HomeMy WebLinkAboutNewsline - March 2009``"`-ov'ry'mt"go"o ?he American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA),
signed by President Obama on
February 17, 2009, is intended to
provide a stimulus to the United
This site allows Montanans to States economy in the wake
follow the reinvesting and rebuilding of of the nation's economic
Montana with funding from the Recovery downturn. The Act is
and Reinvestment Act. expected to deliver a $227.4
million shot in the arm to transportation projects in Montana,
including $211.8 million for highway and general transportation
projects and $15.6 million tagged specifically for transit. Of the
$15.6 million, MDT will receive 11.3 million and Billings, Great
Falls and Missoula will receive direct funding from the Federal
Transit Administration of 4.3 million. "MDT can deliver," said
MDT Director Jim Lynch. "There is an urgent need in Montana
and nationwide to address employment losses in the construction
sector."
Funds from the Act are in addition to the more than $300
million in transportation projects that MDT had already planned
for 2009. Projects advanced under the Act require no state or
local matching funds, which are typically called for by federal
transportation programs. "MDT can put these funds to work in
ways that will benefit Montana for years to come," said Lynch.
"This initiative will produce thousands of jobs for Montanans and
will help clear the pipeline of projects so we can focus on the
challenges ahead." The additional funds are expected to generate
roughly 6,300 jobs based on national estimates of employment
impacts. The Act requires half of the funds to be obligated within
120 days and the other half within a year. Such "shovel ready" rules
point funds toward work that is already well along in the planning
and project development process.
"The Act provides funding, but it does not allow short-cuts in
established project approval processes. To be considered ready to
go, in most cases, right-of-way acquisition, incidental construction,
and detailed design work should. also be complete or nearly
complete," said Rail, Transit and Planning Division Administrator
Lynn Zanto.
"The projects will include a wide spectrum of transportation
improvements in every district of the state," said Zanto.
State and local transportation agencies across the nation have
faced challenging conditions that have left many projects ready and
waiting for funding. A substantial project backlog is attributable to:
• Dramatic inflation in construction inputs. According to
national Producer Price Index data, the purchasing power of
highway and street construction dollars fell by about 30
percent, between 2004 and 2008, nearly triple the rate of overall
U.S. inflation.
• Transportation needs outpacing revenue streams. One federal
commission estimated that through 2055, $225 billion per year
would be needed to thoroughly maintain and modernize the
nation's transportation system, far more than the current
capacity of the current federal highway trust fund.
• Decline of total vehicle miles
travelled and improved fuel
efficiency. These may be
welcome trends, but they have '. 14
negative consequences for state
and federal fuel-tax revenues
that are the dominant source of
transportation funding.
Federal support for transportation
is particularly critical to large, rural
states like Montana, which generate
far less revenue per penny of fuel
tax than their more metropolitan
peers. The Reason Foundation, in The new economic stimulus logo
its 2008 Report on the Performance communicates meaning through
thefollowing symbols: gears rep-
of State Highway Systems ranked resenting infrastructure; a plant
Montana second among all states in representing green tech;?Ology;
overall performance and cost- and a red cross representing
effectiveness. "I'm proud of our health care. The flag-like stars
accomplishments, but there is no give it a national identity. For
more information about the Ameri-
can Recovery and Reinvestment
A list of Montana's candidate Act, visit Recovery.gov.
projects can be found at
http://www.mdl.mt.govlrecovery.
Stimulus Boosts Montana Transportation Projects
MDT Director Jim Lynch meets with Secretary of Transportation Ray
LaHood and State DOT leaders to discuss economic recovery.
MDT Names New Planning
Administrator
MDT Director Jim Lynch has
appointed Lynn Zanto as MDT'.s
Transportation Planning Administrator.
Zanto most recently was the supervisor
of MDT's Statewide and Urban
Planning Section. She replaces Sandy
Straehl who retired on December 31.
A graduate of the University of
Montana, Zanto also has a master's
degree in Transportation Policy,
Operations, and Logistics from George
New Rail, Transit and Mason University and is a graduate of
Planning Administrator the American Association of State
Lynn Zanto Highway and Transportation Officials'
National Transportation Leadership
Institute. She is also a member of the Transportation Research
Board Committee on Statewide Multimodal Planning and
Transportation Planning for Small and Medium Sized Communities.
In announcing the appointment, Lynch noted Zanto's extensive
knowledge of federal and state funding and planning programs and
her 16 years of experience working with the public and the many
local, tribal, state, and federal officials involved in Montana
transportation issues. "Lynn is uniquely qualified to manage
MDT's nationally recognized planning efforts and help us address
future challenges and opportunities. We're fortunate to have her on
our team," Lynch added.
Lynn's phone number is 444-3445 and her _a-mail address is
lzanto@mt.gov.
Montana's State Rail
Plan is Coming Soon
B e on the lookout for the draft. 2009 Montana State Rail Plan
available for public review and comment on MDT's Web
site at http://www.mdt.mt.govlpubinvolvelrailplan.shtmi. This
publication updates the 2000 Rail Plan and provides current rail
system information while also looking at recent state and federal
rail planning requirements.
Major elements of the Rail Plan include:
• Montana rail competition
• Intermodal service
• State freight trends
• Coal transport
• Passenger rail service - Amtrak Empire Builder route
• Analysis of passenger rail along the southern route
Note: MDT is working with Amtrak to complete this
portion of the plan, and it will be posted as a separate
document for public review when completed.
• Lines at risk for abandonment
• Grain facility consolidation impact analysis
For additional information on the status of the Rail Plan
update, contact Zia Kazimi at 444-7252. For the southern route
passenger rail analysis, contact Janet Kenny at 444-7294.
Apply Now for TSEP
Grants
S mce its inception in 1993, Treasure State Endowment
Program (TSEP) construction grants have helped Montana
counties replace about 120 county bridges. An additional 30
bridges are ready for construction pending approval from the
2009 Legislature. To date, 25 Montana county governments have
taken advantage of this funding opportunity.
TSEP grants are also available to help counties prepare prelimi-
nary engineering reports. Since 2001, 40 TSEP grants have been
awarded to counties for the preparation of bridge-related prelimi-
nary engineering reports.
Applications for the next round of preliminary engineering
report grants will be accepted after March 31, 2009. These grant
funds can be used for conducting studies, analyses, or research
necessary for the preparation of a preliminary engineering report.
The preliminary engineering grant can then serve as the basis for
applying for a TSEP construction grant in late April or early May
of 2010.
The preliminary engineering grant application process is
noncompetitive and applications are generally processed on a
first-come, first-served basis.
Review the TSEP Application Guidelines on the Department of
Commerce Web site at http://comdev.mt.gov. Contact Richard
Knatterud at rknatterud@mt.gov or at 841-2784 for more
information.
rur z
Mi` "TT
Transit Staff Steps Up
Inspection of New Buses
MDT Transit staff inspects new buses going to rural general
public transit providers to ensure the buses meet bid
specifications and are in working order. MDT has stepped up these
inspections by including the review of build orders. Bus vendors
are required to rectify any issues before the bus is accepted.
MDT conducts these inspections to provide the best quality for
local transit providers in Montana. For more information, contact
Adam Kraft at akraft@mt.gov or 444-6120.
At left, Adam Kraft inspects the wheelchair lift on a bus and at
right, Tom Stuber and David Jacobs inspect the chassis and engiw
reh Co
#141 AW r-ner
Canadian Economic
Development Impact
Study is Underway
ecent economic developments in the Canadian provinces of
Alberta and Saskatchewan are generating changes in
commercial traffic at border crossings into Montana and along
associated north-south highway corridors.
In response to these developments, area elected officials and
other leaders are calling for expanded port services and have
asked MDT and its provincial counterparts to improve highways
on these corridors.
The Canadian Economic Development Impact Study will assess
current highway conditions and consider the impact of increased
traffic and need for highway improvements using scenarios for
existing and expanded port services.
The scope of this study is limited to north-south highway
corridors leading to the nine ports served by paved highways
between and including the ports of Coutts-Sweet Grass and
Regway-Raymond. These highways are Interstate 15; Secondary
Highways 232, 233, 241, and 511; US Highway 191; and
Montana Highways 24, 13 and 16.
The consulting firm HDR will conduct the study in two phases.
Phase I will include an assessment of current and future economic
conditions and an estimate of related commercial vehicle traffic
growth with and without expanded port operations: Phase II, if
warranted, would identify highway impacts of future traffic and
necessary improvements along the corridors leading to the ports.
MDT Project Manager Craig Abernathy can be reached at
cabernathy@mt.gov or 444-6269 for more information,
MDT research programs serve to discover, develop, and extend
knowledge needed to operate, maintain, and improve the state
wide multimodal.transportation system.
OT P ObtI
M DT's Community Transportation Enhancement Program
(CTEP) is a federally funded program with many rules,
regulations, and requirements. Samples of CTEP's Frequently
Asked Questions follow:
Q: Who receives CTEP funding in Montana?
A: All 56 counties, 7 tribal governments, and all 1", 2and 3ra
class cities as defined by the Secretary of State are eligible to
participate in CTEP. Yearly allotments are sub-allocated to the
local and tribal governments based on population and to cities and
counties depending, on the amount of federal participation. Funds
can accumulate for several years to undertake larger projects.
Participation is not mandatory.
Q: Who can develop CTEP project proposals?
A: Anyone can develop project proposals, but project applications
must be submitted by the city, county, or tribal governments
whose CTEP funds will be used to develop and build the project.
Q: Is a public involvement process needed when choosing and
prioritizing CTEP projects?
A: Yes. Minority groups, Indian reservations, special interest
groups, and the general public must all be provided'an opportunity
to participate. This is generally accomplished by placing the
proposed project on the city, county; and tribal commission/council
agenda for public discussion.
Q: Is CTEP a grant program?
A: No. CTEP is a cost reimbursement program, i.e., the federal
portion will not be paid until the work has been satisfactorily
completed. Funds are allocated to an account for communities but
will be held and administered by MDT. There is also a required
13.42 percent local match. In most cases, the local government will
pay all the bills and MDT will reimburse the 87.58 percent of the
project cost with federal CTEP funds.
Q: When is the local match required?
A: The local matching funds need to be available before work
begins on the project (whether it is for preliminary engineering,
right-of-way acquisition, construction, etc.).
Q: Can other state funds be used to match CTEP funds?
A: That is at the discretion of the state agency that administers the
funds. It's the local government's responsibility to check with the
administering agency. MDT suggests local governments also obtain
an opinion from their city or. county attorney.
CTEP Is the Community Transportation Enhancement Program. For
more Information, contact Mike Wherley.at wher/ey@mt.gov or
444.4221.
Essential Air Service
Flights 'Return to Montana
That's right, the planes are F
back! Essential Air
Service (EAS) made its return to
central and eastern Montana almost
a year after the last flight departed.
Great Lakes Airlines won the right to take over vacated routes and
provide federally subsidized EAS service within Montana after Big
Sky Airlines ceased all operations on March 8, 2008, after providing
service to seven Montana cities since 1980.
The federal government provides discounted airfare through
subsidies to participating airlines for routes that would not be
profitable on their own. This support is vital to retaining commercial
passenger service in the central and eastern portions of Montana.
Great Lakes changed the destination cities for some of their
routes. Air service resumed to Lewistown, Miles City, and Sidney
in the fall of 2008 with the introduction of two daily flights to
Denver., On February 1, 2009, Havre, Glasgow, Sidney, Wolf
Point, and Glendive all reacquired air service to Billings with one
daily trip each to complement the existing routes to Denver. A
second daily trip to Billings will begin on weekdays for Glasgow,
Havre, and Wolf Point starting April 7, 2009.
The resumption of service brings the operational commercial
airports in Montana back to the number formerly serviced by Big
Sky Airlines. Great Lakes Airlines' federal contract ends January
31, 2011, at which time it will need to be reauthorized. For the next
two years, the Big Sky state will be better connected in the sky.
For more information, contact Great Lakes Airlines (307) 432-7000.
Distracted Driving Can Be Dangerous and Deadly
riving is.an
extremely
complex task that
requires cognitive
and physical
responses.
However,
because many .
driving skills
become automatic
with experience,
some motorists feel comfortable engaging in distractions while
driving. The cell phone has emerged as a particularly dangerous
distraction, resulting in several states enacting laws to prohibit
the use of cell phones while driving.
Cell phones are distracting at several levels:
• Physical (dialing or texting)
• Visual (taking eyes off the road)
• Auditory (hearing the phone ring)
• Cognitive (engaging in conversation)
A 2006 University of Utah study measured driving skills
under three conditions: unimpaired, using a phone, and dosed
with vodka to the legal limit. Findings concluded:
• The level of impairment caused by talking on the phone
exceeded the impairment of a blood alcohol content of
.08 percent (the legal limit in Montana).
• The odds of getting into a crash are four to five times
higher if the driver is talking on a phone and eight times
higher if the driver is texting.
• The driver's brain prioritizes a conversation over the task
of driving.
• Using an electronic device is substantially more
distracting than many typical distractions, such as turning
up the heat, because it is more cognitively engaging,
requires fine motor skills, and is performed over a longer
time period.
• The study found no difference between the level of
distraction caused by hands-free and handheld phone
conversations.
These results confirmed earlier findings of two studies from
the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that looked at the cell
phone records of people brought to emergency rooms after
traffic crashes. These studies found that talking on the phone
increased the risk of an injury crash fourfold, with no significant
difference in risk whether the phone was handheld or hands-free.
How do cell phone conversations differ from in-person con-
versations? Passengers in a vehicle, especially licensed drivers,
tend to take an active role in supporting the driver and direct
attention to the surrounding traffic when perceived necessary.
For example; a passenger might mention an upcoming exit or
point at the exit sign. There is no similar "shared situation
awareness" with a remote conversation.
The 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study tracked the behavior
of the drivers of 100 vehicles equipped with video and sensor
devices for more than one year. During that time, the vehicles
were driven nearly two million miles, involved in 82 crashes,
761 near crashes, and 8,295 critical incidents. Findings
concluded'
• Driver inattention was the leading factor in most crashes
and near-crashes.
• Wireless devices were the most frequent contributing factor
for near-crashes.
• Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes
involved some form of driver inattention within three
seconds before the event.
More information from the 100-Car Study is available online at
www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
In Montana, inattentive driving is a major contributor to motor
vehicle crashes.; one in every three crashes involved some form of
distraction or inattention. This number is increasing each year.
The choice to use a cell phone, even hands-free, while driving
increases the chance of a crash by 400-500 percent. The good
news is that drivers can make sensible choices - including buck-
ling.up, driving sober, and limiting distractions. These choices
will increase their chances of arriving safely at their destination.
For more information, contact Lorelle Demont at 444-7411 or
ldemonl@mt.gov.
$aiitcP. , AfiY ;,O0tCar°Naturalistic Study,
.f
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Figure, 7. Frequeucp of occurreukes In which the contributing factor win tstrele.s derlce nrr by lerel of
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Become a Certified Child
Passenger Safety Technician
Learn .about proper car seat safety for
children and help Montana's littlest
ones travel safely.
Do you like working with babies and children? Are you
interested in safety? Looking for meaningful volunteer
work? Become a certified child passenger safety technician and
you can do all of the above!
The four-day training uses:a nationally accepted curriculum.
Classroom instruction is followed by hands-on opportunities to
practice proper installation of child safety seats in vehicles. The
training includes a community event where students demonstrate
proper use and installation of child safety restraints and seatbelts,
and then teach these skills to parents, grandparents, and others
who transport children. Students must pass written tests and
hands-on skills tests to become certified.
The course is available to those over. 18 years of age. The
initial registration fee is $60 and the renewal of the certification is
required every two years and costs $40. A $200 stipend may be
available to Montana students traveling more than 50 miles each
way to attend training.
The 2009 training schedule is being developed. Dates,
locations, and instructions on how to register will be posted on
www.mdt_mt.gov/safetyloccupant.shtml. Contact Pam Buckman
at 444-0809 or pbuckman@mt.gov for more information.
to Highway Traffic Safety ,Bureau is acceptingroF¢$als for'.
10 (Odtober 1, 2009- Se6temher 30, 2f#IO) tr ffi_s f tv
PieW.ref4 tow :rka r:mtgovlsirfetyl rarzts:shaml fbr
adlir<e for sisbr uss? s,as :IWl' 1 Q, 2009,
Highway Traffic
i4pply Now!
Tips For Driving Cell-Phone-free:
----------------------
• Turn off your cell phone/Blackberry before you start
I driving.
• If you can't turn your phone off, let it ring.
+ If you must use the cell phone, pull over when and
where it is safe to do so.
• Let callers know you are a cell-phone-free driver and not
available to make calls while driving. Put a tuessage on I
your voicemail that says you are. either driving or in a 1
meeting and will callback as soon as possible.
• Avoid temptation; put your cell phone/Blackberry in
I your trunk.
• Do not attempt to make calls or send a-mails or text
1 messages while you are at a stoplight as a majority of
crashes occur at intersections.
• Establish regular times for callers to contact you and for
you to returncalls. 1
• Let someone else drive so that you can freely make or
receive calls..
• If you are travelling with a passenger, allow him or her
to operate the phone.
+ Enjoy cell-phone-free driving; view it as downtime.
• Be a role model for young drivers and other drivers.
BECOME AN ADVOCATE FOR I
CELL-PHONE-FREE DRIVING!
Printed with permission from www. cellphonefreedriving. ca
I I
L- ------
lick and Clack of the National
Public Radio program "Car Talk" x
are giving away free bumper stickers in
an effort to raise awareness about the
dangers of using cell phones while driving. To get your free
sticker, go to: www. cartalk. com/content/features/Drive-Now.
Battle of Rogers Pass continued from page 7
kind of a consensus-which they were unable to accomplish.
Consequently, the Governor and Commissioners decided to
build the road in two sections - one from the summit of Rogers
Pass westward toward Lincoln and the other from Lincoln
eastward. The decision was not popular with either side.
The Highway Department had acquired all the necessary
right-of-way for the project by January 1939, and the two
Rogers Pass segments of the highway were awarded to a
couple of Great Falls contractors in March 1939. They began
work on the project the following month and had completed it
by the end of the year.
Although the Great Falls interests won the battle, Helena
obtained what it wanted as a consolation prize. In 1941, the
Helena Chamber of Commerce successfully petitioned the
commission for a feeder road from Helena via Canyon Creek
over Stemple Pass to Lincoln (now Secondary 279). Debate
even raged over this decision as some wanted the road over
Flescher Pass instead. In the end, however, both communities
and Montana benefitted from the decisions made by the
Highway Commission in the 1930s as both Highway 200 and
Secondary 279 remain important thoroughfares.
Reserve Deputy Feline.Munoz inspects a child safety seat during
a Child Passenger Safety event at the Fort Peck Reservation.
Highways for Life: MacDonald Pass
MDT was awarded $320,000 through the Highways for LIFE
(HfL) program sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration.
The purpose of Highways for LIFE is to advance Longer-lasting
highway infrastructure using Innovations to accomplish the Fast
construction of Efficient and safe highways and bridges (thus the
acronym LIFE). The three goals of HfL are to:
• improve safety during and after construction
• reduce congestion caused by construction
• improve the quality of the'highway infrastructure.
Specifically, HfL is focused on accelerating the adoption of
innovations in the highway community.
Montana's project involves retrofitting dilapidated, corrugated
steel pipe (CSP) with culvert liners on US-12 atop MacDonald
Pass in Powell County. The work will lengthen the useful life of
the culverts by lining the existing culverts with High Density
Polyethylene Pipe (HDPE) and Cure In-place Pipe liners rather
than excavating and replacing them' Traditional culvert replace-
ment requires closing half of the highway for four days. The plan
reduces construction time by 70 percent. This practice minimizes
the potential vehicle conflict between opposing traffic, work zone
equipment, and safety personnel.
Specifically, this project involved the use of two different types
of culvert lining. The first method involves inserting a smaller
diameter HDPE pipe into the existing culvert then pumping grout
between the existing CSP and HDPE to complete the procedure.
The second method involves inserting a resin-impregnated
polyester-felt liner in the existing culvert. The resin-impregnated
liner is cured by injecting steam. The linings strengthen the
culverts preventing possible catastrophic failure of corroded
culverts and possibly prolonging the roadway surface life. The
expected life of both culvert linings is in excess.of 50 years.
Customer satisfaction survey results have shown the overall
travelers' perception with respect to work zone delays to be
positive during the course of the project.
For more information, contact Craig Abernathy at 444-6269 or
at cabernathy@mt.gov.
The Battle of Rogers Pass by Jon Axline, MDT Historian
Montanans supported good roads in the 1930s, but some-
times politics got in the way of common sense. Like the
railroads in the preceding century, a modern road could mean
the difference between prosperity and economic stagnation.
But during the dark days of the Great Depression, money was
tight and the Montana State Highway Commission had to
spread out its federal allocation to maximize the number of road
miles built and the men employed building them. Outside of a
few bridges, the Commission undertook few high-cost projects
during the decade, instead using most of its federal funds to
upgrade already existing roads. But, between 1936 and 1939,
the Commissioners found themselves embroiled in a major and
sometimes ugly debate between promoters in Great Falls and
Helena about the proposed route of a road across the mountains
between the tiny community of Stearns in Lewis and Clark
County and Bonner in Missoula County. The combatants
fought over the best mountain pass, the alignment of the road,
and even which community was more deserving of the
highway, Helena or Great Falls. Eventually the governor and
state supreme court were dragged into it. The dispute brought
out the best and the worst in many of the parties involved
because the outcome could have serious ramifications for the
losers during tough economic times.
Montana Highway 200 traverses Montana from the North
Dakota state line near Sidney to the Idaho state line near
Thompson Falls. By the early 1930s, only two sections of the
road had yet to be built, including a 112-mile segment between
Stearns and Bonner. Despite several studies, the Highway
Commission and the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) had not
decided on a route over the mountains for the highway. The
sticking point was, which pass was best - either Cadotte Pass or
the much steeper and still: undeveloped.. Rogers. Pass...Tb.gq. road .
over the former was already well used, but a road over Rogers
Pass would require extensive roadwork.
The BPR's 1930 study of both the Cadotte and Rogers Pass
routes concluded that the Cadotte route was best, but concluded
that a "new road through very sparsely settled country for a
limited amount of summer traffic, [cannot] be justified." The
Highway Commission did not agree with this gloomy
assessment and had just begun making plans for a road across
Cadotte Pass when news of the project reached the public.
Once that information became widely known, the Helena and
Great Falls Chambers of Commerce moved quickly to make
their preferences known to the Commission. Great Falls pre-
ferred the more direct route over Rogers Pass, while the Helena
Chamber wanted something a little closer to home. Neither
group wanted Cadotte Pass. Helena pushed for a route that
branched off from US Highway 91 north of Helena at Sieben,
passed through the Sieben Canyon near Silver City and crossed
the mountains over Stemple Pass to Lincoln. The Highway
Commission still favored the Cadotte Pass alignment, while the
BPR didn't think a road should be built. The battle was on.
The opening salvo occurred in May 1936 when the Helena
Independent published an editorial that stated, "Since the High-
way Commission was organized ... Helena has taken whatever
the Commission desired to give us, but there is no record of
Helena business interests getting together and demanding a
highway to which we are entitled." The editorial alarmed the
Great Falls Chamber of Commerce, which asked State Highway
Engineer Don McKinnon to schedule the road for construction
as quickly as possible before the Helena promoters could find
some way to stop it.
Just before the project was scheduled to be let to contract in
May 1937, delegations of businessmen from Helena and Great
Falls appeared before the Highway Commission to discuss it.
The Helena Chamber openly opposed the Rogers Pass route,
protested the letting of the contract scheduled for the following
day, and threatened legal action if it did. The Great Falls delega-
tion, on the other hand, asked the Commission to ignore the
Helena group and pressed for letting of the contract as soon as
possible. True to Helena's threat, District Court Judge George
Padbury issued a restraining order the following day preventing
the Commission from accepting bids for the project. The
Commissioners vowed to fight the action, because it would set a
bad precedent by impairing its mandate as stipulated by federal
and state laws. To add to the chaos, groups representing
communities along Montana 200 in eastern Montana presented a
resolution to the Commissioners supporting the Rogers Pass route.
The Great Falls Chamber of Commerce did not stand idly by
and issued a report to the Highway Commission on the project.
Although it concentrated mostly on the social and economic
benefits of the highway to the region, it also made several
conclusions about the engineering aspects of the project that
immediately made the report suspect in the minds of state
engineers. They concluded that many of the statements in the
report were "opinionated and not based upon proper information."
The following month, the Commission released its report on the
project. Its study found that the Stemple Pass route proposed by
Helena would cost a little over $3 million to build, while the
Rogers Pass route supported by Great Falls was 24 miles longer
than the Stemple Pass road and would cost over half-a-million
dollars more to build. Several weeks later, the Commission, with
delegations from Helena and Great Falls present, selected the
Rogers Pass route as the preferred alternative and announced that
the contract would be let three months later.
Just before the contract was scheduled to be let in May 1938,
however, the Helena Chamber of Commerce again appealed to the.
District Court to issue an injunction against the Commission
preventing it from letting the project to contract. Although the
Helena Chamber dropped the injunction the following month,
logistical problems prevented the Commission from letting the
contract for the first two segments of the road that summer. That
problem also met with controversy as the Great Falls and Helena
groups could not agree on which two segments should be
constructed first.
Forty people from Helena, Great Falls, Lincoln and Broadwater
and Jefferson counties attended the Commission's November
1938 meeting to discuss the project. Governor Roy Ayers was
also in attendance. At the beginning of the meeting, the Commis-
sion told the delegation that it had selected the route and would
not consider any more alternatives. Chairman Lloyd Hague told
the Helena and Great Falls people they needed to arrive at some
... Continued on page S
Rogers Pass Today
Newsline is a quarterly publication of the Rail, Transit and Planning Division, Montana Department of Transportation
MDT Wants Your Comments Caritri?t Inform.. at'
on
To receive a list,of highway. projects, MDT plans to present to the
Transportation Commission, visit http:11www.mdt.mt.gov1.. Only the most frequently requested numbers are-listed here. For an
pubinuofve/docsjtrans_comm/proposed-proj.pdf orgive. us a area or person not listed, call 800-714-7296 (in Montana only) or'
call at 1-800-714-7296. You can mail your comments on. 406-444-3423. The TTY number is 406-444-7696 or 800-335-7592.
proposed projects to MDT at the following address or e-mail them ,
to mdtnewprojects@mt.gov.
MDT Project Analysis Chief
PO Box 201001
Helena, MT 59620=1001
Inside This Issue
Stimulus Boosts Montana Transportation Work .......................... 1
MDT Names New Planning Administrator ........ ............................. 2
Mo.ntana's State Rail Plan is Coming Soon ................................... 2
Apply Now for TSEP Grant Program .::...........................:..:............. 2
Transit Tales-Staff Steps Up Inspection of New Buses ............... 2
Canadian Economic Development Impact Study is Underway .... 3
CTEP Spotlight - Frequently Asked Questions ............................... 3
Essential Air Service Flights Return to Montana ........................... 3
Distracted Driving Can Be Dangerous and Deadly ....................... 4
Become a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician ............... 5
Tips for Driving Cell Phone-free ..................................................... 5
Apply for Highway Traffic Safety Funding-, .................................... 5
Highways for Life: MacDonald Pass .............................................. 6
The Battle of Rogers Pass ............................................................. 7
Administrator (Lynn Zanto) ...........:...:....:...........................:..............44.4-3445.
.......::..............................................................:...:.................... .... Iza nto@mtgov
bicyclist/Pedestrian (Mark Keeffe) ............ .................................. :..444-9273
...... ........ .......................... ........ ........ ................ ... mkeeffe@mt.gov
Highway Traffic Safety. (Priscilla Sinclair) ............ 444-7417
................... psinclair@mt.gov
Map Orders ................................................................:........... ........... 444-6119 .
.........-s ................................................ http://Www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/maps
Multimodal Planning (Vacant) ............................................... ........... 444-7289 -
projects (Gary Larson) ........................................................... .......:.. 444-6110
.............. :.......................................... ........................................ .. glarson@mt.gov
Secondary Roads (Wayne Noem) ....... .................................. ........... 444-6109
...............................................................................:................ .. wnoem@mt.gov
Road Data & Mapping (Ed.Ereth) ...........................:.............. ...........444-6111
................................................................................................ ... eereth@mt.gov
Traffic Data (Becky Duke) .......................... ............................. .... ....... 444-6122
............................................................................................... .... bd u ke@mt.gov
Transit (Audrey Allums) ........................................................ .......44x 210... .
........................................................................................... . aallums@mt.gov
Statewide & Urban Planning (Vacant) ................................... ..........444-3445
Newsline Editor (Sandra Waddell) ......................................... ........ 444-7614
............................ ........................... ---- ...... ---- .......... swaddell@mt.gov
MDT attempts to provide accommodations for any known disability that may interfere with a person participating in any service, program, or activ-
ity of the Department. Alternative accessible formats of this information will be provided upon request. For further information call
(406)444-3423, TTY (800)335-7592, or the Montana Relay at 711.
6389 copies of this public document were published at an estimated cost of $0.46 per copy for a total of $2,940 which includes $849 for
printing and $2,091 for distribution.
MDT's mission is to serve the public by providing a transportation system and services
that emphasize quality, safety, cost effectiveness, economic vitality and sensitivity to the environment.
Rail, Transit & Planning Division
Montana Department of Transportation
2701 Prospect Avenue
P.O. Box 201001
Helena, Montana 59620-1001
800-714-7296
HONORABLE KENNETH E OLSON JR
a-n"PWae OR POSTAL CUSTOMER
MAYOR OF LAUREL
CITY OF LAUREL
PO BOX 10
LAUREL MT 59044-0010
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