Staff recommends the City Council forward a recommendation of approval of the Safe Routes to School Plan Update, Phase 2 (the Plan), to the Policy Coordinating Committee. 

The Billings Metropolitan Planning Organization conducted a Safe Routes to School Plan, Phase 2 with Sanderson Stewart as the consultant. The Plan was developed as a result of Council's request to study middle schools and County and private schools in the Billings Urbanized area for Safe Routes to School improvements. The funding for the Plan was part of the approved 2023 Unified Planning Work Program, for which the Council forwarded a recommendation of approval to the Policy Coordinating Committee.  

This plan looked at a mix of Billings Public Schools, County schools within the MPO area, and private schools. Schools in the plan include:

• Ben Steele Middle School
• Billings Central Catholic High School
• Billings Christian Elementary School
• Billings Christian High School
• Castle Rock Middle School
• Elysian School
• Grace Montessori Academy
• Independent Elementary School
• Lewis & Clark Middle School
• Lockwood Schools Campus (K-8)
• Medicine Crow Middle School
• Mount Olive Lutheran School
• Pioneer Elementary School
• Riverside Middle School
• St. Francis Catholic School
• Sunrise Montessori School
• Will James Middle School

The Plan evaluates current walking and biking conditions at the schools above, identifies barriers or issues that might discourage students from walking or biking, develops a list of recommended projects ranked by impact, and develops walking route maps for schools where walking and bicycle infrastructure is currently available (excludes Billings Christian School Elementary, Grace Montessori Academy, and Pioneer Elementary). The 105 infrastructure recommendations were developed by considering several sources, including public input from open houses or tabling sessions at school events, public comment from an interactive website that included a survey and interactive map, on-the-ground walking audits of all of the schools, surveys from principals, discussions with crossing guards, GIS data, and staff expertise. Recommended projects are generally within one mile of the school. Project impact was evaluated using four categories, including traffic safety, (project) feasibility, demand, and equity. The Plan also identified programmatic recommendations to advance Safe Routes to School.

The Technical Advisory Committee forwarded a recommendation of Plan approval to the Policy Coordinating Committee and the governing bodies at its meeting on February 29, 2024 and the Planning Board forwarded a recommendation of Plan approval to the Policy Coordinating Committee at its meeting on March 26, 2024.

The public was engaged throughout the plan through the steering committee, in-person events (open houses or tabling events), yard signs advertising the plan on school property, an interactive mapping website and survey, and the ability to participate in walk audits. 

 There was a public hearing during the March 12, 2024 Planning Board meeting. There was no public comment received during the public hearing. There is also further opportunity for public comment at the City Council Work Session when this item is reviewed on April 1, at this City Council Meeting before Council takes action, and at the Policy Coordinating Committee Meeting.

City Council may:

• Forward a recommendation of Plan approval to the Policy Coordinating Committee
• Not forward a recommendation of Plan approval to the Policy Coordinating Committee. Not approving the Plan at this stage would not be in alignment with both the Council's desire to complete this SRTS, Phase 2 effort and approving funding of the effort through the UPWP for the MPO in 2023.

There are no direct fiscal effects from adopting the plan. However, the City, County, schools, or other parties, may choose to program funds to implement project recommendations in the future. Given the City Council's significant support for SRTS and its coordination with Public Works and Planning to budget for SRTS improvements over time, it is expected that this plan will inform future projects it evaluated and that may be considered.