The City of Billings is seeking funding for the 25th Street Pedestrian Bridge over the Montana Rail Link (MRL) tracks to connect Montana Avenue in the historic district of downtown Billings with the Minnesota Avenue Old Town Neighborhood District. This bridge will provide the connection to the bike lanes that have been striped along South 25th Street that will eventually link to the Interstate 90 Underpass and the existing trail through Coulson Park along the Yellowstone River. The City Council has previously sponsored two Coal Impact Grant applications for this project. The application has been denied twice by the Coal Board. However, City Council members, County Commissioners, and other interested community stakeholders have agreed to submit the application a third time to seek the grant award. This application deadline is March 1, 2010.

Some initial funding for this project has been secured by BikeNet through two small grants for the bridge from the Homer and Mildred Scott Foundation for $5,000 and from U.S. Bank for $2,500, for a total of $7,500. The bike/pedestrian bridge project will be using an existing, restored, old Carnegie steel bridge structure that had a span across Rock Creek back in the early 1900s. The proposed pedestrian bridge is identified in the Framework Plan for Downtown Billings, is part of the Old Town Neighborhood plans, and is identified in the Heritage Trail Plan, and is included in the City's CIP. It will allow citizens and tourists the ease of accessing shops, restaurants, events, and tourist attractions on both sides of the tracks, as well as the use of a large parking lot on the south side of the tracks where large recreational vehicles can park when they access Billings from Interstate 90. Currently there are no parking lots in the downtown area for tourists with these large vehicles to park and access the amenities located in the downtown vicinity. To complete the bridge project, the City of Billings would lease land from MRL on the south side of the tracks for the parking lot at the bridge access.  Funds to develop surface lots traditionally have been included in the Parking Board budget, but have not been used.

The City Council may:

• Approve this grant application to seek up to $100,000 for the 25th Street Pedestrian Bridge; or
• Deny this grant application to seek up to $100,000 for the 25th Street Pedestrian Bridge.

The 25th Street Pedestrian Bridge Project is estimated to cost approximately $600,000, with an additional $120,000 for the construction, paving and lighting of a parking lot on the south side of the railroad tracks. Funds for the parking lot could be secured through the Parking Advisory Board with approval by the Mayor and Council. Under the project proposal, the parking lot is expected to be the only direct City costs for this project.  BikeNet has already secured $7,500 from previous grants and is willing to contribute up to $25,000 for the bridge. The City of Billings with Board of County Commission support is requesting $100,000 from the Coal Impact Grant Application. Additional funds are being sought through Community Transportation Enhancement Program (CTEP) funds and from private organizations.

Staff recommends that Council authorize the Mayor to approve the application submittal of a Coal Impact Grant for up to $100,000 for the 25th Street Pedestrian Bridge.