Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) wishes to recognize the City of Billings as a recipient of two Eco-MULTI automatic trail use counters valued at $5,250 each for placement on Billings area trails as part of RTC's Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform (T-MAP). Billings was one of 12 cities selected nationwide due to its notable efforts to support and monitor trail use, and the importance of Billings as a regional center for trails in the Western United States (See Trail Count Program information attached).

Through donations by RTC members and supporters, RTC created this national research program to build a platform of easy-to-use models and tools based on decades of research from transportation, economics, and public health that will empower trail managers and communities to systematically plan and develop complete trail systems. As part of T-MAP, RTC is establishing traffic monitoring stations on trails in 12 urban areas around the United States. The locations are: Billings, MT; Albuquerque, NM; Austin, TX; Denver, CO; Indianapolis, IN; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN; New Orleans, LA; Portland, ME; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Washington, DC. In a time of limited resources, RTC believes measuring trail use is critical to managing and growing trail systems, and it recognizes the importance of committed local organizations and public agencies in Billings to build successful trail monitoring programs. 

This is a three year national program in coordination with RTC, and as part of this study, these counters will be installed at trail locations where Planning Division staff currently manage the trail count monitoring.  While the City will ultimately keep the counters for its own use indefinitely in two trail locations, the program includes sharing the count information and performance of the counters with RTC for a three year period. The counters will be located on the Billings Heights Kiwanis Trail south of Wicks Lane and on the Descro Park Trail between Central Avenue and Broadwater Avenue. Since the Planning Division already manages a trail counter management and maintenance program through it's Transportation Planning Program, there will be little or no additional costs to manage these new counters through the existing program.

The City Council May:

• Accept the Rails to Trails gift of two trail counters totaling $10,500 and participate in the thee year study; or
• Not accept the Rails to Tails gift of two trail counters totaling $10,500 and not participate in the three year study. 

The trail counters are a gift from the Rails to Trails Conservancy to the City of Billings. The Planning Division through its Transportation Planning Program will fund the installation of the two counters estimated at a total of about $1,500. The City of Billings will keep the trail counters beyond the three year program and will be responsible for ongoing maintenance and repair. However, the Planning Division already maintains two trail counters and manages their maintenance through its Transportation Planning Program. Given these funding mechanisms, there will be no direct cost to the City for the counters or the program.  

Staff recommends that the City Council accept the gift of the two trail counters valued at $10,500.00 from the Rails to Trails Conservancy and authorize the Mayor to sign the Trail Counter Agreement attached.