The Gallatin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization's Transportation Technical Advisory Committee met August 12 to review a draft fiscally constrained project list for the long-range transportation plan during this week of meetings for the region's citizen advisory boards.
Consultant team members from Nelson Nygaard presented findings showing $486.83 million in projected revenues over the plan horizon, derived primarily from federal road and bridge sources through Montana Department of Transportation's fiscal year 2027-2031 Transportation Improvement Program. A universe of 45 capacity expansion projects exceeds $1 billion at current-year dollars, but the draft fiscally constrained list totals approximately $330 million after accounting for inflation. Projects were selected based on committed funding status, implementation readiness, public voting results from community workshops, grant opportunities, and system resiliency considerations. Committee members were asked to provide feedback on project descriptions, cost estimates, and potential changes by the close of the following week.
Gallatin County Engineering Director Levi Ewan highlighted a recently awarded Safer Streets for All grant with approximately $14 million in federal dollars for a roundabout at Alaska and Cameron Bridge, a shared-use path along Huffine, and intersection improvements at Huffine and Gooch Hill. Travel demand modeling presented by consultant Chris Saunders compared 2022 baseline conditions with future scenarios incorporating 25 years of demographic growth, showing that the proposed projects generally achieved their intended purpose by resolving emerging network needs, though some overcapacity remained. City of Bozeman officials inquired about funding eligibility for street sweeper equipment, and Montana Department of Transportation staff committed to researching that question. Staff indicated the September committee meeting may be cancelled to allow the project team to draft the plan document, with formal review targeted for October and Transportation Planning Coordinating Committee approval expected by year-end.