MISSOULA COUNTY – The Missoula County Pathways and Trails Master Plan draft proposal is 90% complete, said Stephanie Grisby, PLA, AICP, LEED Green Associate, Principal in Charge at Design Workshop at a public meeting on May 18. Public comment on the draft proposal is open until June 7 at Missoula County Voice.
“Our scope is really focused in on what is called Pathways and Trails, those paved pathways generally separated from the roadway,” Grisby said. “Often, referred to as class one shared use path, some refer to them as side paths, major sidewalks within some of the rural areas.”
This proposal is not referring to natural surface trails, equestrian trails or mountain biking trails, Grisby said.
“We all love them,” Grisby said. “But as part of this system, we’re really looking at those paved pathways.”
The proposal looked at gaps in the current trail system, proposed projects from other agencies, traffic volumes and collisions to understand safety issues, traffic space to determine areas that might require greater separation of paths from vehicle traffic, said Callie New, project manager at the Design Workshop.
Overall the plan itself is ambitious and visionary, New said. Currently, Missoula County has 41 miles of existing trails or paved pathways that are maintained. The tier one system would add an additional 102 miles, the tier two system would add another 89 miles, the tier three categorization would add another 106 miles, so almost 300 miles of trail could be added to the existing system.
The tiers as outlined in the proposal are: Tier 1 projects are already in some stage of planning and/or design, may be partially or fully funded and generally closest to being constructed; Tier 2 projects are projects with high potential for partnerships and leveraged funding but are behind Tier 1 projects in planning and design; and Tier 3 projects do not have an immediate funding source for capital and long-term maintenance costs but should move forward as funding and strategic opportunities allow.
Recognizing that dollars are finite and limited, New presented estimated cost evaluations. The cost estimate to implement trails is $634,000 per mile with limited obstacles. Systems with more challenging construction and/or right of way costs are estimated at about $1.2 million per mile. The category of trail described as urban paved, in more developed areas that might require curb changes or reconfiguration are estimated at $1 million per mile.
The proposal looks to grants and partnerships for funding. The county budgets $10,000 annually to maintain the 41 miles of current trails, New said. The analysis determined the current system should have a budget of $400,000 annually.
The plans includes proposed trails for the following local areas:
Potomac Valley:
• Highway 200 Trail: 15.7-mile trail along Highway 200 from McNamara Lane to Clearwater Junction. – Tier 1
• Potomac to Hole in the Wall Trail: 3.6-mile trail from Highway 200 along Potomac Road to Hole in the Wall Road. – Tier 1
• Road to the Buffalo: 37.3-mile trail that starts north from Highway 200 along McNamara Lane paralleling the Johnsrud Park Road to Ninemile Prairie Road, crossing Highway 200 to Flashes Honor Lane to Sunset Hill Road and tying back into Highway 200 to the county line. - Tier 3
Highway 83 corridor from Clearwater Junction north to Holland Lake:
• Seeley Placemaking and Signage: 1.4 miles from Whitetail Drive to Cedar Lane along Highway 83. – Tier 1
• Seeley Lake Loop Trail: 6.4 miles around the west side of Seeley Lake following Boy Scout Road. – Tier 2
• Seeley Lake Trail Extension: 32.9-mile trail from the Seeley Lake Community Hall north along Highway 83 to the county line north of Beck Road. – Tier 2
• Placid Lake Trail: 2.8-mile trail from Highway 83 west along Placid Lake Road to Placid Lake State Park. – Tier 2
• Clearwater Junction to Seeley Trail: 13.1-mile trail from Clearwater Junction north along Highway 83 to the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitors Center. – Tier 3
• Seeley School Trails: 2.2-mile trail from School Lane east to the top of Tamarack Drive and then south to Locust Lane. The trail resumes at the bridge by Seeley-Swan High School and follows Airport Road east, turning south of Frontier Drive ending at Canyon Drive. There is also an additional connection from Airport Road to Black Bear Drive across from Seeley-Swan High School. – Tier 3
• Seeley School Trails (Detour): 0.6-mile trail from the bridge around the SSHS parking area and football field to the top of the hill on Airport Road. This trail already exists as a natural trail. – Tier 3
• Holland Lake Trail: 2.5-mile trail from Highway 83 east along Holland Lake Road to the Holland Lake Lodge Road. – Tier 3
To comment on the plan visit https://missoulacountyvoice.com/
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