January 14, 2026 Gallatin Valley MPO TTAC Meeting

The Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) of the Gallatin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) held its first meeting of 2026 on January 14, 2026. The committee elected a chair and vice chair, and discussed the draft goals and objectives for the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The meeting included a presentation from consultants and extensive member feedback on the draft vision statement, goals, and objectives.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Previous Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved by a vote of 7 (Camera Yulia, Beth Clarkson, Billy Beer, Todd Wilson, John Howe, Chris Saunders, John O'Callion).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Public Comment on LRTP Goals and Objectives: Marilee, a public commenter, provided three suggestions:
  1. Include working with legislators to improve supportive safety laws.
  2. Memorialize the directives and past motions from prior committees (TCC and PTS) that worked on the same area.
  3. Add language about prioritizing projects based on need (e.g., safety) rather than popularity.

Discussion Items

• Election of Chair and Vice Chair: The committee nominated and unanimously elected Nick Ross as Chair and Camera Iuli as Vice Chair for a one-year term. The motion passed 9-0.
• Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Draft Goals and Objectives:
  • Presentation: Consultants Zachary and Chris Johnson presented the draft vision statement, five goals, and associated objectives, which were developed from extensive public engagement (surveys, listening sessions, farmers market, virtual meetings) and technical review.
  • Draft Vision Statement (2050): "In 2050, Gallatin Valley's transportation system provides safe, reliable, and multimodal connectivity that supports people, goods, and communities as the region grows. The system is well-maintained, fiscally sustainable, and designed to strengthen human-centered connections across the region."
  • Goal 1: Safe and Secure Travel – Members discussed:
    • Chris Saunders suggested modifying language to use per-capita metrics (e.g., "reduce per capita traffic related fatalities and serious injuries") to better account for population growth.
    • John O'Callion noted that for walking and biking, perception of safety is important and hard to capture with hard statistics.
    • Jeff (staff) acknowledged the challenge of measuring security for non-motorized modes.
  • Goal 2: Reliable and Well-Maintained System – Members discussed:
    • Chris Saunders questioned the limitation of Objective 5 (improving sidewalks and pathways) to only downtown and activity centers, noting that older neighborhoods in Belgrade lack sidewalks entirely.
    • Billy Beer agreed, noting that pre-1980s Belgrade neighborhoods are missing sidewalks and lack connectivity.
    • Camera Iuli suggested modifying Objective 5 to "improve condition and continuity of sidewalks and pathways by closing gaps, prioritizing downtowns and activity centers."
    • It was suggested that closing gaps should be a separate objective.
    • Todd Wilson noted that Objective 5 seemed to leave out transit, especially first/last mile connections to bus stops. He also pointed out that MDT policy sometimes prevents placing a bus stop if the area is not accessible (e.g., lack of sidewalk coherence).
    • The group agreed to add a new objective for closing gaps and to broaden Objective 5 to include transit access.
  • Goal 3: Expand Mobility Choices – Members discussed:
    • Billy Beer proposed changing "street network connectivity" to include pathway connectivity as well.
    • Jeff suggested modifying the wording to: "improve street network and pathway connectivity to support more direct multimodal travel."
    • Chris Saunders questioned the phrase "affordable travel options," suggesting it was vague and could mean anything. He proposed replacing it with explicit modes: transit, walking, and bicycling.
    • Chris Saunders also suggested rephrasing "non-single occupant vehicle modes" to something more accessible like "multi-occupant" or "non-drive alone."
  • Goal 4: Enhance Health and Quality of Life – Members discussed:
    • Chris Saunders raised a conflict between Objectives 4 and 5: reducing environmental impacts might increase travel distances and thus emissions.
    • Jeff acknowledged the conflict and said it would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
    • Chris Saunders suggested adding a per-capita metric to Objective 5 (reduce air emissions).
    • Catherine King (via chat) proposed expanding Objective 6 (improve emergency preparedness and coordination) to include planning and management/response.
    • Jeff clarified that emergency management is separate from transportation’s role (emergency support function). The group discussed adding language on emergency preparedness and response coordination.
    • Camera Iuli suggested adding "resilience" to Goal 2 ("ensure a reliable, resilient, and well-maintained transportation system"). The group supported this.
  • Goal 5: Coordinate Transportation and Land Use – Members discussed:
    • Chris Saunders suggested replacing "accommodate" with "balance" in Objective 5 (seasonal/tourism travel demand) to better reflect weighing the needs of permanent residents versus visitors.
    • The group agreed to reword that objective to reflect balancing tourism and local needs.

Key Outcomes

• Elections: Nick Ross elected Chair, Camera Iuli elected Vice Chair for 2026. Vote: 9-0.
• LRTP Goals and Objectives: The committee will revise the draft goals and objectives based on the feedback received and present a revised version at a future meeting. No formal vote was taken on adoption at this meeting.
• Next Steps: Staff will revise the goals and objectives, work on the evaluation framework, land use projections, and revenue projections. The next TAC meeting will include the refined draft.