Growth and Transportation

Discussion of Commuter Rail Service Now Open to the Public

By Brenna Moore, 6-13-06

The topic of a commuter rail service in Missoula will be discussed in two public meetings this week, and all who want more information on the proposal are encouraged to attend.

As the Missoulian covered earlier this week, proponents of a rail service in Missoula and the Bitterroot valleys will be in Missoula to conduct symposiums on the feasibility of the system.

The first of these symposiums, titled “A Discussion on the Feasibility of Commuter Rail Service in the Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys," will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Doubletree Inn, located at 100 Madison St. in Missoula.

The steady increase in gas prices suggests that cities "should be looking at efficient, cost effective ways to to get where we're going in this country... we should be actively revisiting public transportation methods," said Andy Sponseller, a commuter rail proponent.

The second informational session will be put on by a series of people knowledgeable about commuter rail services, Sponseller said. City Club Missoula will hold the second symposium, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday in the Governor’s Room at the Florence Hotel Building at Higgins and Front Street in downtown Missoula.

The upcoming discussions about a commuter rail will be full of information people in Missoula will want to learn about, Sponseller said. They will be exploratory informational workshops with a question and answer period, he said.

"Effective transportation will be effective in any size city... developing cost effective and efficient ways is better to develop sooner than later. Now is a wonderful time to do it in Missoula," Sponseller said.

Both forums are free and open to the public, but reservations are highly recommended for both events. Sponseller suggests informing the Missoula Urban Transportation of attendance at the Thursday symposium by calling (406) 543-8386. Reservations for the Friday symposium can be made through E-mail at cityclubmissoula@aol.com or by calling the Missoula Cultural Council at (406) 721-9620.

"We really want people to come and find out about this," Sponseller said.

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