8.a.
Planning Board Meeting I (2nd Tuesday)
- Meeting Date:
- 12/11/2018
Information
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 Planning Board for review and recommendation to the Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) 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 Planning Board is scheduled to review and discuss the TIP Amendment at this meeting and conduct a public hearing and make a recommendation to the PCC at the January 8 Planning Board meeting.
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 Planning Board for review and recommendation to the Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) 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 Planning Board is scheduled to review and discuss the TIP Amendment at this meeting and conduct a public hearing and make a recommendation to the PCC at the January 8 Planning Board meeting.
BACKGROUND
The current TIP includes updates of federal funding for several projects in the Billings area. The Planning Board 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. Not approving the 2017-2021 TIP Amendment II would cause the Billings MPO to be out of compliance with State and Federal requirements and could affect the schedule and completion of transportation projects in the Billings MPO area.
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/County funds in budgeting for these projects given the federal funding sources for the projects.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Yellowstone County Board of Planning review and discuss the 2017-2021 TIP Amendment II at this meeting. The Planning Board will conduct a public hearing and forward a recommendation to PCC through its designee at its January 8 meeting. The PCC is scheduled to meet on January 15, 2019 for action on this item.