Seeking speed reduction on US 191 South

A group of over 20 Malta residents, all three County Commissioners, Malta City officials and a member of the Montana Department of Transportation met at the Phillips County Courthouse last Wednesday afternoon to discuss the possibility of speed reductions on US 191 at the southern entrance to Malta.

MDT's Keith Bithell said a speed investigation was requested by the Phillips County Commissioners and in June of this year and sample speeds were taken at nine locations – spread out through parts of the county -- to gather information and develop a speed profile including US 191 South. From that data, MDT determined that "crash and citation data does not single out this segment as being problematic" and "we recommend no changes in the speed limit configuration at this time."

Commissioner Lesly Robinson said that on the days the study was conducted in June (a 24 hour period on the 14th and 15th) that there was a heavy rain and school wasn't in session and that could have skewed the numbers which concluded that most drivers follow the speed reductions posted as they enter Malta. Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Ohl agreed that June was a strange time to conduct the speed investigation.

"That's the lowest traffic volume other than a Tuesday or Wednesday in January," Trooper Ohl said.

Several citizens who reside along US 191 who have children in their households agreed that traffic on the stretch of road is much higher when school is in session and Jen Anderson, who both lives in the area and works for the Phillips Conservation District at Malta's USDA building on US 191 agreed with Trooper Ohl.

"It's a little scary to pull onto," she said of the busy traffic periods.

Bob Ereaux, who also lives along the highway, said it could be dangerous pulling out at times.

"If you aren't paying attention you are going to get hit," Ereaux said of pulling onto the highway.

A few residents who live along the highway said they would be "highly opposed" to anything more than a 10 mile per hour speed reduction.

"If it was 55 right at the Wagner Highway and then reduced each side by 10, I'm fine with that," Randy Shores said.

Phillips County Commissioner Richard Dunbar assured Shores that if the speed was lowered, it would be what Shores had suggested.

Bithell said though the speed study shows that 85-percent of people on the portion of the highway in question are driving the speed limit. Commissioner Robinson said the speed limit in the area is too fast.

"We want to slow that traffic down," Commissioner Dunbar added.

Trooper Ohl, speaking from personal experience, thought the speed limit might be too high.

"There are times when you are pulling out of businesses there that people are going a little fast," he said. "You have to pay attention, which is obviously your responsibility, but people are going plenty fast there."

John Carnahan, who is looking to be voted into the Phillips County Commissioner from District A, said that a car traveling at 70 miles per hour is moving at 102-feet per second.

"That's too fast for the residential people living out there," he added.

Shilo Messerly, who also works at the USDA building, said that if she had to guess, each person who works at the building has probably been in a near accident at least once per year.

"I think each one of us look at least three times before we pull out," she said. "There are blind spots and it is really an issue."

Commissioner Robinson said the County Commissioners have been attempting to get the speed limit lowered on US 191 for about a year and sent a letter asking for it to MDT in the spring.

Commissioner Robinson said that the minutes and notes from last Wednesday's meeting will be sent to MDT's Shane Mintz in the Glendive District and in turn he will submit the notes to the Montana Transportation Commission. She said people who would like to submit their comments of a speed reduction, to be included in the minutes and notes to be sent to Mintz, should send them to the Phillips County Commissioners at PO Box 360, Malta, MT 59538 or email them to the commissioners at [email protected]. She said people should include their specific concerns in the letters or emails and have them sent within the next two weeks.