transportation

The Bigfork School District has approved the purchase of a new electric school bus thanks to a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Missoula County is asking the Legislature not to prohibit local governments from zoning some subdivisions for solar and electrical vehicle readiness.

Designers with ECONorthwest – a consultant hired by the city to create a Midtown Master Plan – are set to begin work on a final draft later this year, setting a vision for the poorly planned and car-dependent district.

With much of the engineering work needed to convert Front and Main streets back into two-way traffic complete, the City of Missoula plans to apply for federal funding to help cover the cost of implementing the vision.

With a federal grant secured, the city plans to ink a contract with a team of experts to begin exploring the feasibility and design of a bus rapid transit system on Brooks Street.

The “Great American Automobile Experiment” opened up vast tracts of inexpensive land for housing in the suburbs, and cities fueled the American Dream by building roads and adding more capacity for cars.

Lacking a guarantee from City Council, the Missoula Redevelopment Agency this week tabled a decision on funding a costly ventilation project at a city shop with toxic air without first knowing whether elected officials will approve plans for a larger revenue bond that's needed to fund vital infrastructure work in the Scott Street district.

The old Sleepy Inn property could be removed and prepared for redevelopment as early as April, setting the stage for redevelopment within the West Broadway corridor, city officials said this week.

A transportation study on US Highway 93 between Lolo and Florence is entering its final stage and is expected to produce a number of recommendations to improve safety and reduce the number of wildlife collisions within the corridor.

If passed, House Bill 198 would give control of the sidewalks on highways in a city’s limits from the Montana Department of Transportation to the local municipality.