The City of Billings submitted a Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Community Transportation Enhancement Project (CTEP) grant application for the Broadwater Connection in October 2010. This project will consist of the installation of approximately 4,200 lineal feet of a hard-surfaced bicycle and pedestrian path. This project will be split into two phases; the first and primary phase will be to construct the project on the north side of Broadwater Avenue between Parkview Drive and 32nd Street West. The second phase that will be bid as an alternative will include the link from Broadwater Avenue mid-block north to Lewis Avenue along a platted alley Right-of-Way. This phase will be included in the bid package; however, due to limited funding, this link may not be completed at this time. The city did apply for a Safe Routes to School grant to fund this link from Broadwater north to Lewis. However, this project was not funded through the Safe Routes to School Program for the 2011 application round. The local match for this overall project is being provided by the City of Billings. The administration of the construction project will be through the City of Billings Public Works Department, Engineering Division. The project was approved through the local CTEP project selection process involving the City Council, Board of County Commissioners and Planning Board, and also was approved by MDT. The Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) approved this project at its regular meeting on October 19, 2010. The Project Specific Agreement represents the formal agreement between the City and MDT for the project’s scope, funding, and federal aid compliance. Council must authorize the Mayor to execute a Project Specific Agreement for the Broadwater Connection Project to begin project development in the 2011 construction season.

The City Council may:
• Approve the CTEP Project Specific Agreement.
• Not approve the CTEP Project Specific Agreement. This would result in the loss of CTEP funding for this project.

The funding breakdown for this project is as follows:

CTEP Grant	$223,528
City of Billings	$  34,647
Total Funds Available	$258,175

Source of city matching funds is BikeNet.

Staff recommends that Council authorize the Mayor to execute the CTEP Project Specific Agreement for the Broadwater Connection Project.