What Is Brooks Street Going To Look Like In A Few Years?

It feels like ever since I moved to Missoula a few years ago, there's always been at least one major construction project happening in town. Right now, we've got a couple - the Missoula International Airport has been working on its expansion, and the Beartracks Bridge on Higgins is hoping to finally be finished by the end of the year (and it's apparently safe to walk on now, so that's a win).

But if you thought that might be the end of any major construction in Missoula for a while... think again! The City of Missoula has a transformation in mind for Brooks Street too, which could take place over the next few years.

The city is currently seeking a federal grant of about $900,000 to get the project started. The major change here would be creating a Rapid Transit System for buses that would take up the center of Brooks Street, allowing Mountain Line to launch 15 minute service without causing a ton of traffic. The new plan also allows for pedestrians to cross easier and would create dedicated bike lanes, too.

We're probably a while away from any of this happening, and there are a lot of steps that need to happen before it does. But if the city does get that grant, that would bring them a lot closer to fully getting this project to where it would need to be to move forward.

What do you think of adding a center bus lane on Brooks Street to keep traffic flowing smoothly?