HAVRE — From how drivers park downtown to how children cross streets near schools, Havre is identifying transportation safety improvements and building a plan that could help secure funding to make them happen.
The city, alongside the Montana Department of Transportation and Hill County, is developing the Greater Havre Area Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan. Federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s SS4A program is paying for the planning work, which focuses on preventing roadway deaths and serious injuries.
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Havre Public Works Director Trevor Mork said the process has helped narrow the community’s priorities.
“As that study has come to its close, we have a more defined scope,” Mork said. “It’s not just do everything everywhere. We should prioritize in certain areas.”
Those areas include downtown, schools, and major intersections. Recommendations draw on crash data and community feedback, including residents’ experiences with difficult crossings and near misses that may never appear in an incident report.
The study documented 2,185 reported crashes across the greater Havre study area from 2015 through 2024. Those included five fatal crashes and 20 involving suspected serious injuries. About 90% resulted in no apparent injury.
Winter conditions were another consideration. Snow- or ice-covered pavement was recorded in more than 34% of crashes. December had the highest number of reported crashes, followed by January and February. Additionally, data show annual totals fluctuated, declining from a high of 260 in 2017 to 181 in both 2023 and 2024.
Potential improvements include intersection modifications, turn lanes, and sidewalk upgrades.
One concept discussed during the fourth public meeting for the plan, Oct. 15, would change downtown angled parking from nose-in spaces to back-in spaces. Mork said that could improve drivers’ visibility and control when parking and pulling back into traffic.
However, the discussed concepts would still require further design and community involvement before moving forward.
Beyond identifying projects, the plan is intended to document needs and support future funding applications. Mork said having a safety action plan can strengthen the community’s position when pursuing other transportation funding, including MDT’s Transportation Alternatives program.
He encouraged other communities to consider the value of developing a plan to support their own safety efforts.
For Mork, success would mean more comprehensive planning for future development and progress on long-standing concerns around schools.
“And I’m hoping to get them to the next level to where we see physical change rather than just have a discussion level,” he said.
The draft will be available for public review before the Havre City Council considers adoption, expected in early December. It will then be sent to the Federal Highway Administration for final approval. Comments will be considered as the plan is finalized.
Projects would be pursued incrementally as funding becomes available. A timeline for securing that funding has not been established.
Project information and updates are available on the Greater Havre Area SS4A Safety Action Plan website.
