And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: From: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Monday, March 8, 1999 Road Rage Deaths Linked to Sprawl Western Montana one of the worst areas. Missoula, Montana and Washington, D.C. -- A new study that links aggressive driving to sprawl says Montana has the (14th) highest death rate of any state in the nation from aggressive driving crashes. The report will be discussed at a White House event with Vice President Al Gore at noon on Monday March 8th, where Mr. Gore will be making a related livability announcement. The study by the Washington, D.C.-based Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) found a statistically significant relationship between places with high aggressive driving death rates and newer, sprawling communities where the car is the only way to get around and there was low use of buses, trains, walking, and biking. Residents in places with lower transit use were 61 percent more likely to die in an aggressive driving crash than people who live in areas where more people take the train or bus. "The endless subdivisions and strip malls that can only be reached in a car are a breeding ground for frustration," says STPP. "Driving becomes just another chore to be finished as quickly as possible, and that can lead to aggressive driving." 90 people in Montana died in aggressive driving crashes in 1996, placing it among the 14 states with the highest death rates due to excessively aggressive driving. The Missoula area has the highest death rate in the state due to aggressive driving. On Monday, several citizens' groups in western Montana that have been calling for reform of transportation policies said the study was directly relevant to the controversy over redesign of U.S. Highway 93. "This is exactly the situation we could have in the Bitterroot Valley if we accept the Montana Department of Transportation's plans for Highway 93," said Jim Olsen, President of Friends of the Bitterroot. "This study shows that we can fight aggressive driving by building our communities so everyone has the chance to take a break from driving. In the places with uncontrolled sprawl development, where the car is the only choice, aggressive driving is a big problem," said Peter Moore of the Highway 93 Citizens Coalition for Responsible Planning. Tom Smith of the Flathead Resource Organization voiced the same concerns over the MDT's proposed expansion of Highway 93 on the Flathead Indian Reservation. "This study is another important indication that what the MDT is proposing would only bring even bigger traffic problems to western Montana. We're at the same crucial turning point that California found itself 40 years ago. The question is, will we learn from their mistakes and try to avoid that disaster? If we continue to make high-speed car travel the sole or primary focus of our transportation policies, we will lose much of what we love about Montana." The STPP study found a statistically significant relationship between places with high aggressive driving death rates and low use of buses, trains, walking, and biking. Residents in places with lower transit use were 61 percent more likely to die in an aggressive driving crash than people who live in areas where more people take the train or bus. The study also compared death rates to traffic congestion levels, but found no strong relationship. In fact, places with higher congestion had slightly lower death rates, probably because faster-moving traffic is so much more deadly. "Sprawl and speed are a deadly combination," said Jim Olsen. He cited a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showing that states with speed limits over 55 mph had 15% more deaths than states that maintained a 55 mph speed limit. Montana had the second highest death rate per capita in the nation in 1997. Peter Moore said, "The recent speed limit bill is a step in the right direction, but speeds are still too high. Increasing the nighttime speed limit is a travesty from a safety standpoint." Smith agreed. "Maybe this study will raise consciousness of these issues among our policy makers so they are integrated more systematically into our transportation policies." BACKGROUND Highway 93 Controversy The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) proposes to widen a 34-mile section of Highway 93 south of Missoula running through the Bitterroot Valley ($35 million), and a 56-mile section north of Missoula, running entirely through the Flathead Indian Reservation ($100 million). Records of Decision signed for both segments of the project. In the southern section two citizens groups, Friends of the Bitterroot and the Highway 93 Citizens' Coalition, and the filed suit in federal court in January 1998 against the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and MDT over inadequacies in the EIS, including erroneous safety and capacity analyses and failure to consider regional impacts. The case has been heard and a decision is expected soon. For the northern section, the FHWA ruled that because of opposition by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the legitimacy of their environmental and cultural concerns, the Flathead Indian Reservation section cannot go forward until the Tribes and state reach agreement on lane configuration. Opposition to the project has also been organized since 1990 by the Flathead Resource Organization, an independent grassroots group composed of both tribal members and non-Indians on the Flathead Reservation. Speed Limit Bill The Montana State Legislature recently passed a speed limit bill. The bill raises the night speed limit from 55 mph to 65 mph on non-freeway highways. It sets a daytime speed limit to 70 mph on non-freeway highways and 65 mph on Highway 93. The Surface Transportation Policy Project is a coalition of over 200 professional, environmental and community organizations working for a balanced transportation policy that protects the environment, promotes social equity and makes communities more livable. Friends of the Bitterroot Friends of the Bitterroot is a, volunteer, grassroots conservation group that formed in 1988. The group is involved in forestry, wilderness, wolf and grizzly bear reintroduction, weed control, pesticide usage, and land use issues. The group's area of interest includes an area about the size of Connecticut. The Friends of the Bitterroot review virtually every public land management document and project within the Bitterroot watersheds and straddling the Continental Divide in Southwest Montana and Northern Idaho. Friends of the Bitterroot has been called one of the most effective grass roots forest and wilderness groups in the country by national environmental groups. The Highway 93 Citizens' Coalition for Responsible Planning formed in 1993 in response to citizen concerns over the Montana Department of Transportation's methods of collecting and assessing public opinion on the Bitterroot section of U.S. 93. Presently over 200 members strong, the Highway 93 Citizens' Coalition developed an innovative "Super Two" concept from information gathered from the public meetings in 1993. The "Super Two" was conceived to meet the needs of all segments of the population rather than a select few. The Coalition was instrumental in the formation of Missoula Ravalli Transportation Management Association (MR TMA), the first rural TMA in the county. The TMA has successfully developed a van pool, park and ride and car pool program. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes is a sovereign tribal government based on the 1.2-million acre Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana. The Tribes are comprised of over 7,500 tribal members of the confederated Salish or Flathead, Pend d'Oreille or Kalispel, and Kootenai nations. They are recognized as national leaders among tribal governments in protection and management of natural and cultural resources. The Flathead Resource Organization, formed in 1978, is an independent grassroots group composed of both tribal members and non-Indians on the Flathead Reservation. They have been active in efforts to prevent damming of the lower Flathead River, protect endangered species, protect water and air quality in the reservation area, reform pesticide practices, and for the last decade, work toward an innovative solution to the Highway 93 issue that provides safe, reasonably efficient travel while protecting the communities and environment of the area. Contact: Jim Olsen Friends of the Bitterroot P.O. Box 442 Hamilton, MT S9870 406-363-5410 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Peter Moore Highway 93 Citizens' Coalition for Responsible Planning P.O. Box 521 Stevensville, MT 59870 406-777-3210 Tom Smith Flathead Resource Organization Box 541 St. Ignatius, MT 59865 406-644-2511 ************************************************************************ List-Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> News Submissions or Problems: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> This list is a public service provided by WIN: http://www.wildrockies.org &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
