Staff recommends the City Council review this 2018 Long Range Transportation Plan Amendment No. 2 at this Work Session. Staff will bring this item back to Council at its February 8 regular meeting with a recommendation to approve the amendment to the 2018 LRTP and forward the recommendation to the Policy Coordinating Committee. The PCC is schedule to meet on February 16.

This past year, the City of Billings was awarded a Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant. A first step to gain access to funds and be in compliance with federal requirements of the grant requires the MPO to amend its 2018 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) to reflect acceptance of this grant and its utilization as a funding sources for the Inner Belt Loop and Skyline Trail. Both of these projects are identified in the currently adopted LRTP. Attached to this staff reports are two documents. The first being an amended version of the plan and the second being a quick reference sheet detailing the page number and generally described change in the document.

The schedule for review and adoption of the plan amendment includes actions by the:

• Technical Advisory Committee
• Yellowstone County Board of Planning
• Board of County Commissioners
• City Council
• Policy Coordinating Committee

The amended LRTP will then be sent to the Montanan Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration for review and concurrence.

City Council is not expected to take formal action on this item at the Work Session. However, Council will have the following alternatives when it takes action on this item on February 8:

• Approve the amendment to the 2018 LRTP and forward a recommendation of approval to the Policy Coordinating Committee, or;
• Disapprove the amendment to the 2018 LRTP and forward a recommendation of disapproval to the Policy Coordinating Committee.  Disapproval will endanger the 2020 BUILD grant award to the City.

 

BUILD Grant Funding Breakdown

	Federal	Local	Total
Inner Belt Loop	$7,620,385	$7,000,000	$14,620,385
Skyline Trail	$4,036,380	$85,000	$4,121,380
Total	$11,656,765	$7,085,000	$18,741,765

Approval of the 2018 LRTP amendment will be a first step in the local approval process that will allow the City to leverage the BUILD Grant award.