Alt. 2 favorite option for South Hill project
BONNERS FERRY — Discussion of the Bonners Ferry South Hill project continued as a meeting was held in Bonners Ferry city hall on June 25.
For the South Hill project, the Alternative 2 design seems to be the main contender. Alternative 2 consists of 12 ft two-way left turn lanes, 6 foot-wide shoulders, and sidewalks and ADA ramps on both sides separated from the highway by a buffer for snow and drainage.
Don Davis, ITD senior transportation planner, and Ben Ward, project manager, hope to finalize the design soon.
“We have a pretty good idea of what people want so far,” said Ward.
The discussion focused mostly on pedestrian crossings, more specifically a crossing between Madison Street and Monroe Street. A pedestrian overpass had been discussed in previous meetings, but was rejected due to not enough money in the budget. Also, studies show that such overpasses are rarely used.
Ward and Davis presented the idea of Z-pass crossing with a median refuge. A Z-pass is an angled crosswalk with a median refuge. The design forces pedestrians to face on-coming traffic and gives drivers a way to clearly see pedestrians. A Z-pass would also fit the city budget.
Duane Saunders brought up the idea that a crossing at Madison might not be the best option since it is where Highway 95 converges into one lane. He suggested that the crossing be put where there is only one lane as a safer option.
John Youngwirth also brought up the point that while summer was an easy time of year for planning crosswalks, there were winter issues that needed to be considered. Putting a crosswalk at Madison could cause trouble for drivers in winter.
Having to stop at the top of the hill for a pedestrian could make it difficult for semi-trucks to start up again, especially when roads are icy. Youngwirth argued that this could increase the chances of accidents and could cause traffic hold-ups.
The idea of an advanced warning system was brought up as a possible solution with sensors giving drivers some time to slow down as pedestrians crossed, meanwhile preventing the drivers from having to come to a complete stop.
Davis and Ward agreed that there was definitely a design issue. Questions of liability with a dangerous crossing also arose. It was decided that many people cross at the location of Madison and Monroe, therefore, some sort of crossing needed to be put there.
The city plans to have three pedestrian crossings between Alderson Lane and Madison Street. ITD is still working on the design for them.
Right of way for streets turning onto the highway was also discussed. ITD believed that there might not be enough in the budget to cover that expense.
The city could discuss whether or not they wished to pay for the right of way themselves.
Safety was the main issue when it came to crosswalks: finding the best possible solution that the budget would also be able to cover.
The ideas of warning lights and a speed limit decrease was brought up to increase safety measures.
A public hearing plans to be held sometime in August. It will be open to public and the ITD will be able to receive public opinion one last time before the design is finalized. Construction is slated to begin in 2018.