[MissoulaGov] cell phones

[Paradigm1 at aol.com]

Absolutely... the point is Distracted Driving is already  illegal. I am in 
favor of enforcing it vigorously. Why go through the  duplication, time, 
expense, and confusion of creating a local version which  applies only in the City of 
Missoula. A version which for some  reason ignores and exempts other 
behaviors which are equally  distracting? 
The trucker who almost hit Dave S. should have been cited under  existing 
law.... and since he was a trucker... are we sure he wasn't on a  CB- some 
versions look like phones!
Will the ordinance require the phones to be turned off in the car?  Or, when 
it rings, will drivers swerve to the side of the road, crossing lanes  of 
traffic and bicycle lanes, to a location where it is legal to talk on  the phone? 
I wonder if that is really a safety improvement.
It would be better to run a public service campaign similar to the  one we 
had on crossing the street. A campaign which highlights existing laws,  and the 
serious responsibility each driver assumes when operating a vehicle  of any 
kind... that's just me though, maybe i belong out in Eastern Montana  ;-)
 
 
 
In a message dated 3/19/2009 11:02:11 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time,  
sayermon at yahoo.com writes:

FYI, I've seen a lot of comments and speculation about  the cellphone ban but 
not as much hard information. Here's a list of  data from this website --  
http://www.nationwide.com/newsroom/dwd-facts-figures.jsp: 

    *   Distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or  hands 
free) extends a driver's reaction as much as having a blood  alcohol 
concentration at the legal limit of .08%.  (University of Utah)  
    *   The No.1 source of driver  inattention is use of a wireless device. 
(Virginia Tech /NHTSA)  
    *   Drivers that use cell phones are four times as  likely to get into 
crashes serious enough to injure themselves.  (NHTSA, Insurance Institute for 
Highway Safety)  
    *   10% of drivers aged 16 to 24 years old are  on their phone at any one 
time.  
    *   Driving while distracted is a factor in 25%  of police reported 
crashes.  
    *   Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain  
activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie  Mellon) 

Also, here's a short news summary from cnet on a  study from the University 
of Utah comparing driving with a cell phone  and driving  drunk:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6090342-7.html

BTW,  there's also a story in today's Independent on Dave Strohmaier and the  
local debate:  
http://www.missoulanews.com/index.cfm?do=article.details&id=1B1A1542-14D1-1357-9CA97A6558961B35



---  On Thu, 3/19/09, Paradigm1 at aol.com  <Paradigm1 at aol.com> wrote:

From:  Paradigm1 at aol.com <Paradigm1 at aol.com>
Subject: Re:  [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 3-18-09
To:  echilders at ci.missoula.mt.us, BJaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us
Cc:  missoulagov at cmslists.com
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009, 9:52  AM


Hi Bob... These updates are great-- thank you very much!  
It will be interesting to learn how talking on a CB   or Two way Radio while 
driving, is less dangerous than talking on  a phone ?
 
Carl P.
 
 
In a message dated 3/19/2009 9:39:22 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time,  
echilders at ci.missoula.mt.us writes:

Thanks, Bob. Wonderful job. As I mentioned on the Council  floor, I wish John 
H. would do one.
The leash conversation is  likely to be spirited. Judging from public 
comments and from my  previous experience,  we'll also discuss dogs in-town. And  
probably leashing cats, before we're done. :)

Ed Childers, City Council, Ward6

Bob  Jaffe wrote:  
 
Greetings, 
We changed things up today and started with  Public Works this morning.  We 
discussed the situation with  the right of way vacations on Miller Creek road. 
Here is a very  brief synopsis for folks who are unfamiliar. 
We are doing a project to rebuild the  intersection between upper and lower 
miller creek on down to the  Walmart.  The project requires some right of way 
acquisition.  During the process of researching the right of way boundaries it  
was discovered that over 100 years ago additional right of way was  
established that no one was aware of.  This additional right  of way expanded the 
public property right through some of the  homes on the west side of miller creek 
road. It goes without  saying that the folks affected were not so happy. What 
was a  negotiation to sell us right of way turned into a negotiation to  ask us 
to vacate right of way. The City was not to hot on the idea  of vacating 
right of way that we would have to buy back later the  next time the road needed 
to expand. 
So the engineering folks drafted up what the  anticipated future needs would 
be and we will vacate the  balance. 
In Conservation we had interviews and made  appointments to the greenhouse 
gas committee. We had four  applicants for one position. We picked one but were 
so impressed  with the other applicants that we want to talk to the committee  
about expanding their membership so we can also appoint the  others. Recently 
this committee has become much more active and is  actually taking on work 
projects. It seems wrong to turn down such  qualified people who want to 
volunteer. 
In PAZ we did six interviews for three spots on  the historic preservation 
committee.  For the first time  since I have been chair of the committee we have 
an open PAZ  schedule. We may actually skip PAZ for a few weeks until the  
zoning update stuff makes it through planning board. I assume this  is 
indicative of the building slowdown. 
In Public Safety we discussed the driving with  cell phone ordinance.  CB and 
two way radios have been  removed from the proposal. Discussion focused on 
having different  rules in Missoula from the rest of the state; Primary or 
secondary  offence; are the reckless driving laws already adequate. We set a  
public hearing for I believe April 13th. 
Then we had a joint Public Safety and  Conservation meeting to discuss the 
conservation land leash  laws.  The press was there for that one. We had TV 
cameras  and Missoulian photographers and a bunch of public comment. We  mostly 
just walked through the history of the subject from the  last five or so years. 
The likely outcome of all this is that  there will be work done in the context 
of our conservation lands  management plan to establish a policy.  Then we 
will modify  ordinance as needed to memorialize that policy. A great deal of  
the public comment received to the council and in conversations I  have had with 
people is in regards to dogs in parks and on the  commuter trails. Dogs are 
required to be on leashes in these  places. The current issue before council 
pertains only to the  north hills, mount jumbo, and the kim Williams trail east 
of the  university. 
We finished the day with committee of the whole  to discuss the revisions to 
the ward boundaries and a resolution  regarding transportation funding. By law 
we are required to keep  the wards equal to maintain equal rights of the 
electors. The  courts have set the bar at around 10% variance between wards.  
Based on our best estimates we have a 13% variance with ward two  being too large. 
The best way to fix it is to shift the population  clockwise around the map. 
So part of ward two goes to one, part of  one then goes to three, three then 
to four. Five and six are about  right the way they are.  
So the proposal has all of the northside now  part of ward one.  If Mr. 
Hendrickson is considering another  term this is good news for him. The University 
becomes part of  ward three. I plan to run again so this is probably good news 
for  me. Unless I end up running against someone more liberal than me.  I 
believe I have become more conservative during my term. There is  something about 
this experience that pulls you towards the middle.  The area southeast of 
Arthur and Beckwith goes to ward four. I’ll  miss Molly but probably not Philip. 
The Wapikia neighborhood goes  to ward five. I don’t think ward six changes. 
The transportation funding resolution came out  of TTAC. It outlines the 
various ways we are being screwed on  transportation funding by DOT and the state. 
 John  Hendrickson, Dick, Renee, and Lynn voted against the resolution.  Mr. 
Hendrickson suggested that he would like to put forth a  minority report 
countering the request for more equitable  distribution of funds to Missoula. I 
look forward to seeing this  minority report because I am a little baffled by the 
suggestion. I  encourage folks to read the resolution. We are being robbed to 
 support incredibly irresponsible funding priorities and bloated  DOT 
bureaucracy.  
_ftp://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/Packets/Council/2009/2009-03-23/TransportationRes
olution.pdf_ 
(ftp://www.ci.missoula..mt.us/Packets/Council/2009/2009-03-23/TransportationResolution.pdf)  
Thanks for your interest, 
Bob  Jaffe 
Missoula City  Council, Ward 3




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