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Researchers report mixed public response to Livingston quick‑build curb extensions, urge broader outreach
Summary
Montana State University’s Western Transportation Institute summarized a temporary downtown pilot that installed curb extensions and planters, reported improved perceived pedestrian safety for active users but lower driver support, and recommended longer outreach and more durable materials before permanent changes.
Rebecca Gleason, a research engineer with the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University, told the Livingston City Commission that a month-long quick‑build pilot installing temporary curb extensions and planters downtown produced useful safety and design feedback for future projects. The pilot tested curb extensions at Main & Clark and Callender & 2nd to “slow traffic” and improve visibility between drivers and people on foot, Gleason said: “If a person pedestrian hit by a car traveling 20 miles per hour, there’s a 5 percent chance that they will be killed. At 30 miles per hour, that jumps up to 45 percent.”
The WTI team reported a walk audit with 13 participants and an online survey that generated 940 responses. Survey results showed 37 percent of respondents who walk or bike felt the curb extensions increased their sense of safety, while only about 11 percent of respondents who primarily drive agreed. Gleason and colleague Jennifer McFarland said those differences likely reflected surprise at the short notice and the temporary materials used: “A lot of people didn’t know the project was coming and were kinda surprised by it,” Gleason said, and some respondents disliked the plastic flex‑posts and requested more durable materials.
The consultants described the pilot as low‑cost and reversible, noting about $6,646 per intersection for the temporary materials. They recommended earlier and broader outreach, partnering with schools and local artists for place‑making components, and additional data collection such as pedestrian and bicycle counts and driver yielding observations to better target future locations. Commissioners asked about methods to prioritize intersections and whether scaling back curb geometry might reduce safety benefits; WTI reiterated that results are context specific and that further testing would help answer geometry questions.
The presentation framed the quick‑build approach as a way for Livingston to test safety concepts from the 2024 downtown master plan without committing to large capital projects immediately. Commissioners praised the study and encouraged staff to pursue additional data collection and community engagement before considering permanent installations.
