Latest news with #MontanaDepartmentofTransportation
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Distracted driver legislation in memory of Anaconda woman sputters in House
A sign warning drivers against distracted driving is near one of the entrances of Billings, Montana. (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan) Four years ago, a young woman, Chloe Worl, was killed shortly before 8 a.m. outside of Dillon by a distracted driver. The other driver, texting on her phone and using Snapchat, slammed Worl's pickup at 60 mph. Worl, who was 25 and working at Barrett Hospital at the time, was killed instantly. The driver who killed Worl avoided jail time for the death. Montana does not have laws making distracted driving illegal, something some lawmakers this session sought to change with Senate Bill 359. Some municipalities, like Helena and Billings, already have distracted driving laws. Signs dot the towns, reminding motorists to look up at the road, not down at their phones. But efforts to bring distracted driving laws statewide have stalled. 'She was an amazing young lady whose life was cut too short, but she's one of many,' said Sen. Sara Novak, an Anaconda Democrat who pushed distracted driving legislation this session. 'This keeps happening.' There were 203 traffic fatalities in 2024, according to the Montana Department of Transportation. That number was less than 200 in 2023. Many of the fatal crashes have been clustered in the southwestern portion of the state. Nationally, fatalities are more common in rural areas than urban, and more than 3,200 people died in crashes caused by distracted driving in 2023. Worl held a degree from the University of Montana Western in molecular biology and had planned to attend the University of Montana's pharmacy school. She was a hunter, an avid horseback rider, a National Honors Society member and musically gifted. Her death shocked not only the Dillon community, but north in Anaconda as well. Worl was a Copperhead, a graduate of Anaconda High School and a four-year softball player. Worl's memory still lives — her family has spoken in favor of legislation seeking to penalize distracted driving and there's even an annual scholarship in her name. 'We've learned a lot since this tragedy has happened to us,' Keith Worl, Chloe's father, said during a Senate Transportation hearing for SB 359 in late February. 'I guess it's also fueled our fire to not have this tragedy happen to anybody else we know.' Chloe Worl's memory lives in Novak's mind too. Novak's Senate Bill 359 would have added penalties for distracted driving. While the session is not over quite yet, the effort has stalled. The legislation passed the Senate, but was tabled in the House Judiciary Committee. Two attempts to blast SB 359, both by legislators from nearby districts, failed during the last two weeks. The first motion to move it to the House floor, by Rep. Jennifer Lynch, a Butte Democrat, failed by one vote with one member, a Democrat, voting remotely. Blast motions can only be voted on by members who are present in the chamber at the time of the vote, and if they would have had that vote on the first motion to reconsider, the legislation likely would have seen the House floor. Rep. Scott DeMarois, a Democrat from Anaconda, brought the second blast motion to move the bill to the floor. It failed by four votes. 'For whatever reason, the stars didn't align,' Novak said. 'It's emotional, it's frustrating.' Novak was Worl's driving instructor, teaching her siblings as well. She was carrying SB 359 for the family and said last week it was her most important piece of legislation this session. 'She was a ray of sunshine,' Novak said. It frustrated Novak, who felt 'politics' played a part in the bill's struggles, but for her the bill not going cuts even deeper. Law enforcement and the state Department of Transportation supported the bill in its committee hearings, but trouble began in the Senate. Asking municipal courts to prosecute the charges was one issue. There was a sense by some legislators it was an attempt by the transportation department to increase revenue by adding penalties. 'I do value life, but this bill usually goes through judiciary,' Sen. Barry Usher, R-Billings, said March 2 on the Senate floor. 'But it seems to me, based on the discussion, that this is about money, because this was pushed, I guess, by the Department of Transportation, because we're losing money.' Comments on her intent were also lambasted by Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, as a point of decorum during Senate floor discussion. Novak recently said the MDT trying to get more funding wasn't the driver of the bill and made a similar comment on the floor in March. 'In terms of the attacks on MDT and my reasons for bringing this bill, I take exception to that,' Novak said on March 2. 'As this bill sponsor, I did a lot of homework, and I reached out to who I thought would be of interest in this bill.' Novak said there was some conversation about amending the bill to specifically ban texting. But this doesn't go far enough, she said. 'It's more than just texting,' Novak said. A car can travel the length of a football field while glancing at a phone for five seconds at 55 mph. Other messaging apps like Snapchat can be a pull, as can social media, taking photos and changing a song. There has been some appetite in the Legislature to regulate motorists this session, and Bobby's Law, House Bill 267, would create a mandatory minimum for some fatal DUIs in the state. Novak's bill would have made it a $75 ticket on first offense for distracted driving and $150 for subsequent infractions. The intention of Novak's legislation wasn't fully punitive, she said. It's more of creating reminders, so that fewer families will be shattered by a preventable crash, she added. 'We weren't trying to hammer anything with a bunch of heavy fines or create more work for law enforcement,' Novak said in an interview. 'It was more educational and being a deterrent.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Montana House passes bill to give towing vehicles right-of-way in roundabouts
A Montana Department of Transportation graphic illustrates how to navigate a double roundabout. (Courtesy image) The Montana House unanimously passed a bill addressing how vehicles approach roundabouts on Friday, specifically adding stipulations into the law giving preference for vehicles towing a load. Senate Bill 433, brought by Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, changes regulations for how vehicles approach roundabouts. Hauling vehicles will legally be allowed to deviate from their lane to move through a traffic circle. Other autos in the roundabout must yield to hauling vehicles. Manzella said during a House Transportation Committee hearing on March 21 the legislation stemmed from discussions over a roundabout on Highway 93 at its intersection with Bell Crossing near Victor and subsequent town halls about the topic. 'When you are a tow vehicle pulling a trailer, we feel that that tow vehicle needs to be given the right-of- way,' Manzella said. 'Because of the fact that when you're entering the roundabout, your rear tires don't necessarily track. They want to crowd to the inside.' There's also usually a berm on roundabouts, Manzella said, which can cause whatever's being hauled around to move around. Constituents said this was the problem, and it's also been a complaint from trucking companies across the country. 'For me, it's my horses, which are precious, and I don't dare bludgeon them,' Manzella said. ' …I have had that happen before, where they have injured their pretty little faces, pushing themselves, getting bumped into the trailer wall.' The bill will also have an impact on double-lane roundabouts, which can be used on four-lane highways. It allows trailers to legally deviate from one of the lanes. Manzella's legislation received support from the Montana Department of Transportation, which maintains a database of roundabouts across the state. Roundabouts are generally safer than four-way intersections, as the possibility of T-bone collisions is drastically reduced, according to MDOT. 'Not every intersection demands a roundabout, but for those that do, this is an important tool for us to have in our toolbox, and any effort that we can make to make them safer is a welcome opportunity,' said Larry Flynn, MDOT deputy director during the bill's House hearing. 'I think this is a good, common sense approach to help improve the safety of an already safe tool.' After a final procedural approval in the House, the bill will head to the governor's desk.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State looks to build new transportation facility in North Kalispell
Apr. 8—The Montana Department of Transportation is looking to build a new 28,000 square foot multi-use facility in north Kalispell. The Kalispell Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Tuesday, April 8 at 6 p.m. in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E. The state agency is requesting annexation of the 9-acre plot of land into the city, initial zoning of P-1 (public) and a conditional use permit to allow for the facility located at 2905 U.S. 93 North, which is currently being used as a maintenance yard. The new building would be used to store equipment storage and be fitted with mechanics and welding shops under one roof, according to the project proposal. The state Department of Transportation has a welding and mechanics shop on Fifth Avenue East North but will be relocated to the new building. "The property is located in a generally commercial area which transitions into multi-family to the east and single-family to the north, along with undeveloped lots slated for multi-family and office use," read the proposal. The Kalispell Ford dealership and the firearms manufacturing company, Falkor Defense sit across the street from the property along with the new Stillwater Bend subdivision nearby. The proposed project is in compliance with the municipal growth policy, according to the development proposal. The conditional use permit would also require the construction of a road connection from Rose Crossing north to Quail Lane. "Without annexation, the road connection is unlikely to be available," read the proposal. THE PLANNING commission will also hold its sixth meeting regarding the city's new land use plan. The commission must craft a new and improved land use plan after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 382, also known as the Montana Land Use Planning Act, into law in May 2023 in hopes of easing the statewide housing crunch. Tuesday's meeting will entail discussion on portions of the preliminary draft, according to the meeting agenda. A provision of the act that has drawn criticism from city officials is how it limits public input on site-specific developments. By frontloading public input to creating the land use plan, the act would ditch public hearings in from of City Council on site — specific construction. However, the provision was ruled unconstitutional by a district court judge in Bozeman in March, leaving city planners with unanswered questions on how site-specific developments will be approached. The community may provide their thoughts on the city's public engagement website at Users can post their thoughts on challenges facing Kalispell, tag areas on a map whether the city needs revamping, sign up for project updates and learn more about the legislation. The new plan must be adopted by May 2026. Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Montana Department of Transportation holds open house for U.S. 93 access plan
Mar. 13—The Montana Department of Transportation is starting work on a plan to inform traffic safety measures and guide reduced congestion along U.S. 93 as Kalispell and Whitefish grow. Known as the Kalispell-Whitefish Access Plan, the framework is meant to guide future construction projects by identifying access options along the highway as development occurs, according to the state department. Dozens of residents attended an open house at Easthaven Baptist Church on Tuesday afternoon to learn more about the state's plans for the corridor. Along with future growth, existing access points will also be examined. A poster displayed at the open house depicted examples of businesses sharing accesses to the highway rather than having separate ones, or businesses being limited to one access point rather than two. Still, Joel Boucher, preconstruction engineer for the Department of Transportation, said that no accesses will be taken away. "We're not necessarily looking at specific treatments for intersections at this time," Boucher added. The state department contracted Montana-based civil engineering firm Robert Peccia & Associates to conduct a study on the corridor that will help to create the final framework. Density of accesses, proximity of accesses to a major intersection, crashes and high usage approaches are some of the details that the study will identify, said April Gerth, the project manager with the firm. Gerth expects a draft of the study to be released in late spring or early summer. A final plan is expected to be completed by late fall or early winter. Kris and Kevin Hursh both live off Tronstad Road and attended the open house in case there were any specific plans for the road's intersection with U.S. 93. "We wanted to see what potential plan, if there was one," Kris Hursh said. "We're going to have a ton of homes on our little road." She said she worries about car accidents and traffic in the area as the city's population grows. The couple can't take a left off Tronstad Road to go south, and instead must take Whitefish Stage to Rose Crossing before getting back on the highway. And getting off the highway onto Tronstad Road at a sharp angle is also worrisome. A 355-home subdivision was approved by City Council along Tronstad Road in November, which Kris Hursh said they fought tooth and nail against because of the subdivision's high-density on what they see as an unsafe and undeveloped road. The developers eventually agreed to install a traffic light at the intersection when the development was approved. Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Yahoo
Flathead Valley residents advocate for stricter drunk driving penalties
Jan. 28—"On Mar. 11, 2023, I received the phone call that no mother should ever receive," Flathead Valley resident Elizabeth McBride told lawmakers in Helena on Monday morning. Testifying for the House Judiciary Committee, McBride recounted her shock and grief when she learned that her son, Robert "Bobby" Dewbre, had been struck and killed by a drunk driver while crossing a road outside Columbia Falls. She detailed the subsequent criminal case, which resulted in a sentence of 18 months in the county jail for the driver, John Lee Wilson. "Everybody that we have spoken to about this since it happened has been absolutely appalled that the driver was charged with two misdemeanors instead of a felony," said McBride. McBride's comments were in support of House Bill 267, otherwise known as Bobby's Law, which could result in harsher penalties for drunk drivers. She was among 36 people, including several others from the valley, testifying in favor of the legislation. The bill is designed to address details that may have led to a lighter sentence for Wilson. While Wilson had a blood alcohol content of .20, over twice the legal limit of .08, he reportedly followed all traffic laws prior to the fatal collision, making it difficult for prosecutors to achieve the burden of proof required for felony charges. The case was complicated by the fact that Dewbre was not in a crosswalk. "We've had a number of instances of this unfortunately, so it's not just [with] Bobby Dewbre that we've come up against this issue," said Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner. If passed, Bobby's Law would make it easier for prosecutors to pursue more serious charges for some drunk driving incidents. The law stipulates that driving with a blood alcohol limit above .16 is inherently negligent, reducing the burden of proof for prosecutors. Offenders could be charged with aggravated vehicular homicide under the influence and face a state prison term of 3-30 years, a fine between $10,000 and $50,000 or both. While the law will not affect the outcome of Dewbre's case, proponents are hopeful the harsher penalties will serve as a deterrent and curb the state's high DUI rates. "It's not only a tragedy, all these deaths, it's actually embarrassing for Montana that we're ranking in the top numbers with DUI homicide. This is an embarrassment," testified Kia Ricchi. The Montana Department of Transportation reported 166 roadway fatalities in Flathead County between 2013 and 2022, 42% of which involved a drunk driver, and Ahner reported that Flathead County saw 429 arrests for driving under the influence in 2024. A yearly report from Forbes ranked Montana as the worst state in the country for drunk driving. The House Judiciary Committee will vote on the bill on Wednesday. If passed, it could be reviewed by the House later this week. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, said that an amendment to strengthen the language in the bill would be available in the coming days. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@
