Montana Department of Transportation
“The Montana Department of Transportation is committed to providing solutions that prioritize pedestrian safety, improve traffic operations, and support community needs. Public concerns are recognized and are being considered.
The preliminary activities for this project included a Preliminary Traffic Report which included an intersection alternatives analysis. A technical review committee comprised of engineering staff from the Montana Department of Transportation, the City of Belgrade, and BNSF railway considered five alternatives for improving the intersection. These alternatives included:
1. The “No Improvement” option was not selected based on the existing intersection being over capacity, drivers in the intersection experiencing excessive wait times before the design year of 2045. This option provides low safety performance for all users (vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) and long queues of traffic during rail crossings with no safety features to actively allow vehicles to clear the track.
2. The “Traffic Signal” option was not selected based on traffic queue lengths extending beyond adjacent intersections. This alternative provides limited traffic flow improvements and safety performance for all users.
3. The “Traffic Signal with Left-Turn Lanes” option was not selected based on the impacts to existing on-street parking needed to accommodate additional left turn lanes and limited improvement to safety performance for all users including longer crosswalk lengths. The required lengths for additional turn lanes would extend for more than a block, resulting in removal of all on-street parking within the project limits and reduced sidewalk width which would affect access to nearby businesses.
4. The “Single-Lane Roundabout” option was not selected based on the tight geometry of the intersection, the impacts to existing parking, and the high cost. A single-lane roundabout has a raised and landscaped island which results in a larger area needed for the intersection. This resulted in additional parking loss and impacts to adjacent properties.
5. The ”Single-Lane Mini Roundabout” option was selected by the committee as the best option because it provides a balanced approach across the following important components: improved traffic flow, improved safety for all users, enhanced facilities for pedestrians, bicycles, and transit, as well as considerations to cost, limited parking and right-of-way impacts, constructability, and railway operations. This intersection configuration provides the greatest improvements in safety, traffic flow, and accessibility at the intersection.
It was the emphasis of the technical advisory committee to consider pedestrian foot traffic, safety, and managing impacts to surrounding businesses and parking spaces. These recommendations are also consistent with adopted City of Belgrade master planning documents.
Roundabouts have been shown to decrease fatal and serious injuries at stop-controlled intersections by up to 82 percent (AASHTO Journal - State DOTs Highlight How Roundabouts Improve Safety: https://aashtojournal.transportation.org/state-dots-highlight-how-roundabouts-improve-safety/).
The average speed of vehicles entering a single-lane roundabout is 15-20 mph versus a traditional signalized intersection where vehicles travel at an average of 25-30 mph. The proposed roundabout will include ADA compliant crossings, refuge islands for pedestrians, and improved traffic operations for the growing community of Belgrade.
The Montana Department of Transportation encourages the public to review project information and access project team contact information at the project website: https://mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/belgradeintersection/”
