Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-10-24
States That
Ninth Street
Is Selected
Should Not Route Traffic
Throught Eeart of City
Says Engineer.
WRITES LETTER TO
COMMERCIAL CLUB

That Ninth street has been diff
nitely chosen by the state highway
commission for connection with the
state highway project to be started
here this fall is information brought
in letter from the commission to R.
II. Veldman, secretary of the Libby
Commercial club. The letter was writ
ten by r. D. RAIDER, state highway
engineer, and is of public interest.
It reads:
Helena, Montana, October IT, 1929.
Mr.. R. R. Veldman, Secretary
Libby, Commercial Club
Libby, Montana
Dear Mr.. Veldman:
Your letter Of October 18th has lust
been received. Our plans for F. A. p.
No. $50 through the town of Libby
are being completed so as to connect
with Ninth Street instead of the al
ternate location as surveyed by Mr..
KIT along First Street.
This choice was made for the fol-
lowing reasons:
The distance for through traffic
will be twcnty-four hundred feet less
by the Ninth Street location than it
would be by the First Street loca-
tion. Two right-angle turns are
saved and this is an important con-
.sideratiod from through traffic
standpoint. Our plans have been
practically completed and it is our
expectation to award the contract
for this work at the November letting.
To make any change in the location
through Libby would require addition
al survey work and would make it
impossible to change the plans in
time for letting in November.
We believe that the main reason
for the request Of the people of Libby
that the location along the railway
be used is based on the fact that traf-
fic could then be brought down Min
eral Avenue in front of the stores.
This might appear to be of some
advantage from business stand
point, but it has been proven in hun
dreds of cases that just as much
business results from having through
traffic pass along side street with
in sight Of the business district as If
1t goes through the business district
itself. The city is saved the cost Of
traffic regulation and the danger to
pedestrians due to through traffic
passing along busy streets. The item
of maintenance of streets under
through traffic is considerable one.
and the danger of collision is seri-
Gus.
I am enclosing a copy of "NADA"
for September 18th which contains
an article on the last page which is
exactly typical Of the experience all
the states are having in cases like
this. We have been endeavoring to
establish policy in Montana Of To-
eating our highways SO that they will
not pass directly through the business
districts Of the towns, as we. know
that we will be called upon III the
near future to change our routing
and thereby will be put to consider
able additional expense. Through
traffic will not slow down for small
town streets unless forced to do so
by police regulation. and automatic
traffic signals. These are an expense
to the town and nuisance to the
traffic, and certainly no advantage is
gained by the merchants of the town.
I am sure that you will find that
the Ninth Street location will bring
traffic sufficiently close to the busi-
ness district so that no business will
be lost by the merchants of Libby.
Very truly yours,
STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION
Bv R. D. RAIDER,
State Highway Engineer