Thanks!

Thanks to all those who came to the meetings last week in Somers and Polson. We had about 100 at Somers, and the comments were pretty evenly divided. There were a good number of truckers, and they seemed to have good luck getting the microphones early in the meeting. There was a larger turnout at the Polson meeting (the Missoulian reported 200), and the tone of the comments clearly favored more regulation of trucks. The Kalispell Daily Inter Lake was at the Somers meeting, as was Alex Strickland from the Bigfork Eagle, and KPAX TV. Vince Devlin of the Missoulian was at the Polson meeting, along with Jeff Smith from KERR Radio and Jennifer McBride from the Lake County Leader. Hope I didn't miss anyone. The Eagle and the Leader should have stories in their issues dated June 12 (tomorrow). The links below will show the daily reports on the meetings.

http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/06/06/news/local/znews02.txt
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2008/06/06/news/news03.txt
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?s=8109815

Jim Lynch and the Montana Department of Transportation had a large number of data charts at the meeting, in handout booklets and on Powerpoint. I have a couple of extra copies of the booklets but have been encouraging MDOT to put the information up on their web site for easier public access. Also, a couple of people who have attempted to send comments to the MDOT comment link have reported problems. It could be because the comment page requires you to designate a specific problem or issue from the categories on the left side of the page, and I don't think the deparment has formally set up Highway 35 as an issue. I have asked Jim Lynch to look into these problems.

Meantime, it's probably more effective to send comments directly to Jim Lynch jilynch@mt.gov or Dwane Kailey dkailey@mt.gov Comment deadline is July 7.

We have also had an inquiry for information from Tom Smith, a member of the Flathead Basin Commission, who advises that the commission is concerned about the April 2 fuel spill and the general threat to water quality posed by hazardous materials spills along the lakeshore. The commission is considering drafting a formal resolution on the issue.

During the meetings last week, Lynch made it clear that MDOT has the authority to impose restrictions on truck traffic. I have always believed that to be the case, because it happens in other states as we all know. But this is the first time an MDOT director has stated it plainly. In fact, Lynch is the first director in my memory who has taken this issue seriously. I thank him for that and for the work his department has put into the data that were presented at the Somers and Polson meetings.

On the other hand, Lynch also made it clear that restrictions on trucks cannot be arbitrary and need to be fully justified. MDOT data indicate that the accident rate for trucks per million miles traveled on Highway 35 and 93 is not significantly different from the state average.

Comments from the public highlighted the greater danger to water quality from hazardous materials along Highway 35. They also emphasized the lower standards of Highway 35: the minimal width of travel lanes, the lack of shoulders and clear zones, the guard rails just inches from the fog lines, and the continuing damage to the roadway from heavy trucks due to the older construction and lack of modern engineering on Highway 35. And there were many comments about speeding, truck trailers swinging back and forth across the center
and fog lines, and past accidents or close calls.

Both meetings were attended by Kevin Howlett, Montana Highway Commissioner for western Montana and a very influential leader of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. He was appointed to the commission by former Republican Gov. Judy Martz and re-appointed by present Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Howlett spoke near the end of each meeting, after hearing the comments, so his remarks didn't make the news. But he stated very bluntly in Polson that he is deeply concerned by the "catastrophe" of April 2, which has contaminated five Flathead lakefront homes with gasoline and left 5,000 gallons of gasoline in the ground, some of it now under the lakebed. He said this issue involves many state and federal agencies, including the Tribes, and as a commissioner he does not take it lightly. Bear in mind that the Tribes have jurisdiction over the lakebed and shoreline on the south half of the lake, where the April 2 spill occurred.

There were many other great comments, but one in particular that didn't make the press reports came from Yellow Bay resident Harry Hiatt. When Spook Stang, executive director of the motor carriers, talked about how much truckers pay in road taxes, Hiatt pointed out that all those costs always get passed on to the consumers, so in fact we all are paying all those costs.

After the comment period closes July 7, the department plans to review them and then return for another round of meetings to discuss the options. No timetable has yet been set for that process. I will post this update on the blog page at http://montana35.blogspot.com/ Feel free to post comments on that page, or if you are (like me) still trying to figure out how blogs work, just send me an e-mail don@partnerswestrealty.com

This is a reminder of the Montana Department of Transportation meetings on Highway 35 safety scheduled Wednesday June 4 (tonight) at the White Oak on Highway 93 in Somers, and Thursday June 5 at the KwaTaqNuk in Polson. Open house starts at 6:30 p.m., with program at 7 p.m. by MDOT Director Jim Lynch. If you have concerns about highway safety and truck traffic, this is the time to speak up and submit comments.

If you cannot attend the meetings, public comments will be accepted until July 7. You can email comments to MDOT at the following link:http://www.mdt.mt.gov/mdt/comment_form.shtml.
Or mail them to:
Dwane Kailey
MDT Missoula District Office
PO Box 7039
Missoula, MT 59807-7039

Comments don't need to be long. If you have experiences to relate, by all means do so. But the important thing is to let the department know you are concerned. Comments can be as simple as:

"I would like a safer Highway 35,"
or
"Highway 35 is too narrow and should be closed to through truck traffic,"
or
"Highway 35 should be closed to trucks with pups and trucks hauling hazardous materials."

Some points that were made at our community May 16 included:
- Highway 35 is too narrow and has no shoulders;
- Highway 93 on the west shore is wider, with shoulders, and has been improved for trucks;
- Highway 35 roadbed is not adequately constructed for heavy trucks;
- Highway 35 doesn't receive federal funds for maintenance;
- Highway has many driveways and highway entrances, many with poor visibility;
- Heavy trucks cause some houses to shake;
- Trucks hauling pups tend to drift across the center lines and fog lines, especially those with long connecting tongues;
- State should determine average distances of the highway from homes and lakeshore on each side of the lake;


Suggestions included:
- Prohibit through travel by semi-trailer trucks on Highway 35 between Polson & Bigfork;
- Prohibit through travel by trucks with pups, fuel trucks and/or trucks carrying hazardous materials;
- Require special permits for trucks hauling hazardous materials;
- Set up a permanent truck weight station at edither the north or south end of the lake loop;
- Designate Highway 35 a national scenic highway (though this wouldn't limit trucks);
- Reduce the speed limit to 35 mph along the entire east lakeshore;- Do more to enforce the existing speed limits;
- Give trucks a tax break for not using Highway 35;
- Route loaded trucks to Highway 93 and empties to Highway 35.

Please feel free to post any highway-related comments or stories you may have on this blog site