Missoula council advances $24M‑plus downtown SAM project after lengthy public debate

Missoula City Council on June 15 approved two motions to advance the downtown Safety, Access and Mobility (SAM) project: (1) a resolution to move the project into final design and implementation and (2) an amendment to a professional services agreement for pre-construction work with Jackson Contractor Group.

The SAM project — funded primarily by a federal RAISE (or similar) grant supplemented locally — proposes a reconfiguration of downtown streets and trails to improve safety, accessibility and multimodal connections. Public Works Director Jeremy Keane told the council the design work reflects years of public engagement, traffic analysis and a focus on prioritizing access to parking, businesses and the riverfront.

Why it matters: The project reconfigures traffic patterns in constrained downtown corridors, adds protected bike facilities, improves ADA access and widens riverfront trails. Supporters said the work will make downtown safer and more accessible; opponents warned the lane conversions could increase congestion and intersection collisions and criticized projected cost increases and trade-offs in scope.

Public comment: Dozens of residents weighed in. Supporters included representatives of the Missoula Downtown Association and disability advocates who said the project will expand access. Opponents cited other municipalities where similar conversions caused safety concerns and pointed to a reported $4 million–$9 million potential local funding gap. "I don't believe that any of the changes that are currently in the plan are going to improve safety for cyclists," said Matt Schaefer, an emergency medical technician who cited studies from other cities. Supporters emphasized ADA improvements and signal optimization; John Wolverton and others said the design prioritizes safety for vulnerable users.

Council action: After extended debate about traffic redistribution, parking, grant constraints and tax-increment financing (TIF) options, the council approved the resolution advancing SAM into final design and separately authorized a pre-construction services amendment. Both motions passed; one councilor voted no on each motion while the majority supported advancement into final design.

What’s next: Staff will proceed with final design and pre-construction work and return with project estimates, phasing and any requested add-ons once bid pricing is available. Council requested continued updates on construction phasing to reduce business disruption and asked staff to preserve as many accessibility elements as possible where budget pressure has required trade-offs.