Missoula's Reserve Street Safety Plan Could be Final in 2025

Engineers believe they can combine efforts to improve the safety of one of Montana's busiest streets, attacking conditions that resulted in more than 1600 accidents in a four-year period.

While some of those changes could help traffic flow, the main focus is to prevent people from getting hurt.

The Montana Department of Transportation and Missoula agencies have developed an initial list of improvements for the Reserve Street corridor after working on the problem for the past 3-years.

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How dangerous is Reserve Street?

It's probably worse than you think. MDT engineers say between 2019 and 2023, there were 1,664 total crashes on the busy street, with 3 accidents, and 63 that caused serious injuries. While traffic volumes have remained crowded, but fairly steady the past couple of years, Reserve averages nearly 40-thousand vehicles per day.

Dennis Bragg photo; MDT graphic

Improvements focus on safety

Transportation Planning Manager Aaron Wilson with the city, says some steps could make the street more efficient, but the main focus is safety.

"This really isn't a traffic improvement project," Wilson explains. "So we're really more interested in how do we save lives and money and prevent crashes? But at the same time we can look at, okay, well, we've got some congestion here.

Maybe that's contributing to crashes. Or if we make this improvement, it'll help the safety problem, but it'll also facilitate the traffic."

Dennis Bragg photo

There are still chances to comment

The second of two open houses will be held Wednesday afternoon from 4 to 6 pm in Building 3 at Hellgate School. More information is on the Engage Missoula website.

Engineers will continue to take comments and hope to have a final list of projects by the end of the year.

"And then we move immediately into 'where does the money come from? What are the first projects we can do?' Ideally, we come up with some recommendations that are quick, easy things to do."