NOW AVAILABLE
The Greater Triangle Area Transportation Plan is now available for public review.
Click here to review the plan!
NEWS
ABOUT
Gallatin County has initiated a transportation planning process focusing on the greater triangle area which includes the communities of Bozeman, Belgrade, Four Corners, and Gallatin Gateway. The planning process will assist the County, as well as the local communities, in guiding transportation infrastructure investments based on system needs and anticipated developments over the 2040 planning horizon. The plan will integrate with the County's ongoing Triangle Trail Plan for the Bozeman-Belgrade-Four Corners area and build from transportation plans completed for the Greater Bozeman Area and for the City of Bozeman and City of Belgrade. The Greater Triangle Area Transportation Plan will evaluate and address the transportation system needs of all travel modes.
Transportation is a major concern to area residents today and is expected to remain a top priority as growth continues and the challenges of accommodating travel become more difficult. Recent developments and other land use changes over the past several years have necessitated a focused examination of transportation issues within Gallatin County. A comprehensive transportation plan will provide an opportunity for county officials, staff, and residents to work together to develop innovative approaches to plan and implement a transportation system that will serve the community's citizens well into the future.
The transportation plan effort began in October 2020. It is anticipated that the plan will be finalized by the end of April 2022. See the schedule for more detail.
The process starts with you - the residents, stakeholders, business owners, and elected officials of the greater triangle area. We need you to be the guiding voice, educators, and cheerleaders in working together to create, collaborate, and build consensus. LET'S PLAN!
DOCUMENTS
MAPS
MAPS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why prepare a transportation plan?
Developing a transportation plan is important to evaluate the area transportation system and understand what is needed to make the transportation system function adequately over the course of the planning horizon to the year 2040. The overriding objective is to develop a plan that coordinates with the desires and direction of the communities as a whole, while still providing a safe, functioning, multi-modal transportation system that can accommodate both existing and future travel demands. The end product of this important planning effort will be a usable plan that can help guide infrastructure improvements in the community.
How will the results of the transportation plan be used?
The results of the planning effort will be used to guide transportation infrastructure investments within the greater triangle area over the planning horizon. The plan will also assist in setting the course for improvements related to multi-modal access and community desires for future transportation facilities. Recommendations may be integrated into the Montana Department of Transportation’s (MDT) and other local planning agencies' transportation plans and programs based on funding availability. The results of the transportation plan will also provide information to support efforts to identify funding for future projects.
How will the recommendations be evaluated?
The planning effort is designed to determine impacts - both adverse and beneficial - of potential transportation improvements in the study area. Consideration of planned and ongoing land development, the environment, community values, and sound engineering standards will shape the recommendations and study findings. In some cases, decision makers will be faced with trade-offs and conflicting desires and needs during the transportation planning process. Determination of recommendations will involve comparing the trade-offs among the potential improvement ideas, as well as consideration of all public comments and evaluation of all relevant information as appropriate. Final recommendations will reflect the outcome of this process and the identification of appropriate courses of action for the area's transportation system.
Who is developing the transportation plan?
Gallatin County is the contracting authority for this planning effort. Robert Peccia and Associates (RPA) is assisting the county in competing the planning effort by May 2022. Parts of the Cities of Bozeman and Belgrade as well as the unincorporated communities of Four Corners and Gallatin Gateway are included in the Greater Triangle Area transportation planning boundary. Although these communities are not directly involved in the planning process, this transportation plan is intended to complement their local transportation planning efforts and facilitate regional travel and access within the county.
How can the public contribute to the planning effort?
The public is invited to participate in the process through public open house events and ongoing information review and input. This website has been developed to provide opportunities to comment on the needs of the community’s transportation system and later, on the draft recommendations. Event dates, times, formats, and locations will be announced through the local media, the transportation plan mailing list, and this website. Depending on current health and safety restrictions, the meetings may be held in person or virtually through an online platform.
Everyone interested in the planning effort is encouraged to join the email list by completing the email list signup form below. Additionally, an interactive public commenting platform is available here. RPA and the planning partners will collect and consider all public comments received to better understand the public view of potential issues and needs.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
The development of this transportation plan includes an extensive public involvement process to encourage public involvement and meaningful participation. Multiple public outreach activities will be held over the course of plan development. These activities will be devoted to defining relevant issues, understanding needs, and presenting preliminary findings from analysis of the existing transportation system and the areas' social/economic context. The planning team will also schedule events to solicit public input during development of recommendations to address identified areas of concern for the transportation system.
A public hearing will be held to facilitate formalization and adoption of the transportation plan. Check your local news sources and this website periodically for information relating to the time, format, and location of future public events or sign up for email updates below.
Have a comment about a specific location?
We want to hear from you! Click below to add your comment to our interactive commenting map.
CONTACTS
Levi Ewan, PE
Gallatin County Engineer
311 West Main Street
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 582-3250
Levi.Ewan@gallatin.mt.gov
Scott Randall, PE, PTOE
Consultant Project Manager
3147 Saddle Drive
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 447-5005
srandall@rpa-hln.com