HomeMy WebLinkAboutMDT - Newsline December 2005MDT Sponsors Designated Driver Campaign
:ment ofTra~porta~m Alcohe~-reJaled crashes ate: among
the mo~ p~'~utable~.anct'while ~T traffic fat~,diLy is Wagic,
those4avolving impaired, diiv~r~ remain the mosl' simse, less.
'Last ~ear be~v~en Dec~nber ! and. ~]~ I~ t~p ~opl~ in
the :state d~d~g al cob01-relate, d. xm~s:
This hnl!day ~easo~ MDT is
p~i~n~ "Be tl~ Ltf~ efthe P~-y;~ Be the D~sigm;~I~v~r/'
This s~ewid~ effort is intended to rernf~dp~op~ of tb~ ira-
hshed in newspapers aud broadcast on.radio and television in
:addilionto atl~ publicity efforis.
During the momh-lo~g campaign, MDT is als~ pro~idin~
information ~bout issues su~otmdin§ holiday paid,s, reSpon-
sible driukin§, a~[:cornmunity pr0gr~m~tl:lat
ddes'hom The Mont~-~ T~vem Associalion, Montana Do-
parimeat of R.~venue, Montana. l~oazd of Crime Control~ and:
Safe Kids, Saf~ Communities along w~th iocal'law eaforca-
ment ~.x~ all ~mac], with ~{D~ tO kall~ li~Se RV~.k'e. ll~8t~ of
~h¢ importance ofltg designaect driver.
It is up to ail ofusto ke~ impaired drivem off the mad.
It starts wiik ~g responsibility:for ou~ awn a~o~ and
neve~ chiv[u~ while ~mpaimd. Il ~lso includea t~kin~
m%iltty fo~ those around u~ hF mT~ l~ 1:~ th~ d~ignated
.Chive~ a~t re6~t%~ to let ft~s~ what]mw bad too.roach
~ckiv~ Wl~n~kosti~a pan~, he, lp;keep tu~s from
absorptio~ofal~hoL Kn~wtlmt salfT fonds lgmI~t o
pe~pl~ thirsty Itmt'possiblydrink mo~, and that
mixers oanse,alcoh~t to b~ abserbcct lute ~ p~rson's
drinl~ ~pti~s ~il~hle.
provide, a safe rld~ h~m~ for~;ofyour gRests,
'Being ~)r 1~,v/~ a d~ dtivl~is on~ ~t~
holidny. T~I~n~ 0.way th~ ki~s oi'~Ilos~'wb l~tvff
MDT DevelOps Strategic Highway Safe Pla.
MDT Dke~.or Jim bas i~ vLsiol~, fo~ mtnsPortation
Lylmh'
sa~ in MontaRa that, 'all hlgln~yust~sin Menta~
w/Il an~e safely at their destinations.." This m~not seem
too grand or challenging an endeavor, but Montmm~s crash
sta~stics tell us we h~t~ a lot of work:to daf
In 2004~ Montan~ had229 fatalities, 9,263 injILries~ and, a
total 0f21,783 crashes on its madways~ Mon.lau~'s statistics
for overall traffic fatalities p~'miM d~_ven~ tara single vehi-
cl~ cr~h._es, and impaired driving ~rashes: amamm~ thg l~tgh-
~t in the ¢ouutrF, Thes~ are alarming flgureg, tnd in the
MDT is working ha~ to bring t og~;hg k~y safety stal~-
holders lo dove, lop a St~tegie Highway Safety rl~u (SHSP)
fo~ Moman~ Th~ development ora sugc~ssful and useful
plan calls for.a compml~nsive,, oollabom~ve~ and
approach that-brings together s muitidisaiia!t~am
safety pro fo ssionals and sta~ho~'m wor~ lOwa~d
moa Mgbway safety.goaL
The SHSP planrdng effort bas identified over ~
dmd. ageneiesi organi~tion~ and indi~ich~l~ a~ th~'fedeml~
state, and lo~d levels: wh~ a~ dimgtly orimtim~ly invo!~d
iu lr~-~poWation safetyin ~n~na,. Ono~ c, amp~, file
SHSP will inC~as~ c~or~tlu~lion, commu~ioatfon, and ~oop-
~n among slate ~ 1o~al ag~es, In'hal goyermma~,.
adFo~*~t~s thro!~ohollt thl~
poimuilies to redu~ the number 0f fatal ~ld in~al~italiug
,gqfety Plan conttn#ed,
injttties on M0ntaaa~s roadways. The p~ does not fliscuss
even safety strategy ~urrent!y beiag implemented in thO stat.e,
nor does it addres~ ~er7 type :o~ ~h problera~ .insm~c~ it fo-
cuses o~ ~rategleS ~tith'~ ~rcateg potential m red, cc th~,mo~q
~ injuries:
Specifically;. Ibc following goals ~er~ adopted !o r~due~
~ides and inc~pa¢ka~ing injuries
Keduce ~ha state,/vid~ fatality rate from:~.O~ p:e~ 1 O0 million
v~hi¢I~ miles iIav~Ied
~ Further ~ce fl~ statawide faialit~mt~ to 1
!i0n*ehic}¢ mi!es t~v~lCd by ~0.~5~
*. By reduci~ ~I~ fatality rate~ Ivl~Xam's iucapacitating lain-
ties will also l~hll:fm~ 1,700 in2D05 to 950 in 7JlI 5.
Redaco older driver fatal, anct ineap~/.ajm'y
E~:abltsh a, pro~s~ m m'd.u~
fatal crashes along:idemified
Establish a process to reduce crashes; h~J~l~ mashes, and.
fai,ai cashes in identified h~h~-msk'Io~ations~
~0!T andimli!j~ ~m~ut a o!mp-reh~
On Mo~s hghw~ ~T
mw~g ta ~rk ~tk so ~y peo~ ~ ~e~ha
~d ~r~ in r~ ~ ~d ~ous
~on-mla~ ~ ~ o~a~"
tap~n from ~yon* ~ ~est
~ or ~,~v.
Schedule
State's Newest, Rest Area Opens Near Mosby
The most zeCe~ a~o~ to Montana'S:. ~s~ areas reeeatly · ol~d onMonUmaH~ghway 200 ne~
lo~, se~ ~ fn ~the:Ho~ ~dt~.Se~ A
m~e~' s~e ~ ~ o~:~ l~e ~,mm~r
:~on*a~?s rea ~ ~m~
Lu~ow a~9193 ~ s~~ ~
~d~ 6163 or
Ttte new Mo~bF l~.vt Area i,~ a ~n)e[come .~top for trav*l~r$ h*
tlu'~ relatively rentotz section of Montan~
Congestion Levels Meet Goals
9O
& ~O *
0
MIYI: cominnally monitors cra'rear and predi~terl coages-
ttoa onMonta~a~s major rural highways.
The: Deparm~nt has. estsblishod performance go~l~ for e~h
highway ~ys~m andu~cs thas~ goals m: r!~velop:its Capital.
Pro,,~ment P~og~al~. Th~pcfform~ne¢ goal for tho I~sL,~tO
8~stemis to maintaln a congestio~index (CI)of?0 o~ highor,
[2qI-lqI-IS) and the Prima~ System is a CI of 55.
TI~ ~I~ ~o~-iMicat~s fl~tthe,s~ lligh~v~? ~m~,. 'm
cu~cutly ~1I :aa~ their goals and am CxJt~Ct~ tO rema, m,
the~'fo~ thc;ne~t te~ ami l~7~nd,
Out-of-State Visitors Increase
A recent study by tho University of Montantt tnstitut~ for
Tourism and Recreation:fourd that visitors to Moniar~
increased by 4 percent'in 2005. That amounts.to 10 million non-
resident visitors last ye~. The count included visftors arriving
by air as well as those driving into the. state.
'Th~ nonresident visitors spent over SZ~ billionin Montana
a~d contributed 2~,000~obs to tho economy ac~rding to statis-
tics compiled by thoinstitute.
For Winter Travel Conditions
W inter :driving i~ Moat aha ca~ b~ ch ~llemglnl~. Give your-
self an edge and chock out MI>T's -Tm~eler Information
~ite, hofom 7ouleave tmmo.
The stte~ l~cate~ at v.mr~ma't..mt, go~,/travIn..~, hasi~farm~-
~ion on mad mnditiom througho~'the sta~ in an easy-to-mad
.~olor fm'atat. Web users ean ats~ ~images' of the roadmy'
:at selected locatiom~:on tl~ RWIS {R. oacl and Weather I~arma-
lion Syst~nn) page.
For, re~ard~ mart reports, 'call gOO-J126-?6g.,~ orTTY gO~-
35.5-75{a. Thi~ ~orma~onis ulxia~d ~r 30 m~'m~es ar as:
lllajDr ~han~ OG~lr; Motolists call lll~ ~ $11 to, mce/x~
ansit Program Changes, Forward
2005 Public Telephone ,Survey Results Available
According to the recently completed 2005 Biennial Tra~.ian
21 Public Involvement Survey, Montanam. are facrass-
ingly satired with Montana's overall system, bicycle path-
ways, other major highways, and mst areas. Theyam somewhat
unsutisficd with intercRy bus set. dee and give MDT a grade of
15- or C+ ia its performance over the last year.
The survey of 954 Moalana residents by tho LrniversRy of
Montaaa-Ivlissoula provides MlYr with important information
on public perceptions about transpcrtatiou system tss~s
MlYr~s performance a~ bolh the. statewide: and regional level.
The complete survW report is available for hewing of~ the MDT
Web site. F~liowing is a summary of soma ortho re.suits of'the
survey:
Satisfaction With Transportation Components
~(on a seal~ of on* to
Intersta/e Highways ....................... 7.37
Other Major ltighmy~ ..................... 6:32*
Overall System .......................... 6.37
airporm .....................................
Bieycte Pathway, ......................... ti44
Pedestrian W ~k'-~ys ....................... 6.42
Rest Areas ....................... , .................... ,. ti41
Bus Depots ............................................. 5.11
Because the 2005 survey includes many of the same queS-
'tibns as other similar surveys since 1994, MDT is able to,track
'historic trendsin public satisfaction. Followingare someexam,
pies of increases in public satisfaction in key transpormti0n Sys-
tem components since 1994:
Overall System ................................. +2,74
Rest Areas ........................................ +3.39%
Pedesman Walkways ..................... +18.89 'A
Non-Interstate Highways ................ +21.54%
Bicycle Pathways ........................... 40·00~A
In addition to the public telephone survey, MDT also con-
drmts a biennial survey of key transportation stakeholder groups.
The results of the 2005 edition of the stakeholder survey, whick
was also conducted by University of Montana-Missoula, wflI
also soon be available for viewing on the MDT Web site.
For more information about MDT's publio and stakeholder
surveys, contact Carol Strizich at 444 9240
;Citizen's Group Raises FUnds for Memorial Bike Path
This 8-foot-wide, 40-faot-tongfoetbridg~ owr Mill Cree~
near Frenchtown is part oflhe ~L~. Memarial Bt~ Pat&
It is made from weathering steet, a mater~al that corroda~
to form an oxide barrier that retard~ fu~d~r corrosion.
· 'eathering steel is u.~ually lef~ unpainted ta provid~ tt
nature1 look as se~n in this photograph.
Newsttne is a quarter~y t)~tic, at~on of tt~ Rati, Tra~tt and ptanninF,:Dl~t~ion~ Montana Departtn~nt of 2'ranspoi, tatlon.
MD~s rr~sion.is to serve the public bypro~iding s transport, ati~ system and ~ervi~
~tllat emphastz~ ~luality~ safety~ co~ ef~tiveneSs~ eo~nomic vitality and sens~tM~ tile
Rail, Transit & Plonninl~ DiVision?
Montana ~t ~Tm~n
270~ P~U~
~;0. ~ ~0~
Helen~ Mon~na ~00~
U.5. Postag,
F~mii~ NO, I'41
HONORABLE KEN OLSON
MAYOR OF LAUREL
CITY OF LAUREL
PO BOX 10
LAUREL MT 59044-0010