PUBLIC HEARING. MOTION/RECOMMENDATION.  2015-2019 TIP Amendment  I Federal regulations require that Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) review and update their Transportation Improvement Programs (TIP) periodically. Due to additional projects being added to the current Billings MPO 2015- 2019 TIP and a variety of cost adjustments to existing projects, the Billings MPO requires a TIP amendment. This amendment will be called the 2015-2019 TIP Amendment I. The projects that have been amended include Bench Boulevard, Airport Road and Zimmerman Trail, and cost adjustments on a variety of other projects. These projects are programmed into MDT project funding and are not funded through local allocations.The Yellowstone County Board of Planning will conduct a public hearing on the TIP Amendment at this meeting and forward a recommendation to the governing bodies.

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 Planning Board for review due to a modification of federal funding.

There is no local financial impact to the City or County. The projects being modified through this amendment are all funded through the Federal Highway Administration and Supplemental funding through the Montana Department of Transportation.

Staff recommends the Planning Board conduct a public hearing for  the 2015-2019 TIP Amendment I at this meeting and make a recommendation to the Policy Coordination Committee.