Federal regulations require that Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) review and update their Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) periodically. Due to cost updates to several projects, the current 2010- 2014 TIP for the Billings MPO requires an amendment. This amendment will be called the 2010- 2014 TIP Amendment III. The projects that have been amended include a Pavement Preservation project on Laurel Road and Montana Avenue, Equipment Purchase for a City Street Sweeper, MET Bus Operating, Safe Routes to School, and CTEP project funding.

The Transportation Improvement Program is a short-range program of highway and transit projects in the Billings Metropolitan Planning Organization area and is prepared by Planning Division staff in cooperation with state and local agencies. The basic 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 City Council for review due to a modification of federal funding. Staff has attached a summary sheet identifying the projects changes, and the TIP document with changes shown in color. Staff will be available to answer questions at the February 13 Council meeting.

 The current amendment includes updates of federal funding for several projects in the Billings area. The Council may elect to recommend approval of the 2010-2014 TIP Amendment III in order to continue the implementation of federally funded transportation projects as presented. If Council chooses to recommend modifications to the proposed program, the Council's representative will present these recommendations to the Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) for further consideration.

 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.

Staff recommends that Council approve the 2010-2014 TIP Amendment III and forward that recommendation to PCC through its designee.