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

Op Ed: How to safely pass a bicyclist

The Independent Record published an op-ed today outlining Montana's Safe Passing Laws and how to properly pass a bicyclist while driving. Submitted by Bike Walk Montana, the article also discusses some habits bikers may use to be more visible to drivers.

Bike Walk Montana hopes to pass improved legislation for bicycle safety at this year's session. Read the Op-Ed here.

Happy Walk to School Day!

Helena schools are celebrating International Walk to School Day today! Radley, Broadwater and Hawthorn schools all participated with their own walk-to-school events. Keep checking this IR article as they update with more details on this morning's happenings!

http://helenair.com/news/local/helena-students-participate-in-walk-to-school-day/article_cd269471-3533-51f0-84f2-9b050b45ac39.html

National Bike/Walk to School Day October 8th

National Bike/Walk to School Day is coming up this Wednesday, October 8th, and Helena schools are on board! Check out this article in the Independent Record detailing the event and activities happening in Helena: http://helenair.com/news/local/join-the-crowd-bike-or-walk-to-school-on-wednesday/article_8061dad6-7d82-586f-b521-476b9abe0a23.html.

National Bike/Walk to School Day is a great time to see if walking or biking school buses would be a good fit for your child's school all year round. Helena school buses do not pick up kids who live within a 1-mile radius -- Walking/biking school buses can be a healthy, safe alternative that reduces car traffic around schools and have been shown to improve attendance in classrooms.

Resources and more information on walking or biking school buses:

• http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/walking_school_bus/ 
• http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/05/26/school-districts-using-walking-school-buses-to-fight-childhood-obesity-improve-attendance/

Centennial Trail West Tour a Success!

We had a great turn out of almost 20 interested citizens and stakeholders for the walking tour of Centennial Trail West on Wednesday. The group included representatives from FWP and Spring Meadow State Park, City and County staff, area businesses, and the Non-Motorized Travel Advisory Council, as well as neighbors interesting in the expansion of Centennial Trail. The group began the walk at the Joslyn/Country Club intersection and traveled west to Spring Meadow Park, making a couple detours to discuss various routes that could be developed.

The brainstorming session was positive and productive, with Spring Meadow offering to build a number of trails to connect to CT West. Neighbors were able to identify new potential routes from non-motorized travel that they've witnessed living in the area.

The need for a trail in the area is obvious by the worn path in the ditch from folks heading to Spring Meadow on Country Club Ave. A built trail would provide a safe corridor along the busy street that currently has zero non-motorized facilities. Improvements to the Country Club/Joslyn intersection would also go a long way in making the area safer for those on foot or bike, as the current situation is dangerous even for cars.

While the project is still undergoing the federal programming process, construction for this half of the trail could potentially begin next summer. Read more in this article from the IR: http://helenair.com/helena/centennial-trail-project-moving-forward/article_02ca47d4-8cff-5c6c-8b76-ed8dfa087145.html