Missoula Seeks Public Input on Downtown Project Design Before Federal Funding Locks in Features

MISSOULA — Community members who missed this week’s public meeting on the Downtown Safety, Access, and Mobility project still have until the end of the month to influence how federal grant money gets spent on downtown infrastructure improvements.

The city is asking residents to complete a 16-question survey that will help determine which design features get prioritized in the $3.2 million federally-funded project covering Higgins Avenue, Front Street, Main Street, and parts of the Riverfront Trail.

“Some features of the project are required by the federal grant; others are still flexible,” the city stated in an email to residents. “Your responses help the design team better reflect community priorities.”

What’s Still Up for Community Input

The survey focuses on several areas where public input can still shape the project design:

Parking priorities — Residents can rank their preferences for different parking types, including back-in angle parking, parallel parking, diagonal parking, or parking structures.

Traffic flow concerns — The survey asks respondents to prioritize between traffic calming measures, signal improvements, freight vehicle access, business accessibility, and direct routes to downtown destinations.

Sidewalk improvements — Options include wider sidewalks, better lighting, ADA accessibility upgrades, more crossing time at signals, and corner extensions that extend into streets.

Streetscape additions — Community members can rank preferences for street trees, lighting, seating areas, trash receptacles, sidewalk cafes, or minimal enhancements.

The survey also asks residents about their biggest frustrations with downtown travel, including traffic congestion, parking availability, sidewalk conditions, and lighting issues.

Federal Requirements vs. Local Choices

While federal grant requirements mandate certain safety and accessibility features, the survey reveals significant flexibility in how those requirements get implemented. For example, while improved pedestrian crossings may be required, the community can influence whether those improvements emphasize faster signal timing, more painted crosswalks, or physical improvements like corner bulb-outs.

Similarly, while the project must address bicycle access, residents can indicate whether they prefer shared lanes with traffic, painted bike lanes, or physically separated protected lanes.

Business and Economic Considerations

The survey specifically addresses concerns about business access and freight delivery, asking residents to rank the importance of maintaining access for delivery vehicles and ensuring customers can reach downtown businesses easily.

Questions about parking preferences recognize that downtown businesses depend on customer access, while traffic flow questions balance the needs of commuters, shoppers, and commercial vehicles.

Timeline and Federal Funding

The project is currently in its 30% design phase, meaning basic concepts are established but specific implementations remain flexible based on community input. Once the design moves to later phases, changes become more difficult and expensive to implement.

The federal grant funding the project comes with specific safety and accessibility requirements, but allows local communities to determine how those requirements get met based on local priorities and conditions.

How to Participate

The survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete and is available online. Responses are not associated with contact information, and the survey will remain open through the end of October.

The city held an open house on the project earlier this week, but officials emphasize that the survey provides the primary mechanism for community input on design priorities.

Residents can also sign up for project updates through the city’s notification system to receive information about future public meetings and design developments.

“We appreciate your input on improvements being considered for the project,” city officials stated, encouraging broad community participation in the survey process.