On behalf of Missoula Redevelopment Agency (MRA), DJ&A provided intensive public outreach and design services for the redesign of Mary Avenue, a 3-block residential, dead-end street designated to become a City collector and through-road.

In response to discord expressed by numerous residents along Mary Avenue, the City council asked MRA to engage an engineering consultant to lead this redesign effort. DJ&A was selected for this project in part because of their intensive citizen-engagement approach to discovering and understanding the concerns of those impacted by the project. By truly listening to the needs and desires of adjacent property owners, DJ&A developed a conceptual plan that garnered broad support from project stakeholders including affected citizens and city representatives.

DJ&A then moved into the preliminary and final design phases of the project. A key component of the project included an assessment of existing utilities (water, sewer, and fire suppression) to identify needed upgrades in these utilities. This assessment resulted in the addition of two fire hydrants to the project to meet current fire standards and the connection of several parcels to city sewer service. Design elements included sidewalks, boulevards, curb and gutter, a mini-roundabout, and asphalt pavement.

Key Services

  • Design elements included boulevard streetscaping, traffic calming devices, street lighting, and an urban mini-roundabout
  • Incorporated traffic calming features
  • Increased pedestrian safety and connectivity
  • Developed Right-of-Way plans and negotiated acquisitions involving six parcels
  • Facilitated public involvement
  • Provided design development, final design, construction administration, and project close-out

Value Added

The DJ&A Team deployed four people into the neighborhood for four days to engage residents and landowners. This intensive engagement allowed the team to effectively engage these citizens and transform animosity into broad support for a conceptual redesign of the street.