Residents, businesses press Libby council for four-way stop and crosswalk safety measures on Mineral Avenue

The Libby City Council heard multiple pleas from residents and downtown business owners to make Mineral Avenue safer for pedestrians, including adding a four-way stop at Fourth Street and installing crosswalk flags funded by a grant.

Business owner Carol Sugar told the council she and her clients ‘‘have elderly clients that try and cross the road … people don't stop for those folks,’’ and urged the city ‘‘very seriously consider…a four‑way stop at the corner of Fourth and Mineral’’ to slow traffic and reduce near‑misses. Several other speakers said they had video of dangerous turns and that community petitions supporting a four‑way stop had collected ‘‘more than 200 signatures.’’

Why it matters: Mineral Avenue is the council’s primary downtown corridor, and multiple commenters described repeated safety incidents that affect older residents and customers of small businesses. The council's streets committee recommended two immediate steps: pursue a LORE grant to fund handheld or pole-mounted crosswalk flags at intersections and consider lowering the posted speed limit from 25 to 20 mph between Eighth and First streets.

Council and staff responses: Police and streets staff said enforcement and data collection would guide any permanent change. The Police Chief reported an emphasis patrol that day that produced 15 traffic stops — 13 for stop‑sign violations and two for speed, with a highest observed speed of 35 mph — and said portable radar speed signs can record time-and-speed data and be moved around town. Staff cautioned a formal reduction in posted speed likely requires a speed study and coordination with the Montana Department of Transportation.

Public-versus-staff tradeoffs: Residents and business owners urged immediate, visible interventions. One commenter offered to pay for stop signs and several others recommended prioritizing Fourth and Sixth streets near the fire department and high pedestrian activity. Staff and some council members urged planning and follow-up: installing portable radar signs and pursuing the grant for flags, while deferring a final decision on the speed limit until speed-study requirements are clarified.

Next steps: Councilmembers agreed to place the four‑way stop discussion on the next meeting agenda and to have staff follow up with the grant writer (Tabitha/Tabisa, named on the record) about the scope of funding for flags. The council also asked staff to research whether the speed reduction would require formal study or state approval and to return with data for a later decision.

The meeting adjourned before final action on the speed-limit change; council approved placing the stop‑sign item on the next agenda.