Consent 1.C.
Regular City Council Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 01/27/2014
- TITLE
- 2012-2016 Transportation Improvement Program Amendment II
- PRESENTED BY:
- Candi Millar
- Department:
- Planning & Community Services
Presentation:
PROBLEM/ISSUE STATEMENT
Federal regulations require that Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) review and update the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) periodically. Due to funding updates being added to the current 2012- 2016 TIP, an amendment to this document is required. This amendment will be called the 2012- 2016 TIP Amendment II. Substantial projects that have been updated due to changes in costs include Bench Boulevard, the roundabout at 56th Street West and King Avenue West, a signal at 13th and Parkhill, and a sign project on I-90. In addition, MET Transit has had a reorganization of federal funding sources that include operating budget and replacement vehicles.
The TIP 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 the TIP document with changes shown in color. Staff will be available to answer questions at the January 27 Council meeting.
The TIP 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 the TIP document with changes shown in color. Staff will be available to answer questions at the January 27 Council meeting.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED
The current TIP amendment includes updates of federal funding for several projects in the Billings area. The Council may:
- Recommend approval of the 2012-2016 TIP Amendment II in order to continue the implementation of federally funded transportation projects as presented; or
- Not recommend approval of the 2012-2016 TIP Amendment II and potentially hinder the implementation of federally funded transportation projects; or
- Recommend modifications to the proposed program and the Council's representative will present these recommendations to the Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) for further consideration.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
A range of federal funding sources is available to the Billings MPO 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 that the City Council approve the 2012-2016 TIP Amendment II and forward that recommendation to PCC through its representative.