Centennial Trail Update

The Centennial Trail is getting closer to becoming a reality! The Centennial Trail will be an East-West non-motorized path through Helena, providing a safe, protected through-way for walkers, joggers, and bikers. The Trail is planned to connect the East Helena bicycle path by Walmart to Spring Meadow State Park.

Construction began on the East side of the Trail this fall, but was shut down due to winter weather. The project is currently in winter shutdown and will be completed next spring. While still unpaved, this portion of the trail has been graded and is open for non-motorized use. Barricades have been set up to prevent vehicular traffic from using the trail.

The West side of the Trail will be built using part of the remaining Community Transportation Enhancement Program (CTEP) funds, as approved by the City Commission this summer. The project has gone through the first phase of programming with MDT, and is now in the second phase after plans were approved by City staff.

The planned route (shown in purple) picks up where the current Trail ends at Joslyn St. The Trail will continue south on Joslyn, then head west using Leslie Ave. right-of-way (not currently a built street). The Trail then has the option to head north and continue on Country Club Ave., or find alternative right-of-way to connect to Spring Meadow State Park. These details have yet to be determined.

Once the City receives approval to proceed from MDT, the project can go out to bid for a consultant to design the trail. The trail must be designed and ready-to-build by June 1st in order to use the CTEP funds. City staff is hopeful that the process will go smoothly and construction will begin on the West side next summer.

As evidenced on the walking tour of CT West in October, a dirt path is worn through the ditch on the side of Country Club Ave. from people walking to Spring Meadow State Park and beyond. This is a high traffic roadway currently designed exclusively for cars. A non-motorized connection is vital to provide a safe pathway for those accessing the Park on foot or bike.

As we've learned from so many other non-motorized facilities: if you built it, they will come. Once complete, the Centennial Trail will be a protected corridor for active recreation, families, people exercising, kids, and commuters; promoting a healthy, safe, connected community in Helena.

Potential Changes Planned for HATS!

The Helena Area Transportation Advisory Council (HATAC) has been working hard all summer on the second round of a Transit Planning 4 All grant awarded to Lewis & Clark County. The grant hired four consultants to look at improvements for the Helena Area Transit Service (HATS), specifically focused on four action areas: Coordination, Policy & Funding, Communications & Marketing, and the formation of a Transit Rider's Council. All four of the actions areas contribute to the broader enterprise of transitioning HATS from an inefficient, limited service, to an accessible, reliable public transit system that better serves all of Helena's citizens.

As the grant is wrapping up, the consultants have produced some promising results. The Transit Rider's Council has formed and is working on dealing more efficiently with customer complaints. An inventory of all transportation services in Helena has been completed, in hopes that more coordination between these services can happen in the future.

A new marketing plan has been developed for HATS. The plan would change the name of HATS to be Capital Transit. The buses would be painted in distinct colors (indigo blue with gold and dark red accents, to match the color scheme of Downtown Helena) in order to stand out as a public transit service. A website is being developed to make it easier for riders to find information about the bus service. Bus stops would all be marked with signs and schedules (many of the current bus stops are not signed at all). These changes would make HATS more visible in the community, and more accessible for new riders.

Most notably, a transit service improvement has been recommended that includes a broader range of fixed route service to better serve Helena. While details are still being finalized, this new service could be in place by next summer. The service improvement provides access to all of the existing fixed route service area, as well as areas current not accessible by public transit, including the West side, the Capital campus, and Carroll College.

Note that the area shaded in blue is the standard 1/4-mile walking distance covered by the route.

Find more information about the Transit Planning 4 All grant process, including details on the Marketing and Transit Service Improvements, here: http://helenaareatransportationforall-eandrewscommunityengagement.nationbuilder.com/about