County agrees to help with bus stop safety

by Cat Urbigkit

Bob McCarty once again spoke with Sublette County Commissioners Tuesday about his concern for more effective planning for the county's transportation needs, with special emphasis on roads in subdivisions and in the Barger area south of Pinedale in particular.

"It's not just Bargerville that worries me," McCarty said, adding that his larger concern was for the lack of transportation planning in the county. McCarty advocated that the county create a transportation committee, with the committee's recommendations eventually being incorporated into the county's land-use plan.

About 20 other subdivision residents accompanied McCarty to the meeting, mostly from the Barger area.

Paula Bartlett said that on the morning of the commission meeting, there were 22 kids and 10 cars at one bus stop along the highway, with no place to park and no safe place for those kids to stand to wait for the bus.

Several residents of the area spoke, with the issues varying from safety associated with school bus stops to the county's unwillingness to adopt subdivision roads until those roads are brought up to county standards. One resident suggested that the county road standards may actually be serving as a stumbling block to the public instead of promoting the public good.

Commissioner Bill Cramer listened to the comments, noting that those in attendance aren't the only ones who have kids being picked up at a highway bus stop. He pointed out that what he was hearing were two issues: one about the safety of kids getting picked up off the highway, and the other being subdivision roads.

As for the subdivision roads, Cramer said, "the bottom line is, you bought what you bought when you bought it."

As for the highway bus stop, Cramer said, "I'm all for public safety," and expressed his intent to work with the public on improving safety. He suggested that the county would help maintain a parking spot for buses to get off the highway to pick up school children.

McCarty volunteered his property for the bus turnaround spot, which is located about 1.5 miles from Highway 191.

Cramer said that the school district has to decide where the turnaround should be, but the county would keep it open by doing the maintenance.

Commission Chair Betty Fear agreed, adding that the road would not be maintained year-round, although the county would keep the snow off the road so the bus could get to the turnaround during the school year.

Cramer added that if the county doesn't receive proper easements for the project, and the county receives a complaint that county equipment has knocked down a fencepost: "the first time I hear it, it's over.

"Your roads are not county roads," Cramer said, "but our equipment is there providing a service."

Commissioner John Linn agree with his fellow commissioners about the two issues, voicing support for the county helping with safety of children, but suggesting it's fair for roads to be brought up to county standards before the county would adopt those roads.