Consent 1.C.
Regular City Council Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 12/10/2018
- TITLE
- Draft 2017-2021 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Amendment ll
- PRESENTED BY:
- Scott Walker
- Department:
- Planning & Community Services
Presentation:
No
PROBLEM/ISSUE STATEMENT
Federal regulations require Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to review and update their Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) periodically. Given some timing and funding adjustments with several transportation projects, the current Billings 2017-21 TIP must be amended to maintain compliance with State and Federal requirements.
The TIP is a short-range program of highway and transit projects in the Billings MPO area and is prepared by City-County Planning Division staff in cooperation with state and local agencies. The purpose of the TIP is to provide the mechanism for scheduling federal funds for surface transportation projects, indicate regional priorities, and demonstrate a short range transportation vision for the area. A secondary purpose of the TIP is to provide information about other transportation projects in the urbanized area that are exempt from the TIP approval process, such as projects that do not utilize federal funds. This TIP amendment is being presented to the Council for review due to timing and cost updates to several projects. The projects listed in the TIP that have updates include: Zoo Drive, West Billings Interchange, I-90 Bridges, South Frontage Road, Blue Creek Road, Billings Bypass, Lockwood Interchange, local transit funding, and several safety projects. The changes are highlighted in red, in the attached TIP Amendment 2.
The TIP is a short-range program of highway and transit projects in the Billings MPO area and is prepared by City-County Planning Division staff in cooperation with state and local agencies. The purpose of the TIP is to provide the mechanism for scheduling federal funds for surface transportation projects, indicate regional priorities, and demonstrate a short range transportation vision for the area. A secondary purpose of the TIP is to provide information about other transportation projects in the urbanized area that are exempt from the TIP approval process, such as projects that do not utilize federal funds. This TIP amendment is being presented to the Council for review due to timing and cost updates to several projects. The projects listed in the TIP that have updates include: Zoo Drive, West Billings Interchange, I-90 Bridges, South Frontage Road, Blue Creek Road, Billings Bypass, Lockwood Interchange, local transit funding, and several safety projects. The changes are highlighted in red, in the attached TIP Amendment 2.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED
The current TIP includes updates of federal funding for several projects in the Billings area. The Council may:
- Recommend approval to the Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) of the 2017-2021 TIP Amendment II, as drafted, in order to continue the implementation of federally funded transportation projects.
- Recommend modifications to the proposed 2017-2021 TIP Amendment II and present these recommendations to the Policy Coordinating Committee for further consideration.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
A range of federal funding sources is available to the Billings Urban Area for the purposes of funding transportation system improvements. A list of those sources is shown in the TIP. There is usually no direct impact to City funds in budgeting for these projects given the federal funding sources.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve the 2017-2021 TIP Amendment II and forward that recommendation to PCC through its designee. The PCC is scheduled to meet on January 15, 2019 for action on this item.