2.
Council Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 08/05/2019
- TITLE
- 2020 Draft Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
- Department:
- Planning & Community Services
Presentation:
Yes
PROBLEM/ISSUE STATEMENT
The City-County Planning Division is presenting the 2020 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) for the Billings Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Billings City Council review before formal consideration at its meeting on August 12. The UPWP is primarily for the purpose of programming the federal dollars that Billings receives from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for transportation planning and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for transit (MET) planning. These funds are passed through the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT).
All transportation planning activities are included in the UPWP so that it represents a comprehensive document for the urban transportation planning program. This UPWP proposes planning activities for Federal Fiscal Year 2020, which runs from October 1, 2019, through September 30, 2020. This UPWP corresponds directly with the Planning Division’s annual work plan. The significant changes in this year’s program include traffic counter replacement, Downtown Traffic Circulation Public Participation Exercise, a North Bypass Corridor Study, a 5th Avenue Corridor Feasibility Study and a Bike/Scooter Share Impact Study. The Transit section is Chapter II of the UPWP. The document is consistent with past programs in its content and format.
All transportation planning activities are included in the UPWP so that it represents a comprehensive document for the urban transportation planning program. This UPWP proposes planning activities for Federal Fiscal Year 2020, which runs from October 1, 2019, through September 30, 2020. This UPWP corresponds directly with the Planning Division’s annual work plan. The significant changes in this year’s program include traffic counter replacement, Downtown Traffic Circulation Public Participation Exercise, a North Bypass Corridor Study, a 5th Avenue Corridor Feasibility Study and a Bike/Scooter Share Impact Study. The Transit section is Chapter II of the UPWP. The document is consistent with past programs in its content and format.
| Approval of the 2020 UPWP allows the City to access Federal funds for transportation planning in the community. Federal and local funds are combined to provide most of the planning work done by the Planning Division for the City and the County. If the UPWP is not approved, there would be a significant loss of resources for community planning and the community's ability to manage transportation planning projects and programs would be severely limited. The breakdown of funding sources for the FY 2020 UPWP is estimated below: $240,000 Planning Dept. Fee Revenue (City of Billings) $57,000 Planning Dept. Fee Revenue (Yellowstone County) $490,000 Yellowstone County Planning Levy $1,872,085 Federal Planning (PL) Allocation $2,659,085 Total Program Funding (UPWP) |
RECOMMENDATION
The Council will review the 2020 UPWP at this meeting. Formal action will be taken at the regular City Council meeting on August 12.