On Saturday, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle announced the release of WTI’s report on safety issues on the principal roads that travel through and to Big Sky, Montana. Principal Investigator David Kack led the study, sponsored by the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, which summarizes resident concerns from a series of community meetings, and makes recommendations for next steps such as a possible local speed and safety study. The full article can be read here. View or download the report- BigSkyTransportationSafetyReport
Month: April 2016
WTI Contributes to Kagy Boulevard Redesign Discussions
The City of Bozeman is planning a major reconstruction project for Kagy Boulevard, an arterial street that serves as a principal corridor for accessing the MSU campus (and WTI headquarters). Several WTI Researchers are actively involved in ensuring that the reconstruction proposals consider the needs of alternative modes of transportation, particularly bicycle and pedestrian users. On Saturday, a Bozeman Daily Chronicle article about an upcoming public meeting cited a letter by WTI’s Small Urban and Rural Livability Center Director David Kack, which recommended that the reconstruction project include safety measures to protect walkers and bikers. SURLC staff Rebecca Gleason and Taylor Lonsdale also contribute to campus and community bicycle planning through their work on the MSU Bicycle Master Planning Team and the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board. The Chronicle article is available here.
Center for Health and Safety Culture on the road.
Jay Otto and Annmarie McMahill from the Center for Health and Safety Culture spent two days with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) at their headquarters in Reno, NV. NCJFCJ assists juvenile and family court judges and system professionals as they seek to address child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, family law, juvenile justice, mental health, model courts, research, substance abuse, technical assistance, and tribal resources. Otto and McMahill spent time with staff and management discussing the Positive Culture Framework and how the Center’s research on culture and culture’s impact on behavior could improve health and safety within the Council’s work.
Research project for Blandings turtle protection launched.
WTI Research Ecologist Marcel Huijser is in Nebraska this week at the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge. Marcel (far right in photo) is working with Refuge staff and the Nebraska Department of Roads to launch a project to protect the Blanding’s Turtle. The turtle is threatened by habitat fragmentation and highway mortality, and is listed as an endangered species in several other states.