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Commission backs rapid-flashing beacons for Park Street despite public concern over curb extensions
Summary
The commission approved pedestrian-safety improvements on Park Street that include rapid-flashing beacons and a short curb extension at Main and Park; residents raised concerns about transparency, snowplow clearance and truck turning radii. MDT staff and city engineers said MDT approved the north-side curb extension.
The Livingston City Commission voted to move forward with pedestrian-safety improvements on Park Street that include rapid-flashing beacons at two crossings and a short curb extension at the Main and Park intersection.
Grant Gager, the city manager, told the commission the project — funded primarily by the State Local Infrastructure Partnership Act (House Bill 355) and private donations — responds to repeated pedestrian-safety incidents at the Park/Main crossing and to recommendations in the city’s Trails and Active Transportation Plan. He described collaborative design work with the Montana Department of Transportation.
"This configuration ... does include a slight curb extension on the north side of Park Street on the northwest corner of the intersection," Gager said, noting MDT’s involvement in approving the bid set.
Multiple residents and business owners objected during public comment, saying they were surprised the detailed bid set and plan sheets were not widely circulated before the consent agenda, and that a curb extension ("bulb-out") could hinder snowplow operations and large-truck turns. Several speakers, including local emergency planners and delivery drivers, urged the commission to pause or modify the design to avoid traffic and snow-removal problems.
Commissioners said the issue had been the subject of multi-year planning, including the active transportation plan and previous budget discussions. Gager and public-works staff displayed the relevant plan sheets in the meeting and said there is no curb extension proposed at Park & Geyser; staff also said MDT’s director signed off on the north-side curb extension for Main & Park after reviewing snow-removal operations and geometry.
Commissioner Lyons moved and Commissioner Kale seconded approval of the construction contract with Askin Construction; the motion carried by voice vote. Commissioners directed staff to continue outreach and to publish plan sheets and procurement documents for public review, and staff said they will provide additional information about snow-removal implications and final project sequencing.
The decision keeps the emphasis on pedestrian safety while prompting staff to address public concerns about transparency and operational impacts before construction begins.
