The Transportation Alternatives Program (TA) is a set-aside program from the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) program. Eligible uses of the funds include projects and activities that were previously eligible under the Transportation Alternatives Program under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). This includes a variety of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, recreational trails, safe routes to school projects and other community improvement projects.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) allows for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to administer their own competitive application process with approval and oversight from the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). Billings, Missoula, and Great Falls will be overseeing a local process for the TA funding that is specific to areas with a population of over 50,000. Entities within the MPO may also apply with MDT’s Call for Applications as well, as there is funding that is not tied to population. The timeline for both processes runs concurrently.

This year, the MPO received an allocation of approximately $6.38 million of TA funds. This includes several years of previously unspent TA funds managed by the Montana Department of Transportation. Future funding will be approximately $700,000 annually. Two projects were submitted requesting funding. The first is from Yellowstone County on behalf of the Lockwood Pedestrian Safety District. A proposed sidewalk gap connection along Old Hardin Road between two end points that are being constructed by Yellowstone County on one end and the Montana Department of Transportation (part of the Billings Bypass project) on the other. This project will complete the 2,200’ gap. The second project, Stagecoach Trail, was submitted by the City of Billings Parks Department and will construct a 10’ wide shared use path from the Skyline Trail on the east side of Zimmerman Trail to Rimrock Road below the Rims.

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), is the first entity that reviews and acts on the applications based on the MPOs process for review/recommendation of TA projects. TAC met on June 8 to review the two project applications. TAC based the scoring of the applications on a process developed by the MPO with guidance from MDT. Based on a total of 100 points, 10 points for Project Description, 45 points for Project Benefits and 45 points for Project Risk Analysis. Based on TAC scoring and the available TA funding, TAC is recommending to fully fund both projects.

Both of these projects are located within the Billings MPO and have been identified in local planning efforts that included robust public participation. The Lockwood project is identified in the 2017 Lockwood Non-Motorized Transportation Plan and the Stagecoach Trail was identified in the 2015 Rimrocks to Valley Bike & Pedestrian Study.

A public hearing is not required to be held by City Council but the public can comment on the item. The Planning Board is required to hold a public hearing and the public is able to participate. The hearing was held on June 13th. 
 

City Council may:

• Recommend approval of the two submitted Transportation Alternative projects to the Policy Coordinating Committee through the City's PCC representative; or,
• Recommend disapproval of one or both submitted Transportation Alternative projects to the Policy Coordinating Committee through the City's PCC representative. Since the City Council originally approved of the City's application for the Stagecoach Trail, a recommendation of disapproval for that project would be counter to past actions.

The fiscal effects of approving these applications include the use of approximately $5,769,960 in TA grant funds. The TA grant program requires the local entity to provide a minimum of 13.42% in local matching funds. The Old Hardin Road project is requesting $1,038,960 in TA with a proposed local match amount of $161,040. The local funds are generated through a Special Improvement District fund specifically approved by the Lockwood residents to generate funding to complete non-motorized projects in the Lockwood community. The Stagecoach Trail project is requesting $4,730,000 in TA with local funding in the amount of $805,000. Of that amount, $100,000 is being contributed by Billings TrailNet, the balance of $705,000 is from the City of Billings Parks Department funds.
 

The Transportation Alternatives Program is an opportunity for the Billings Urban Area to complete those larger, complex non-motorized projects. The two projects submitted for this round of funding addresses both a city and county connection that are both critical to the community’s goals and safety of the traveling public.