The Gallatin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Advisory Committee reviewed a draft Long-Range Transportation Plan at its October 28 meeting, marking the first formal look at a document that will guide regional transportation investment through 2050. The plan identifies six core goals including safe travel, system maintenance, mobility choices, preservation of regional character, transportation-land use coordination, and system resilience. Near-term projects totaling $170.9 million include Kagy Boulevard reconstruction in Bozeman, Main Street improvements in Belgrade, and walking and bicycling projects funded through transportation alternatives grants.
Board members raised substantive concerns about implementation. Several noted that while the plan's policies are well-intentioned, many lack specificity in implementation details, measurable targets, timelines, and clear assignment of responsibility. Commissioner Emma Bode also recommended revising the color scheme on fatal crash maps from green-to-red to tan-to-orange-to-red for accessibility to colorblind viewers, and questioned why transit asset management and emissions reduction targets showed no improvement between year-two and year-four projections. Federal Highway Administration staff explained that emissions targets are set conservatively to reflect realistic funding constraints and state regulatory requirements.
Public commenters emphasized the importance of regional and interregional connectivity. The executive director of Big Sky Transportation District and a representative from the Western Transportation Institute noted that coordinating among multiple transit districts within the county and connecting to external communities like Big Sky, Livingston, and Three Forks is critical as the region grows. The plan advances to the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee for review, then opens for a 30-day public comment period from November 9 to December 8 before a final adoption vote on December 16, 2026.