Gallatin Valley MPO Transportation Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Summary – October 14, 2026

The Gallatin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) met by videoconference on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. According to the agenda, the meeting was scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. The committee took roll call, approved the August 12, 2026 meeting minutes, and received no public comments. The main business was the first review of two draft planning documents: the Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2027–2031 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the draft Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). Both items were informational first reviews; no motions were made on either plan.

Consent Calendar

• The committee approved the August 12, 2026 TTAC meeting minutes by voice vote; Sunshine Ross seconded the motion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered during the general public comment period or in connection with the TIP or LRTP agenda items.

Discussion Items

• First review – Draft FFY 2027–2031 TIP (presented by Jeff Butts): The TIP is the MPO's first locally developed TIP and carries forward existing projects from the statewide TIP. It includes 24 unique roadway and bridge projects plus programs and transit, with about $170.9 million in programmed revenue over the five-year period extending to 2031. Roadway projects total about $130.9 million, with the remainder covering transit and programmatic funding. Funding sources include STPU urban funds, federal discretionary grants, MPDG (described as a rural development grant), Transportation Alternatives, and Section 5307 transit funds. Examples cited included Belgrade Main Street reconstruction (about $1.2 million programmed total, with roughly $612,000 previously programmed and $511,000 newly programmed), Kagy Boulevard reconstruction in Bozeman (about $42.5 million total, including $14.2 million in STPU funds), three Bozeman-area Transportation Alternatives projects (about $1.6 million), and Section 5307 transit operations ($13.8 million over five years; annual federal allocations just under $1.5 million against about $2.7 million in annual operating costs). Jeff Butts said the TIP must be adopted by December 26, 2026. Written comments were requested by October 20, 2026; the item will go to TPCC on October 28, 2026 and return to TTAC on November 5, 2026 for a recommendation. A public review period of at least 14 days, with a possible 30-day window, is planned before TPCC adoption on December 16, 2026.
• First review – Draft LRTP (presented by Jeff Butts): The LRTP has been under development for about two years with consultant Nelson Nygaard and with input from TTAC, TPCC, the Community Advisory Panel, and community outreach including pop-up events and surveys. The draft includes goals and objectives, scoring criteria, project lists, and policy and program chapters. Project lists were built from the Statewide TIP, the Trails Plan, Belgrade and Bozeman transportation master plans, a spring 2026 call for project concepts, and a public workshop, including a Four Corners trail request added to the illustrative project list. Draft policies discussed include Complete Streets, context-appropriate speeds on highways entering growing communities, self-enforcing design near schools, and an open-streets event concept. Remaining technical work includes alternatives analysis, environmental considerations, and existing-conditions requirements. In committee discussion, one member asked about post-adoption public outreach; staff described a planned 30-day public review period, website and event outreach, and Community Advisory Panel engagement. A member suggested contacting OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) for a presentation, and Belgrade staff said the city's communications director could share MPO information through city social media. Sunshine Ross expressed appreciation for the strong inclusion of transit in the plan and for the collaborative process. Comments on the draft were requested by October 20, 2026, with TPCC review on October 28, 2026, a recommendation requested from TTAC on November 5, 2026, and adoption planned at TPCC on December 16, 2026.

General Discussion

• The chair reported on a Montana League of Cities session by MDT's John Swartz and Doug McBroom, stating that MDT this year lacked enough state match funds to use all available federal redistribution funds—about $40 million in redistribution funds were turned back, representing roughly $4.5 million in matching funds at a 13% match rate. The chair asked whether local governments could provide matching funds to capture such funds. Brandon Jones noted there is precedent for local match on projects such as Belgrade Main Street and Kagy Boulevard, though he was not sure it had been used in lieu of state match to salvage the HEZRA account. The chair said he would investigate further with MDT.
• A committee member asked MDT about the newly adopted administrative rule implementing Senate Bill 533 on state-level residential system impact fees (rule 18.5.204, notice 2026-3-19.2). A staff member said they would research whether MDT would take an active or wait-for-application approach and report back.

Key Outcomes

• No formal action was taken on the TIP or LRTP; both remain in first-review status.
• The August 12, 2026 meeting minutes were approved.
• Next steps: TTAC and public comments are due by October 20, 2026; TPCC will consider both documents on October 28, 2026; TTAC must have a quorum at its November 5, 2026 special-schedule meeting to recommend adoption; the TIP must meet the December 26, 2026 federal deadline; TPCC adoption is planned for December 16, 2026.