Gallatin Valley MPO Transportation Policy Coordinating Committee Meeting - October 28, 2026

The Gallatin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Policy Coordinating Committee met on October 28, 2026, to conduct first reviews of the draft Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and the draft Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for federal fiscal years 2027–2031. The committee also heard public comments on regional transit and rail feasibility, and received staff updates on ongoing studies.

Note: The agenda on file for this date identifies the meeting as the “Transportation Technical Advisory Committee” meeting of October 14, 2026, but the actual proceeding (based on the transcript) was the Policy Coordinating Committee and occurred on October 28, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the minutes of the July 22, 2026 meeting (4–0 vote).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ethan Johnson (resident): Expressed strong support for adding a light-rail or tram system to connect Belgrade, Bozeman Airport, downtown Bozeman, and 19th Avenue. He requested a feasibility study and offered to share materials via email.
• Darren Broken (Executive Director, Big Sky Transportation District): Discussed the importance of regional connections between the two Urban Transportation Districts (UTDs) in Gallatin County. He noted that Big Sky UTD is pursuing an MOU to purchase property in the Four Corners area for a transit center and park-and-ride, and asked how the Big Sky UTD could become a non-voting member of the MPO.

Discussion Items

First Review of the Draft Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

Jeff Butts (MPO staff) presented the LRTP, which carries forward existing local plans and incorporates new opportunities. Key policies presented include Vision Zero (eliminating fatal/serious injury crashes), traffic calming, complete streets, low-stress bikeways, transit priority corridors, and regional transit connections. The plan includes $170.9 million in near-term projects across roadways, bridges, walking/bicycling, transit operations, and safe routes to school. Modeling showed potential capacity issues in Belgrade, Four Corners, and downtown Bozeman by 2050.

Public comment on the LRTP:

• Darren Broken: Asked for clarification on the definition of “regional” in the plan.
• David Kack (Big Sky Transportation District / Western Transportation Institute): Noted that Gallatin County completed a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) safety action plan, and that Bozeman and Belgrade are beginning theirs. He emphasized mode shift and transit over road expansion, citing the $42.5 million cost of the one-mile Keggy Boulevard project.

Board discussion on the LRTP:

• Jim Hansen (board member): Commented that the policies are too broad and not actionable; he recommended adding key performance indicators, timelines, and tying screening criteria to policies. He favored fewer but more targeted policies.
• Commissioner Bowdy (board member): Praised the plan’s resources but suggested changing the color scheme of a crash map (Figure 6-11) to improve accessibility for colorblind users. She also recommended explicitly naming Livingston, Big Sky, and Three Forks as interregional destinations.
• Mayor Morrison (board member): Echoed support and noted the challenge of declining bike/walk/carpool mode share and the need for regional collaboration on transit to Big Sky.

First Review of the Draft Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for FY2027–2031

Jeff Butts presented the TIP, which programs $170.9 million in federal and state funding for 24 road/bridge projects and numerous walking/bicycling projects. Highlights include Keggy Boulevard reconstruction ($42.5M), Main Street Belgrade reconstruction (design and right-of-way only), and transit operations (approximately $1.5M federal per year). No public comments were received.

Board discussion on the TIP:

• Commissioner Bowdy questioned the transit performance targets, noting that two-year and four-year targets were identical and that emissions targets were set at “greater than zero.” She expressed concern that these did not reflect improvement goals.
• Katie Potts (FHWA Montana Division) explained that MDT sets emissions targets at “greater than zero” because only Missoula MPO is in non-attainment; setting higher targets could limit flexibility of CMAQ funds.
• Mayor Morrison acknowledged the transparency of the tables and the high cost of infrastructure. Jim Hansen requested that future presentations include information on how projects were prioritized.

Key Outcomes

• No formal action was taken on either the LRTP or the TIP; both items were first reviews.
• The LRTP will be revised based on board feedback, reviewed by the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee, then opened for a 30-day public comment period (November 9 – December 8, 2026) before returning to this committee for adoption on December 16, 2026.
• The TIP will follow a similar path: review by TTAC, public comment period, and final adoption on December 16, 2026.
• The committee agreed to hold a dedicated discussion on performance targets (including transit and emissions) around August 2027.
• Staff will investigate updating the GVMPO website to correctly link to meeting materials.