Discovering Transit in Montana

We got our first snow of the year (in late November!) last night. Big, wet, heavy flakes fell all night on Sunday. This morning I awoke to an alarm clock flashing 12:00 — the power had gone out, and I had already missed my first class.

I took the opportunity to walk downtown and run some of the errands that I’d been meaning to do. The power was out downtown, including the stop lights, and I couldn’t help but notice how slowly and peacefully everything was functioning. Drivers slowed to a stop at the signals that were off and waved to other drivers and pedestrians to pass. Everyone on the road had two concerns — being safe and being courteous — and being in a hurry sank to the bottom of everyone’s priorities.

Imagine the reduction in fatal crashes in a world where motorists were always as alert and aware and courteous as they are the first time bad roads hit each year.