Billings, Montana City Code, (BMCC) Section 24-503 establishes the routes for parades in downtown, downtown-Daylis, and the heights.  The current parade routes were reviewed by staff based primarily on concerns about traffic impacts.  The downtown and downtown-Daylis routes both staged on the east side of N. 27th Street and proceeded west across N. 27th Street.  The existing route not only closes N. 27th Street which is a high volume arterial, but it also impacts the operations of the MET Downtown Transfer Center located on N. 25th Street between 2nd Avenue North and 3rd Avenue North.  Both of these impacts are detrimental to the general public as well as people trying to attend the parade and creates unnecessary congestion.  The proposed route is completely on the west side of N. 27th Street.  The heights route was modified to create a staging area west of Lake Elmo instead of the current staging area on the east side.  Allowing Lake Elmo Drive to remain open during the parade will help with congestion in the area. 

 

City Council may:

• Approve the amendment to City Code, or;
• Disapprove the amendment to City Code.  If the code is not changed, the existing parade routes will remain in effect and the impact to traffic, including MET Transit, will not be improved. 

There is not a financial impact associated with this ordinance revision.
 

Staff recommends that the City Council hold a public hearing and approve first reading of this ordinance amending BMCC, Section 24-503.