Public comment is important to the process of making a final decision. Public input influences the final decision, as well it should, and that is why we, the citizens in the area being affected, are included in the process. Save the date, October 7th, Florence School old gym, at 5:30 for sharing of project info and data, and 7:00 for the public comment portion.
The project being presented is phase II of the Eastside highway expansion and upgrades, beginning where it is now being finished just south of the round-a-bout to near Wildfowl Lane just south of Ambrose Creek Rd. The link for the project is,http://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/northstevi/
At this point in the project planning it does not include the continuation of the ‘shared use’ path. The Department of Transportation will consider all the input from the public comment period before making the final determination regards inclusion or not of the path.
If you live in the neighborhoods along the route of the next phase, you are the most important voices to be heard. You live here, this is your neighborhood. For the nearby communities, would you like to see the continuation of the Eastside shared use path, would you like to see the longterm benefit of being connected to the existing network of the shared use path along the hwy 93 corridor? For all the rest of us that live in the Bitterroot Valley, the existence of a safe place for all of us to utilize is a long term commitment to a lifestyle and a quality of life that goes along with living in our beautiful rural valley.
There will be a third phase to the project, in the near future, that will continue the project into the town of Stevensville, where a path already exists connecting town with the shared use path along Hwy 93. Ponder the possibility of the disconnect if phase II did not have a path and phase III did.
Your input is important and your right to make a public comment is important. The neighborhoods involved need to be fairly heard and represented by your presence at the public meeting on October 7th.
Ed Greef, Rep HD 90
Florence