate equal access amenities and information into our parks, trails systems, maps, and to the river.
Activate public spaces through art, native greenery, murals, and good lighting.
Invest in pocket parks and gardens in all neighborhoods on vacant lots.
Isolate and distinguish neighborhoods to execute projects and create connectivity.
Reduce school traffic and increase safety through early dismissal for walkers and bikers.
Celebrate our successes!
You can watch their inspirational Planning Board presentation HERE!
Safe Routes To School Parent Survey
Every child deserves to walk, bike, or roll to school.
Our goal is to make it safe, convenient, and fun — increasing the health and physical activity of our kids.
In partnership with the Livingston School District, and PCEC Interns (Stella, Annika and Severn), we put together a Safe Routes To School Parent Survey and Back To School Tips Newsletter or some great tips to get our families moving!
Public Meeting: Monday, November 1st, 6 p.m.: Mayor’s Landing pedestrian bridge over Fleshman Creek
The county is hosting a public meeting to discuss increasing pedestrian connectivity on Livingston’s southeast side. Engineers are embarking on a feasibility study (preliminary engineering report) for a pedestrian footbridge over Fleshman Creek. The feasibility study will incorporate design alternatives, environmental considerations, estimated costs and what considerations are important to the public.
At ATC, we believe a connection across Fleshman Creek is essential for community residents, ensuring equitable enjoyment of public spaces like Mayor’s Landing and Moja Dog Park.
The location of the Fleshman Creek bridge is proposed to connect to an existing 20’ public access easement, implemented by the city in 2002. Other locations, while seemingly more feasible, intersect and cross private land, such as the Girl Scouts property.
What do you think are important considerations? We encourage your thoughts and comments about what these connections might look like, e.g. bridge style, who it accommodates, what other amenities should be included, maintenance costs, and environmental benefits and impacts.
Once the original entrance into Livingston (and town dump), Mayor’s Landing was rehabilitated and is a significant urban recreational asset to our community. The multi-use area hosts an off leash dog park (Moja Park), undeveloped biodiverse rich urban forests, riparian corridors of the Yellowstone and Fleshman Creek, and is a fishing access and popular boat ramp.
Currently getting to Mayor’s Landing on foot or bicycle is not very safe or convenient. View Vista lacks a sidewalk or separated path, and it is 0.7 miles (at least a 15 min non-disabled walk) one way from the nearest cross street Geyser and H Street. While the neighborhoods on the east end of Livingston are very close to Mayor’s, there is no way to cross Fleshman Creek. As a result, a lot of the visitors to Mayor’s Landing require access to a reliable vehicle. It is therefore not accessible to all our residents, and this asset quickly becomes available to only a few.
We support the county’s consideration to expand equitable access to Mayor’s, by investigating the feasibility of pedestrian bridges. The first bridge will cross the Yellowstone River, connecting Mayor’s to the Myer’s River View Trail, the new Livingston HealthCare facility, and other municipal, state and federal public lands. The second will connect Mayor’s to southeast side neighborhoods, businesses and the O-Street Connector.
If you want to learn more, please consider attending the public meeting on Monday, November 1, 2021, at 6 p.m. in the City-County Complex Community Room. There will also be a virtual option. Public comment is encouraged about both bridges until December 15th. You can send comments to Kristen Galbraith, kgalbraith@parkcounty.org
Please note, these proposed bridges are in the very early initial stages. These are planning documents, for future bridges if funding is secured for construction through grants. More public comment periods occur if the bridge plans move to construction.
Bitterroot Trail damage update (before and after):
Photos courtesy of Gary Carlin
Our community cares about trails and public access. Last week, when a developer damaged the Bitterroot Trail and removed trees, the public and City staff were rightfully concerned. A public meeting several years prior confirmed that no harm would be done to the trail and trees. Yet without warning, these public assets were compromised.
Shannon Holmes, Public Works Director and an original builder of the Bitterroot Trail provided an update at the recent Planning Board meeting. Shannon noted that the disturbance to the trail was an error of the developer, and that the City was taking action to ensure that the trail would be restored.
Access to the trail from 9th Street is unfortunately closed for now, and the City is working on keeping the trail open on a public right-of-way from 10th Street heading west towards the Northside . In the meantime, please be considerate of the closing and use nearby trails such as the Bozeman Connector Trail or others found on the City’s Trail Map.
The good news is that this trail did not previously have a guaranteed legal easement or public right of way (which means we could have lost access to this trail permanently). Public Works and the Planning Department picked this up immediately and required that the developer grant an easement as a condition of site plan approval, securing public access forever. Thank you City staff!
You can watch the Planning Board discussion and update HERE (min 34:50-48:32).
Trail stewardship opportunity with the Livingston Bicycle Club!
Speaking of getting across the river, please join the Livingston Bike Club this Saturday, October 30, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for a trail cleanup of the O-Street Connector Trail! We will be meeting at Rx Coffee. Bring your favorite gloves, and trash bags will be provided. Contact Robin at livingstonbikeclub@gmail.com for more information.
It’s a great opportunity to get outside, get some low-impact exercise, and enjoy the crisp weather with like-minded folks.
The Active Transportation Coalition was formed to ensure that Park County is a harmonious and fun place to safely explore and connect with our friends and neighbors in all of our communities. We work toward thoughtfully designed and beautiful paths, streets, trails and as a result is a healthy, safe, welcoming, and inclusive place to live, visit, or start a business.
Working with decision makers, we promote healthy, active, safe, and connected communities for all. This vision depends on strong collaboration and focussing on what we do want and not what we don’t want.
Mission:
WE promote healthy, active, safe and connected communities
FOR all residents and guests
BY engaging in thoughtful design and consideration of all modes of transportation