The Gallatin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Technical Advisory Committee unanimously recommended adoption of a Long-Range Transportation Plan on November 5, 2026, clearing the way for a 20-year regional approach to allocating $170.9 million in federal transportation funding. The plan distributes resources across road and bridge projects, walking and bicycling infrastructure, transit operations and capital investments, and safe routes to school programming. Major projects include Bozeman's Kagy Boulevard rebuild, Belgrade's Main Street project, and regional connections to Four Corners, the airport, and surrounding communities.
The committee members, led by pushback from Bozeman City staff, declined to overhaul the plan's policy framework in response to late requests from the Transportation Policy Coordinating Committee for stricter performance measures. Instead, the committee agreed to recommend directional guidance on performance metrics—including reducing fatal and severe injuries, increasing transportation and land use coordination, and improving transit access—to be formalized in January. The motion to recommend adoption passed unanimously, contingent on completion of a 30-day public review period, public comment consideration, and necessary revisions to meet federal regulatory requirements.
The committee also unanimously approved a companion Transportation Improvement Program for federal fiscal years 2027 through 2031, implementing the long-range plan's funding priorities across 24 projects. The program incorporates updates from the Montana Department of Transportation reflecting changes from the state's construction plan process, including cost adjustments, two new maintenance projects at Four Corners and Belgrade Southeast, and revised timelines. Belgrade's recent adoption of its own Transportation Master Plan informed projects now included in the MPO plan, with the city potentially seeking Gallatin County Commission adoption for recommendations extending beyond city limits.