HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-27-23 UPF Agenda & Packet MaterialsA.Call to Order - 6:00 PM
This meeting will be held both in-person and also using an online videoconferencing system. You
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B.Disclosures
C.Changes to the Agenda
D.Public Service Announcements
E.Approval of Minutes
E.1 Urban Parks and Forestry February 23, 2023 Minutes (Phillips )
F.Consent Items
G.Public Comments
This is the time to comment on any matter falling within the scope of the Urban Parks & Forestry
THE URBAN PARKS & FORESTRY BOARD OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA
UPF AGENDA
Thursday, April 27, 2023
General information about the Urban Parks & Forestry Board can be found in our Laserfiche
repository.
If you are interested in commenting in writing on items on the agenda please send an email to
agenda@bozeman.net or by visiting the Public Comment Page prior to 12:00pm on the day of the
meeting.
Public comments will also be accepted in-person and through Video Conference during the appropriate
agenda items.
As always, the meeting will be streamed through the Commission's video page and available in the
City on cable channel 190.
For more information please contact Mitch Overton, moverton@bozeman.net
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Board. There will also be time in conjunction with each agenda item for public comment relating
to that item but you may only speak once per topic. Please note, the Board cannot take action on
any item which does not appear on the agenda. All persons addressing the Board shall speak in a
civil and courteous manner and members of the audience shall be respectful of others. Please
state your name and place of residence in an audible tone of voice for the record and limit your
comments to three minutes.
General public comments to the Board can be found on their Laserfiche repository page.
H.Special Presentations
I.Action Items
J.FYI/Discussion
J.1 Alex Nordquest, Bozeman Forestry Manager will give an update on the Arbor day
Celebration and Volunteer tree planting on Friday April 28th 2023.(Nordquest )
J.2 Parks, Recreation, and Active Transportation Plan Work Session (Jadin)
K.Adjournment
This board generally meets the fourth Thursday of the month from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Citizen Advisory Board meetings are open to all members of the public. If you have a disability and
require assistance, please contact our ADA coordinator, Mike Gray at 406-582-3232 (TDD 406-582-
2301).
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Urban Parks & Forestry Board
FROM:none
SUBJECT:Urban Parks and Forestry February 23, 2023 Minutes
MEETING DATE:April 27, 2023
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Minutes
RECOMMENDATION:Approve
STRATEGIC PLAN:6.5 Parks, Trails & Open Space: Support the maintenance and expansion of
an interconnected system of parks, trails and open spaces.
BACKGROUND:none
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:none
ALTERNATIVES:none
FISCAL EFFECTS:none
Attachments:
Urban Parks and Forestry Minutes 02-23-2023 .pdf
Report compiled on: April 18, 2023
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Urban Parks and Forestry Meeting Minutes, February 23, 2023
Page 1 of 2
URBAN, PARKS & FORESTRY MEETING OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA
MINUTES
February 23, 2023
General information about the Urban Parks & Forestry Board can be found in our Laserfiche repository.
A) 00:01:27 Call to Order - 6:00 PM
B) 00:05:07 Disclosures
Present: Angie Kociolek, Dan Fenn, Donald Ulrich, Alice Stanley, Thomas Cuezze, I-Ho Pomeroy, Reno
Walsh
Absent: Anna Wearn
Excused: None
C) 00:07:20 Changes to the Agenda
D) 00:08:26 Public Service Announcements
E) 00:08:38 Approval of Minutes
E.1 Urban Parks and Forestry Board Minutes January 26 2023
Urban Parks and Forestry Minutes January 26 2023.pdf
01:47:50 Motion to amend
Alice Stanley: Motion
Thomas Cuezze: 2nd
01:48:02 Vote on the Motion to amend N/A The Motion carried 6 - 0.
Approve:
Angie Kociolek
Dan Fenn
Donald Ulrich
Alice Stanley
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Urban Parks and Forestry Meeting Minutes, February 23, 2023
Page 2 of 2
Thomas Cuezze
Reno Walsh
Disapprove:
None
F) 00:08:45 Public Comments
F.1 Public Comment from February 2023
LaserFiche Link to Public Comment for February
2023.02.15_HaraldsonPRATcomments.pdf
SAS_Comments PRAT Goal 4 & Design Manual.pdf
G) FYI/Discussion
G.1 00:12:25 Forestry Manager Alex Nordquest Will Give A Division Update
G.2 00:48:47 Parks, Recreation, and Active Transportation Plan Work Session
PRAT-Plan.pdf
PRAT Public Comment-SAS
PRAT Public Comment-DEQ
H) 02:18:48 Adjournment
This board generally meets the fourth Thursday of the month from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Urban Parks & Forestry Board
FROM:none
SUBJECT:Alex Nordquest, Bozeman Forestry Manager will give an update on the
Arbor day Celebration and Volunteer tree planting on Friday April 28th
2023.
MEETING DATE:April 27, 2023
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission
RECOMMENDATION:none
STRATEGIC PLAN:6.5 Parks, Trails & Open Space: Support the maintenance and expansion of
an interconnected system of parks, trails and open spaces.
BACKGROUND:none
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:none
ALTERNATIVES:none
FISCAL EFFECTS:none
Attachments:
Arbor Day Celebration 2023.pdf
Report compiled on: April 21, 2023
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Arbor Day Celebration and Tree Planting Event Agenda 12pm-4pm
Friday, April 28th use the parking lot at the Softball Complex Park (upper parking lot along Ellis
St.), 501 Haggerty Ln. (see map)
12:00pm - Bozeman Forestry Division Manager, Alex Nordquest will start with a welcoming and
introduction to the event.
12:10pm- Mayor Andrus and other attending officials will read the proclamation and speak on
the importance of arbor day/trees in our community.
12:15pm- Plant the first tree together as a group to provide step by step instruction and then
properly divide groups depending on skillsets.
12:45pm/4pm- Complete the Creekside trees first to eliminate unnecessary road crossings. Then
move to the boulevard planting after Creekside is finished.
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Urban Parks & Forestry Board
FROM:Addi Jadin, Park Planning and Development Manager
Mitch Overton, Director of Parks and Recreation
Chuck Winn, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT:Parks, Recreation, and Active Transportation Plan Work Session
MEETING DATE:April 27, 2023
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Plan/Report/Study
RECOMMENDATION:N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN:6.5 Parks, Trails & Open Space: Support the maintenance and expansion of
an interconnected system of parks, trails and open spaces.
BACKGROUND:DISCUSSION TOPIC for APRIL 27, 2023:
Staff and consultants will give an update on the consultant's revised scope of
work proposal and tentative timeline for publishing the final draft, UPFB
review and recommendation, and Commission final adoption.
BACKGROUND:
In early 2021, staff and the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board (RPAB)
began the effort to commence the revision of the city's comprehensive plan
for parks, recreation and trails. The existing plan, the Parks, Recreation and
Active Transportation Plan (PROST), was adopted December 17, 2007. The
purpose of the 2021-2022 planning process was to create a new,
overarching document that assesses and makes recommendations to
provide for sufficient parkland, recreation/aquatics programs, active
transportation options and facilities for Bozeman citizens. The plan will also
guide the expansion of these essential services as the community grows and
changes. The recommendations in the plan are based on an updated review
of community needs and priorities and may result in the revision of local
development code requirements, procedures and criteria. The plan also
makes recommendations regarding the role of the parks, recreation, and
active transportation systems in fulfilling the goals of recently adopted and
applicable City of Bozeman plans and guiding documents such as the
Bozeman Community Plan, Climate Action Plan, the County Triangle Trails
Plan, and other professional, industry metrics. Lastly, the plan has
recommendations and supporting appendices that will improve the efficacy
of the Parks and Recreation Department's tasks including master park plan
review, individual park site plan review and recreational programming, cost-
recovery and marketing.
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A Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional services for the Parks,
Recreation and Active Transportation Plan (PRAT Plan) was advertised in
March of 2021 and the City entered into a Professional Services Agreement
with Agency Landscape and Planning on July 13, 2021. Consultant
responsibilities described in the PSA include the following:
background research and analysis of relevant state and local laws,
policies and plans;
participation in the creation and implementation of a public outreach
and engagement plan;
needs assessment and community goal, objective and priority
development;
assessment of the level of service of existing parks, recreation and
active transportation systems and services;
implementation/policy recommendations for improving both the
City's recreational program offerings and the land use/urban design
components of the park system, including natural areas and the active
transportation network.
The First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement was
authorized by the City Commission on September 20, 2022 to include city-
wide wayfinding for active transportation within the scope of the project.
With the creation of the Urban Parks and Forestry Board (UPFB) by the City
Commission via Resolution 5328, the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
(RPAB) was disbanded and UPFB assumed the responsibility to focus on the
Parks, Recreation and Active Transportation Plan from drafting through
adoption. The UPFB will forward their recommendation of the PRAT Plan to
the City Commission for final adoption. With the adoption of the PRAT, the
City Commission will also be asked to formally adopt the Gallatin County
Triangle Trails Plan.
REVIEW TIMELINE:
To be updated after April 27th UPFB meeting. See PRAT Plan website
(engage.bozemen.net/pratplan) for updates.
WORKING DRAFT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT:
Please use the link above for draft PRAT chapters and appendices under
review. A master document is also attached to this memo.
Public comment may be provided during above public meetings on the PRAT
Plan and can be provided in writing to the City Clerk (agenda@bozeman.net)
and/or Addi Jadin, Park Planning and Development Manager
(ajadin@bozeman.net).
Public Comment Repository
Public Comment received since last City Clerk upload is linked below.
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Upon completion of work sessions, a final draft will be made publicly
available via the Urban Parks and Forestry Board agenda and PRAT Plan
website.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:N/A
ALTERNATIVES:N/A
FISCAL EFFECTS:N/A
Attachments:
PRAT-Plan.pdf
Gallatin Watershed Council PRAT Feedback 4_14_223.pdf
Report compiled on: January 19, 2023
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2023 COMPREHENSIVE
PARKS, RECREATION, AND
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
PLAN
Report DRAFT
November 2022
City of bozeman
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Acknowledgments
Organization
Name
Name
Name
Organization
Name
Name
Name
Organization
Name
Name
Name
Organization
Name
Name
Name
Agency Landscape + Planning | Berry Dunn | Sanderson Stewart |
Alta Planning | Groundprint | ETC Institute
will be updated
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Contents
introduction
Relationships to Other Planning Efforts/Projects
plan process
state of the system
Bozeman Prat Vision
goal 1
goal 2
goal 3
goal 4
goal 5
How do we get there?
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
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A unique natural setting
a fast-growing micropolitan city
history of the park system
From prost to prat
relationships to past plans
previous prost plan
transportation planning (TMP)
alignment with udc processin this chapter1. introduction
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5
Nested in the Rocky Mountains
of Montana, Bozeman, a city of
nearly 50,000 people as of the
2020 Census, is one of the fastest
growing micropolitan areas in
the country. The city includes a
vibrant historic downtown, is
home to Montana State University,
and serves as a gateway to the
wonders of Yellowstone National
Park and other natural areas.
In addition, the city boasts its
own recreational elements,
programs, facilities, open spaces
and trails, all of which contribute
to the vision embodied by the
City’s slogan: “The Most Livable
Place”. In fact, its high quality of
life, vibrant cultural elements,
access to nature, and recreational
opportunities attract new
residents at a rate that is putting
Bozeman on the trajectory of
becoming Montana’s third largest
city by 2025.
A unique natural
setting
Bozeman is situated within the
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,
which is the largest intact
ecosystem in the continental
United States. It is at the foothills
of many environmentally sensitive
areas, with the Bridger Mountains
to the northeast and Gallatin
National Forest to the south. A 90
mile drive southeast of the city
center takes one to Yellowstone
National Park. Established in 1872
Bozeman is one of the fastest growing cities of its size in the nation.
as the country’s first national
park, Yellowstone attracts an
average of 4 million visitors
annually, many of which use
Bozeman as their home base to
access the park. The park serves
as an important sanctuary for
the largest concentration of
wildlife in the lower 48 states,
which includes elk, bison, grizzly
bears, and nearly 300 bird species.
Directly south of city limits is
the 1.8-million acre Gallatin
National Forest which is home to
four federally listed threatened
species: the grizzly bear, gray wolf,
bald eagle, and the Canada Lynx.
Bozeman’s location near these
ecological sanctuaries cements
its identity as a city co-existing
with nature.
Bozeman is at a unique
hydrological setting: the city
is situated at the headwaters
of the drainage of the Missouri
River Basin. This means that all
precipitation flows away from the
city. Numerous rivers, streams
and irrigation canals transverse
Bozeman, mostly in a north-
south direction. Primary rivers
in the Bozeman area include the
Gallatin, Madison, Missouri,
Yellowstone and Jefferson. These
rivers, creeks and streams host
different habitats, scenic views,
and a diverse population. Due to
their excellent recreational value,
these water bodies have greatly
influenced the location of parks,
open spaces, and trails.
A fast-growing micropolitan city
Bozeman is one of the fastest
growing cities of its size in the
nation: the population has grown
by 43% in the past decade. Cities
that are experiencing similar
trends or challenges as Bozeman,
known as “peer cities” include Fort
Collins, Missoula, and Helena. In
contrast, these cities have grown
by 20% or less in the past decade,
with the exception of Bend, OR
which has grown by 29%. Bozeman
and the greater Bozeman area
are projected to keep growing
at an annual rate of about 3% to
reach more than 200,000 people
by 2040. According to the 2019 City
of Bozeman Community Housing
Needs Assessment, as of 2017 27%
of owner households were single-
occupant, compared to 37% of
renters households. A majority
(41%) of owned households were
2-persons. There is also a high
percentage of roomate occupancy,
contribution to a large percentage
of over 3-persons households (33%
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6
for owners and 29% for renters).
Bozeman’s population is young
compared to the rest of the state,
with the city’s median age at 27.4
years old, compared to 40.1 years
old statewide. Given its younger
population, and the presence of
Montana State University, most of
the population is single with 64%
of residents filing as such, almost
twice as much as the state’s
average. The city is not as diverse
as its peer cities, with 92.1% of the
population identifying as white.
During and following the Covid-19
pandemic, many people relocated
to Bozeman from urban areas
across the country in search of
more space, access to recreation
and proximity to nature, making
Bozeman an ideal place. While
growth is bringing opportunities
for investment, its rapid pace puts
pressure on the natural system
and recreation areas. The timing
of this update highlights the need
for a proactive planning approach
to maintain Bozeman’s high
access and use of park spaces and
recreation services.
History of the park system
In May of 1883, the same year
Bozeman became an official
town, the City added a street
grid of 52 blocks south and west
of city limits. Investors set aside
two blocks as a public park. The
park was named Cooper Park,
after one of the investors, and
was a popular spot for picnics in
the summer. Other early parks
include Southside Park, Lindley
Park and Bogert Park, which
were added to the park system
in the 1920’s. The land of what
is now Bogert Park (originally
Bogert Grove Park) was originally
purchased by the City as a tourist
park following its past use as
a favorite overnight camping
location during community events
like the Bozeman Roundup.
Following the purchase, the park
quickly became a popular spot for
locals to picnic and host Boy Scout
gatherings.
Recreation programs began the
same decade when Eva Pack
became the City’s first playground
supervisor at Beall Park in
1929. She worked at the park
during the summer months and
served as Athletic Director for
Montana State College during the
Figure 1.1 Rec Mobile Program
16
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Figure 1.3 Cooper Park, the City’s first public park.
Figure 1.4 Bogert Park is an early addition to the City’s park system but
still serves as a hub today hosting community events.
Figure 1.2 Bird’s eye view of the city of Bozeman, Gallatin County with
approximate boundary of its historic core.
school year. Early recreational
programs at Beall park included
playgrounds, tennis, picnic
grounds, a bandstand for music
in the summer and an ice skating
rink in the winter. In the 1950’s,
the City planned for a park and
recreation department with a
professional recreation director
and a park maintenance crew.
The 1958 City Plan listed a variety
of seasonal activities, including
swimming, baseball, and special
activities during summer months,
and ice skating, sledding, and
dancing in the winter.
In the 1960’s, community service
groups and the City Recreation
Board began promoting the
idea of a new indoor-outdoor
swimming pool. Support for
the idea was plentiful but costs
escalated, inhibiting the proposal
until a bond passed in 1974. The
Bozeman Swim Center opened
to the public in 1975. The center
closed temporarily in May 2022
to make necessary repairs to
the building’s structure. These
repairs are expected to wrap up at
the end of 2022.
As of 2022, the city’s system
includes over 1,000 acres of
parkland and 79 miles of natural
trails. Residents have the
option to participate in a vast
variety of seasonal recreational
programming, including art
classes, nature-based activities,
athletic offerings, ice skating,
sledding, volleyball, and various
indoor classes.
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8
From PROST to PRAT
Bozeman, like many other peer
cities, is grappling with fast
population growth, a changing
climate with warmer winters
and drier summers, and a
higher risk of environmental
disasters. The City aims to
assess and plan to address
these issues while recognizing
the importance of racial equity,
inclusion and environmental
sustainability within its parks,
trails, and recreation centers
and programs. This document
is part of its mission to continue
its high standard for quality of
life through a safe, welcoming
and connected parks and trails
system.
The City’s most current plan
is the 2007 Parks, Recreation,
Open Space and Trails (“PROST”)
Plan which has guided the
creation of numerous trails and
has helped elevate the role of
parks, recreation programs, and
facilities in maintaining the
City’s quality of life. However, as
Bozeman’s population continues
to grow and diversify, the City’s
parks and recreational facilities
will face more pressure from
increased usage. The City and
its residents want to ensure
that it maintains the quality
elements, natural resources,
and recreational opportunities
that continue to draw people in.
Bozeman’s parks, open spaces,
and trails are important in
realizing this vision.
This plan also brings an active
transportation emphasis into
the world of parks, recreation,
and open space, including the
full network of trails from
Trails
Roads
Railroad
City Boundary
Growth Boundary
Streams
Lakes & Reservoirs
Parks
Open Space
Future Parks
Planning Area
Figure 1.5 Bozeman trails are an asset to connect the community
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9Figure 1.6 The planning area and its context
Streams
Lakes & Reservoirs
Parks
Open Space
Future Parks
Downtown
Bozeman
MSU
Growth Boundary
0 0.5 1 mile N
Planning Area
19
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gravel paths to on-street bike
facilities. This shift recognizes
the community’s shifting values
around transportation and
recreation, and the need to create
greater connectivity between
park assets and places across the
city. In 2012, voters approved a $15
million Trails, Open Space and
Parks (TOP) bond program which
has so far increased parkland
by 145 acres and added 3 miles of
trails. Additionally, in 2020, at the
outset of the COVID pandemic,
residents voted overwhelmingly
in favor of the Parks and Trails
District to address park and trails
maintenance in the City.
This document first aims to
understand and inventory
the existing system of
parks, recreation and active
transportation. This assessment
informs a set of recommendations
to enhance current elements for
all Bozeman citizens, as well
as guide the future expansion
and evolution of the system to
meet the needs of a growing and
changing community.
Relationships to Other Planning Efforts/Projects
Previous PROST Plan
Adopted December 17, 2007, the
City of Bozeman’s current Parks,
Recreation, Open Space and
Trails (“PROST”) Plan provides
a framework for integrating
existing facilities and programs,
Figure 1.7 Main Street and Downtown Bozeman
What is the Parks and Trails District?
In 2020, residents voted to
create a parks and trails
district. This district
provides a dedicated source
of funding for maintaining
and improving our City’s
parks and trails. One of
the key components of the
District is authorization
for the City to annually levy
assessments to provide for
maintenance of all City-
owned or managed parks
and trails.
This means that every
penny that goes into the
Parks & Trails District
will be spent on parks
and trails in the Bozeman
community. It also ensures
that the these publicly
accessible spaces are
maintained consistently
acorss the CIty.
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while further developing a system
of parks, recreation facilities and
programs, open spaces, and trails.
The plan also helped to establish
City policies and influenced
the evaluation of development
proposals that impact this
system. Finally, it provided a basis
for grant application, regulatory
requirements, and other funding
mechanisms for parkland
expansion.
Following an assessment of
Bozeman’s recreational facilities
and trends at the time, the plan
identified issues and needs for
the City of Bozeman’s Recreation
Division as (1) increasing the
quality and/or quantity of local
swimming facilities, (2) enhancing
local recreation facilities for
youth, (3) developing two new
family-oriented leisure aquatic
centers, one southwest and one
northwest of town, (4) developing
a community recreation facility
with an indoor-outdoor aquatic
component connected to a large
community park, (5) offering
programs that provide multi-
generational recreational
activities, fosters healthy family
relationships, develops character
and team building programs,
educates. Through community
surveys, the PROST plan
identified trails as the most used
recreational facility in the City.
The PROST plan was successful in
ensuring new private development
and city growth contributed to
new open space and trail creation.
2007
2017
PROST Plan
Population
2022
~50,000 people
Population
2010
37,280
Transportation
Master Plan PRAT Plan!
Figure 1.8 Current documents that are informing PRAT Plan. The PROST plan was used by the city starting in 2005 but
formally adopted with the 2008 version of the transporation plan.
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Transportation Master
Plan (TMP)
Upgrades to the City’s
transportation system following
the PROST Plan and the
community’s increasing interest
in transportation-related matters
called for a comprehensive
transportation master plan
to help direct future growth
through innovative planning. The
Bozeman Transportation Master
Plan (TMP) aimed to provide a
new examination of multi-modal
transportation issues within the
Bozeman area and address the
present and future needs of the
community. Since the release of
the document, the City’s paved
pathway network has been
expanding. However, although the
PROST plan also highlighted the
importance of a connected trail
system, the two documents are
not always in sync. The objectives
of the PROST plan sometimes
differ from the TMP, complicating
the implementation of both
the TMP and PROST, further
exacerbated by the fact that
the two documents are funded
and managed by two separate
departments.
Alignment with UDC
Process
The Unified Development Code or
UDC is a set of regulations that
support public health, safety
the PROST plan identified trails as the most used recreational facility in the City.
Since the release of the TMP, the City’s paved pathway network and on-street bike lanes have been expanding.
and general welfare related
to physical city growth, use of
property and development. Found
within Chapter 38 of the Bozeman
Municipal Code, the UDC covers
a wide range of subdivision and
zoning topics such as setbacks,
building height, allowed uses,
landscaping, affordable housing
and parking. Some regulations
apply city-wide while others
are specific to different city
districts. In terms of parks, the
UDC (in compliance with state
law) sets the calculations for
minimum park area (and/or cash
in lieu) requirements for new
residential development as well
as minimal design requirements
such as frontage, irrigation
and sidewalks. The UDC also
addresses other related factors
such as trails and pathways and
watercourse setbacks. Rules
related to park and facility usage
are addressed in a separate
chapter (Chapter 26) of the
Bozeman Municipal Code.
The City is at the beginning
stages of a UDC overhaul. This
process will include targeted
implementation of adopted plans
and is expected to be completed by
the end of 2023. The timing of this
plan is ideal for recommendations
related to parks, recreation
and active transportation to be
incorporated into the new code.
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Figure 1.9 Bike tour through City parks to kick off the PRAT process
Figure 1.10 Many residents commute to work by bike everyday and share the road with cars.
23
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timeline and milestones
engagement approach and outcomes
methods and milestones
engagement key findings
in this chapter2. plan process
24
15
Timeline and milestones
The development of the PRAT
Plan was a 15-month process,
beginning in the Summer of 2021
and concluding in the Winter
of 2022. The planning process
was framed largely around
significant engagement efforts
to ensure the desires of the
community and Department staff
were accurately reflected in the
plan’s recommendations. Plan
development was also shepherded
by the Urban Parks and Forestry
Board (UPFB).
The plan process was structured
around four phases:
Phase 1: Analysis: The first phase
encompassed the discovery and
understanding of Bozeman’s
unique recreation and parks
system, its organization, and its
provision of programs. It included
a high level review of park types
and distribution of parks and
trails across the city, in depth
study of historical and ecological
systems, a needs assessment, and
a statistically valid community
survey.
Phase 2: Vision & Concepts: During
this portion of the project’s
development, system-wide
concepts and plan themes were
developed and tested through
public and staff review and
comment.
Phase 3: Draft Plan: The third
phase of the process included
establishing guiding goals
and objectives, as well as an
implementation strategy. A review
of trail connectivity, investments
and maintenance was also
conducted.
Phas 4: Final PRAT Plan: The final
stage of the project included
documentation, review, and
approvals. This phase resulted
in this document and supporting
design and maintenance manuals.
Figure 2.1 Plan process and schedule.
1
Understand
Analysis + Assessment
Engagement
Milestone #3
August 23-25
Park Pop-ups
2
3
Begin!
Project Startup
Engagement
Milestone #1 4
Deliver
Documentation
Vision
Craft a Framework
JULY AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
Engagement
Milestone #2:
April 5 and 6
Virtual Public
Workshops
Project Schedule
2021 2022
25
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Engagement approach and outcomes
During the 15-month long
planning process, the project
team engaged over 900 community
members and stakeholders.
The City’s parks, facilities, and
programs are all beloved, and
the master plan process was
structured to ensure that all
park users and communities
were invited and had the chance
to weigh in on the future of this
important recreational and open
space system.
Methods and Milestones
Much of the plan’s development
occurred during uncertainty
in the COVID pandemic and
encouraged the City to think
creatively about meeting residents
where they were and through
diverse means of communication
and engagement. To ensure people
felt safe and included in their
participation, the plan included
both online and in-person
engagement methods, like online
workshops, pop-up events in parks
and events, partnerships with
other city initiatives and outreach
methods, and both statistically
valid and community surveys
with opportunities for residents to
give feedback on preliminary plan
recommendations.
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In-person Engagement
Drop-in at local events: Tabling
at existing events like farmers
markets and City-sponsored
festivals can help to reach
residents unaware of the plan
process and ask quick questions
about needs and aspirations for
the future of the park, trail and
recreation system. Early on, the
City identified a series of events
to participate in and destinations
to visit to help build awareness
of the plan process and goals
and to gather feedback using
questions relevant to what was
being explored by the process at
that time. For events happening
in 2021, this meant asking about
favorite parks and barriers to
access using a map and mad
libs exercise, in which residents
responded to an incomplete
sentence with responses about
their recreation experiences. In
the Spring of 2022, engagement
at existing events focused on
resident visions and big ideas
for future projects or policies.
Ultimately, the PRAT plan was
represented at over 20 events
throughout the city.
Online Engagement
Project Web Content: Regular
content updates were made to the
City’s website, which serves as
an increasingly popular resource
for information and updates
regarding city-led projects.
Alongside the City’s project page
on the City’s website, the PRAT
Plan was the first comprehensive
plan to take advantage of a
new digital platform, Engage.
Bozeman.net, a Bang the Table
platform. The project team
shared regular project updates
to the PRAT plan and served as
a space for online conversations
between city staff and residents.
This platform was also used to
share content online at milestone
moments and in between. The
site pulled 159 unique visits over
the year that the platform was
publicly accessible.
Social Media: Ahead of major
public milestones, the City posted
visual graphics and imagery to
promote the plan, promote public
events, and gather reactions
to early ideas on existing City
social media platforms. Certain
advertisements were translated
into Spanish and were also posted
on the City’s website, which offers
Google Translate services.
Statistically Valid Survey: A
statistically valid paper survey
was mailed to 2,500 residents
across the City of Bozeman.
This tool provided an important
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18
data set that represented a user
group with similar demographic
characteristics to the City as a
whole and offered a balanced
resident perspective across the
City. Final results were based
on 300 total surveys providing
a 95% confidence level. The City
also made this community survey
available online to residents
who had not participated in the
statistically valid survey. An
additional 100 people shared their
existing patterns and needs for
the City system.
Community Workshops: Due
to ongoing COVID restrictions
during the plan’s development, the
project team made the decision
to hold community workshops
online, halfway through the
plan process. These workshops
included a short presentation
and small group conversations
that used the Engage Bozeman
platform to help facilitate
conversations and map or catalog
participant ideas. The community
workshops were recorded and
posted on Engage Bozeman for
anyone interested in participating
but unable to attend during the
early April meetings.
At the end of each engagement
milestone, engagement feedback
was synthesized and shared with
them in an easily digestible and
clear format that can be shared
on multiple digital platforms, both
internally and with the broader
community.
Alignment with Other City
Initiatives
Safe Routes to Parks: The
project team also worked in
Figure 2.2 HRDC Safe Routes to Parks Community liaisons
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19
parallel with the Safe Routes
to Parks grant team to ensure
the PRAT plan helps to reduce
barriers to accessing parks
and facilities. This grant was
awarded to the Human Resource
Development council, District
IX (HRDC) in partnership with
the Western Transportation
Institute (WTI) at Montana
State University and the City
of Bozeman to create and test
a community liaison program
to highlight systematically
excluded voices. The plan worked
alongside three community
liaisons who are connected to
different underrepresented
communities including the BIPOC
(Black, Indigenous, and People
of Color), LatinX and disability
communities. The liaisons tested
a variety of tools such as targeted
surveys, hosting small group
conversations, organizing a walk
audit, and collecting stories
through one-on-one interviews.
Staff and Stakeholder
Engagement
Staff engagement was essential to
the success and implementation
of the plan. In October, as part of
the project’s kick-off, staff and
stakeholders participated in a
series of topical focus groups to
learn about the system through
the eyes of staff, partners, and city
leaders. These representatives
were reengaged as part of the
plan vision process in June
2022 and again to help identify
implementation priorities in
August 2022.
Engagement Key
Findings
Through the engagement
process, the plan uncovered
that the City’s parks and trails
provide an important oasis in the
fastest growing city in Montana.
Bozeman residents clearly
value opportunities to connect
with nature and to safely
access walking and biking
trails. Residents also want
their parks and facilities to be
inclusive places where they
feel welcomed by other park
users, staff, and by the design of
these places and the programs
within them. Residents were also
aligned in their desires for special
use facilities, more specifically
swimming pools. Though
these values are not explicitly
contradictory, they span many
topics, so the planning process
was oriented toward finding the
right balance of investments,
whether they be in policy,
Department capacity, or capital
improvements.
The top responses from the public
engagement process were related
to desires for inclusion, relevant
programs and elements, safe
access, nature immersion, trail
Engagement by numbers (Participation and Methods)
401 community surveys
(300 statistically valid)
24 disability community
Surveys
12 BIPOC surveys
401
78
78 locations mapped
45 ideas shared
1 online implementation
poll
4,537 unique site visits
2 online community
meetings
15 meetings with city,
boards, and councils
24 pop-ups at events and
in parks
2
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20
connectivity, special use facilities,
and park etiquette. These seven
engagement themes provide an
important framework for the goals
and strategies outlined within
this plan.
Inclusion
Many residents reported feeling
uncomfortable or unsafe in their
parks. Efforts to enhance physical
access, lead program inclusion,
and expand park policies will
ensure that parks, programs,
and trails are welcoming for all
Bozeman residents.
Relevant Programs and
Elements
Residents continually noted
their love of their park spaces
and requested that same level of
investment in their programs and
events.
Safe Access
Fast moving and wide roadways
that are difficult to cross,
limited universal accessibility
between homes and open spaces
or buildings, inadequate access
to parks and facilities for the
disabled community, and difficult
to reach park spaces were all
identified as creating barriers
to safely getting to barriers to
people’s use of parks and their
participation in recreational
opportunities.
Nature Immersion
Residents enjoy the proximity
to nature both within the City
and outside its limits. Many
residents are also excited for
more nature play and educational
opportunities.
Trail Connectivity
Trails not only facilitate
connections between natural
areas and public lands, but foster
community connections as well.
Residents and visitors love the
existing trail network and are
excited for a more connected
system of pathways and trails
that are connected to beloved
parks and important community
destinations.
Special Use Facilities
Swimming pools and aquatics
programs were consistently
among the top ranked needs by
plan participants. The need for
more water play and swimming
opportunities emerged early on in
the process, before the temporary
closure of the Bozeman Swim
Center. Other desired special use
facilities included a nature center
and affordable indoor fitness
spaces.
Care
Many different audiences
use Bozeman parks, and not
everyone is thoughtful about the
impacts their park use has on the
experience of others, the park’s
Figure 2.3 Themes
Inclusion Relevant Programs
and Elements
Engagement feedback themes
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21
maintenance burden and
financial cost, and the natural
resources and habitat quality.
In order for parks and trails
to be fully inclusive, the City
must ensure that people’s use
of parks isn’t entirely shaped
by dogs, that park rules are
clearly communicated and
respected, that habitat isn’t
unnecessarily destroyed and
that park equipment and
facilities aren’t vandalized.
Through a community of
care, people can protect their
investment made via the Parks
and Trails District and can
begin to yield to others’ needs.
Safe Access
Nature Immersion
Trail Connectivity Special Use
Facilities Care
31
bozeman outdoors
Existing Facilities and Programs
Equitable Access to Parks
Comparison to Similar Cities
bozeman at play
Recreation Assessment
Distribution of Programs and Activities
Similar Providers
community survey
Evaluating Facility and Amenity Needs Against Demand
bozeman ON THE MOVE
Existing Active Transportation Systemin this chapter3. state of the system
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23
Bozeman’s park system reflects
its unique development history,
natural system infrastructure,
and outdoor culture. The
recreational facilities, parks,
and trails are intertwined into
the daily lives and experiences
of Bozeman residents and have
become a central part of one of
the most cherished destination
towns in the country. To
understand more deeply how
this system is structured and
how to expand its role equitably
across the community, we need
to understand what the system
includes today and compare that
understanding against what
we’ve heard from residents. We
also need to see how Bozeman’s
system compares to other cities
to identify where there is an
abundance of access and where
gaps exist. Finally, we have to look
to the future, to anticipate needs
not yet identified and proactively
address those trends through the
plan. To do this, the PRAT plan
evaluated the complexity of the
system through three lenses:
◊Bozeman Outdoors -
What is the structure
of the physical system
and how does it compare
to cities with similar
populations and growth
patterns?
Figure 3.1 REcreation programs invite residents of all ages to spend time outside.
◊Bozeman at Play - What
programs and events
does the city lead and
what programs are
led by other similar
organizations?
◊Bozeman on the
Move - What are the
connections and gaps
in the city’s system of
trails, paths, and street
network and how can
the City work to close
gaps in access between
parks, homes and other
important destinations?
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24
Bozeman Outdoors
There are 91 city parks and 24
linear open spaces in the City
that range in size and function.
Within city parks, there is a total
of 895 acres of different kinds
of park elements like sports
field and courts, fishing docks,
playgrounds, open space, and
meandering stream corridors.
Since the PROST plan, the system
895 city-ownedacres of parks
390 open spaceacres
17 acres of parkspace per 1,000 residents
176 miles ofoff-street routes
125+ programs
City
895 acres
Park
Ownership
(Acres)
Private
41 acres
County
108 acres
has preserved 17 acres of park
space per 1,000 residents. The
Citys’s park system plays host to
a variety of fixed and temporary
park elements . From ballfields to
wintertime skating rinks, tennis
courts to dogs parks, and paved
trails to BMX trails, Bozeman’s
parks are destinations for
everyone.
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25
Equitable Access to
Parks
Understanding park needs and
equitable distribution of services
is multi-layered and includes
demographic mapping of
◊population density,
◊car ownership,
◊race,
◊income
◊disability
◊age (particularly among
seniors and children
under 18).
This snapshot of Bozeman’s
current population provides
a basis for understanding
community needs for recreation
elements. Demographic ranges
have been combined into a
composite geography that reveal
places with defined opportunities
for city services like parks and
recreation programming. In
general, areas surrounding MSU
and west of 11th Avenue and
northeast of Oak Street and 19th
Avenue show the highest need for
parks and elements based on the
demographic composite.
The demographic data also
establishes the magnitude and
composition of population change
in Bozeman and highlights
segments (youth, the elderly, and
people with incomes below the
poverty line) that the City should
position itself to better serve in
the future. A proximity analysis
reveals physical community
access and gaps to parks and
facilities. The analysis evaluates
a ten minute walk (half mile) and
six minute bike ride (one mile)
from each park by following the
existing road structure and it also
takes into account road crossing
barriers from the 2017 Bozeman
Transportation Master Plan. Any
walkshed that falls over those
significant barriers was removed
Figure 3.2 Social vulnerability demographic compilation map. Households with the highest vulnerability are
the darkest shades on the map.
Social Vulnerability Map
High Vulnerability
Low Vulnerability
City Boundary
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26
Figure 3.3 Proximity analysis of access to parks from a 10 minute walk.
Roads
Railroad
City Boundary
Growth Boundary
Streams
Lakes & Reservoirs
Parks
Areas within 10-minute
walk
N
Parks Proximity Map
Many of the
Spanish-speaking people
living in the Wagon Wheel
Trailer Court identified Main/
Huffine as a major barrier to get
to their nearest neighborhood
parks - Kirk Park and Bozeman
Pond.
0 0.5 1 mile
36
27
to further indicate where park
access is limited, especially
for residents with mobility
limitations, families, and people
without cars. Access to parks
is generally strong within the
denser areas closest to Bozeman’s
Downtown. Still, the mapping
within this section only highlights
the geographic and quantifiable
side of the PRAT’s understanding
of access. From conversations
with various members of the
disability community, the Safe
Routes program liaisons surfaced
that a significant number of
parks and trails and elements
lack access for the disability
community and for low income
and Latinx communities. .
The City has gotten ahead of
growth by investing in new parks
where growth was highest, so
neighborhoods with the highest
populations have high walkable
access to parks. This means that
park access is typically high along
gridded city streets. Conversely,
large areas west, north and
south where large subdivisions
are being built lack walkable
access to community parks and
elements or are bisected by fast
moving streets like Huffine Lane
(Highway 191) and 19th Avenue.
Bozeman is growing most rapidly
in the areas with the newest parks
as a result of land dedication
regulations for new developments.
Communities north and west of
downtown are also increasing
in population, and this growth
pattern is projected to continue
and reinforces the importance
of safe access between parks
and neighborhoods. Population
growth is also occurring outside
of downtown near the edges of the
city.
Comparison to Similar
Cities
As a city of just over 50,000 people,
Bozeman has an abundance
of park acreage, but the city’s
population and development
continues to grow up and out, a
phenomenon that has outpaced
many other urban areas
during the pandemic. Prior to
2020, Bozeman was already
growing rapidly, similar to
peer communities. Like Bend,
Oregon, Fort Collins, Colorado,
and Boulder, Colorado which
boast substantial outdoor
tourism economies - Bozeman
appeals to an outdoor culture
and is increasingly a destination
for people seeking outdoor
adventure. The PRAT plan looks
to cities of similar size and
character to understand how
Bozeman’s acreage, average
park size, trail miles, and park
and facilities elements compare.
This assessment incorporated
data from both the Trust for
Public Land (TPL) and the
National Recreation and Parks
Association (NRPA) to draw these
comparisons.
Bozeman was compared to
seven other similar cities - Fort
Collins, Colorado; Missoula,
Montana; Helena, Montana;
Corvallis, Oregon; Billings,
Montana; Boulder, Colorado; and
Bend, Oregon. Not only are these
cities generally similar in size,
ranging from 28,000 to 170,000
residents, they also have been
growing substantially over the
last decade. While Bozeman is
the second least populous city
among this comparison, it is the
fastest growing city among those
compared. Bozeman also has the
third highest number of acres
per thousand residents (17 acres),
after Bend, Oregon and Missoula,
Montana.
Where is Bozeman
Leading?
Through its development code
and 2012 TOP Bond, Bozeman
has facilitated investment in
playgrounds and its trail system,
and is working to expand access
to a variety of typical park
elements across the city. A closer
look at Bozeman’s facility and
amenity counts against similar
cities highlights the importance
of those investments - Bozeman
has 54 playgrounds, twelve more
playgrounds than Bend, Oregon
with the second highest number of
playgrounds. Bozeman is also well
served by pavilions and natural
surface trails. Bozeman however
also has a deficit of recreation
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Figure 3.4 With a population growth of 43% in the past decade (2010-2020) Bozeman has grown faster than
peer cities that share similar growth patterns, size, and community appeal.
Corvallis, OR
Bend, ORBillings, MT Boulder, CO
Fort Collins, CO
Population Growth 2010-2020
Bozeman, MT
Helena, MT
Missoula, MT
Peer Department Total Population (2020)Growth 2010-2020
SOURCE: NRPA/US CENSUS
99,178
59,922
+12%117,116
108,100
53,293
169,810
28,190
73,489
+29%
+11%
+10%
+43%
+18%
+14%
+10%
Density
Residents/mi2
2,697
2,347
4,003
2,839
4,240
3,015
1,724
2,671Missoula, MT
Billings, MT
Bozeman, MT
Fort Collins,
Boulder, CO
Corvallis, OR
Bend, OR
Helena, MT
38
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facilities (the City currently has
no recreation-focused facility),
basketball and tennis courts,
sports fields, and water based play
(spraygrounds and pools).
Bozeman at Play
From learning and exploring
nature to opportunities for
dancing and family cookouts,
to spaces for sledding in the
winter and public art, Bozeman’s
park, recreation and active
transportation system has the
potential to meet the needs and
wishes of every visitor. These
places provide vital venues for
people to experience togetherness
or provide space for reflection and
alone time, to get exercise, and to
learn new skills. The PRAT Plan
evaluated what programs exist
today and gathered community
thoughts and ideas about what
experiences they enjoy, would like
to see expanded, or would like to
introduce.
Recreation Assessment
As Bozeman grows and changes,
changes and new trends in
recreation are also evolving and
expanding across the country.
Understanding both the localized
and national changes in demand
for recreation and wellness-
centered classes and programs
can help project future program
needs and the spaces that will
CITY OF BOULDEROPEN SPACE ANDMOUNTAIN PARKS
County Line
Boulder Open Space andMountain Parks System
Open Space andMountain Parks
Trail Head
LEGEND
In Boulder, CO, the Open
Space and Mountain Parks
Department manages
permanently protected
land that forms a buffer
around the city.
In contrast, while Bozeman
has great natural areas
within town, if better
connected, they can serve as
an urban oasis and part of an
active transportation system.
support them. The community
survey helps to define demand
for programs and research into
the City’s seasonal program
guides and participation data
as well as staff insights help to
provide a framework for the city’s
availability and gaps in program
access.
Mix of Recreation
Programs
The city provides over 125
different types of classes and
events to residents. Many of these
programs fall into the category
of “core program”, which are
categories that help to distinguish
what audiences or what topics
are covered in the City’s offerings
Bozeman has seven core programs
- active aging, adult, aquatics,
camps, events, preschool, and
school’s out activities. In many
departments, core programs are
organized by activity type (fitness,
nature, sports) and not by age
group (preschool, youth, adult).
Bozeman uses a combination of
both activity type and age group.
Like many growing cities, the
Bozeman Parks and Recreation
Department acknowledged
a desire to expand offerings
that are more inclusive and
welcoming to an increasingly
diverse population. As the variety
of programming increases, re-
establishing the core programs
by topic or activity will help to
clarify what programs are offered
publicly, and better identify gaps
How does Bozeman Compare to Peer Cities?
39
30
in program areas internally. The
City’s core program areas are
described in more detail below.
Active Aging
Active aging programs are for
participants 55 years and older.
Nearly all of the classes offered
in 2019 were fitness classes
including Heart and Sole, Balance
& Beyond, Sole Energy, and
Stability and Mobility.
Adult
Adult recreation encompasses
most programs that serve
participants ages 18 years and
older. These include avalanche
awareness classes and sport
leagues such as sand volleyball,
ping pong, badminton and
pickleball.
Aquatics
The Department offers a robust
swim instruction program for
children 6 months through 12
years. For the youngest age group
(6 months – 3 years), these classes
are parent and child together
(Angelfish). For the next age
group (3 & 4 years), Clownfish is
offered. There are several levels
of swim instruction for 5 to 12
years olds and also for 6 to 12
years olds depending on ability.
These courses are offered at the
Bozeman Swim Center year-round
and at the Bogert Pool during the
summer months. The Department
also offers lifeguard courses and a
Water Safety Instructor course.
Camps
The Department provides several
camp options for the community
broken down into different age
groups including 3 – 5 years,
5 – 7 years, 5 – 10 years, 8 – 10
years, and 11 – 14 years. Camps
are offered during spring break,
winter break, and summer and
include opportunities for all
interests including art, fishing,
sports, and spring break at The
Mill just to name a few.
Events
Several events are offered
throughout the year – many
which are free and do not
require advance registration.
These events include Easter
Egg Hunt, Gallatin Valley Earth
Day Festival, Discovery Walks,
Pickin’ in the Park, Fishing
Derby, National Trails Day, Youth
Triathlon, Sweet Pea Children’s
Run, Wellness in the parks, Walk
with Ease, Avalanche Awareness,
and Active Aging Week. Monster
Mash (a Halloween themed event),
Breakfast with Santa, and the
Father Daughter Dance all require
advance registration and target
specific age groups.
Preschool
Programming for preschoolers is
divided up into several different
age groups and includes a range of
activities, from organized sports
to nature play and education for
ages two years to four years old.BEND, ORBOULDER, COCORVALLIS, ORFORT COLLINS, COMISSOULA, MTBOZEMAN, MTAQUATIC CENTERS
1 3 1
0 1.621
MEDIAN
In the past year, Boulder,
CO has updated and
added skate elements to 3
existing City Parks and at
their Main Library
Boulder, CO also has the most
aquatic centers out of all of
our peers
How does Bozeman Compare to Peer Cities?
40
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School’s Out Activities
School Day off events are offered
throughout the school year when
school is not in session. Programs
are offered for 5 to 10 years and
include several opportunities
including sports, nature, and
science.
Youth
Youth programming is also
divided up into several age groups
that range from six years old to
early teen programs.
Other Services
In addition to the core programs
and activities, the City manages
other types of facilities that
provide community leisure
opportunities.
◊Bogert Pool is an outdoor
facility that has two
swimming areas: a 25-
yard lap pool (3.5 – 9 feet
in depth) and a shallow
pool for young children (1
– 3 feet in depth). The lap
pool includes a climbing
wall, a small slide, and
a zip line. The shallow
pool includes a small
slide. This facility is
typically open from mid-
June to late-August each
summer.
◊The Swim Center is an
indoor aquatic facility
with a 50-meter, eight
lane lap pool that is
typically open year-
round. From mid-August
to mid-March, it is
divided into a 25-yard
pool and a 24-meter pool.
◊The Rec Mobile provides
recreation to children
ages 2 – 10 years in
neighborhood parks
throughout the spring
and summer. Recreation
leaders facilitate play
that keeps children
outside, active, and
engaged with peers.
These opportunities are
available on Monday and
Wednesday evenings at
different parks.
◊Several Bozeman
facilities are available
for rental including Beall
Park Recreation Center,
Lindley Center, Story
Mansion, and Story Mill
Community Center.
Distribution of
Programs and Activities
A total of 329 programs were
offered by the Department
between 2018 and 2019.
Understanding how the City’s
enrollment-based program
offerings are distributed across
core program areas helps to
identify broader City trends and
community needs.
The program with the largest
quantity of programs offered
was aquatics (160), regardless
FIELDS
Bozeman sits below the
median for number of fields:
elements typically found in
Community Parks
28.9
27.8
16
9.28.6
28.5
19.8
BEND, ORBOULDER, COCORVALLIS, ORFORT COLLINS, COMISSOULA, MTBOZEMAN, MTMEDIAN
How does Bozeman Compare to Peer Cities?
PER 50K
PEOPLE
41
32
of season. The second largest
quantity of programs offered was
preschool (43). Excluding events
since they generally don’t require
registration, the program areas
with the lowest quantities are
school’s out activities and adult
programs, with 8 offerings each.
Events (4) include the Easter Egg
Hunt, Pickin’ in the Park, Youth
Triathlon Camps, Youth Triathlon
Race, Sweet Pea Children’s Run,
Wellness in the Parks, Walk with
East, Avalanche Awareness, and
Active Aging Week.
Evaluating Programs by
Age
The PRAT plan also evaluated
City programs against the
current citywide age breakdown.
This analysis surfaced that a
high percentage of programs,
49%, were designated for early
childhood. Of all the age-specific
programming, 91% are designed
for youth under the age of 18 years,
while youth only represent 22%
of the community’s population.
A small percentage of programs
were offered for adults, ages 18
to 54, who make up 66% of the
population.
A large percentage (91%) of the
Department’s enrollment-based
programs are designed for youth,
while youth only represents 22%
of the community’s population.
Adults, ages 20 years and up,
make up 78% of the population,
while only 9% of programs are
designed for adults. For the City’s
programming to cater mostly to
youth is consistent with most
park and recreation agencies’
program offerings across the
country. Youth programming
not only benefits those enrolled,
but caretakers as well. Yet the
percentage of youth programming
among most agencies usually only
represents half to two-thirds of
all offerings. The City’s program
menu’s age segmentation does not
need to mirror the community’s
age demographic segmentation
in an exact manner; however, an
ongoing goal can be to balance the
menu toward a reflection of the
community makeup.
Program Enrollment
Total enrollment into the
Department’s programs was
3,414 in 2019. Aquatics had
the highest enrollment with
1,092 participants, followed by
preschool at 783, and camps
at 661. Figure 5 shows all the
programs and the percentage of
each of the whole. There are some
programs that are offered by other
organizations who take their own
registration (Skyhawks) and this
data is not included in any of these
analyses.
Aquatics accounted for a third
(32%) of the 2018-2019 enrollments,
and preschool and camps
accounted for approximately one-
fifth of the programming each,
21% and 19% respectively.
Bozeman sits below the
median for number of
courts: elements typically
found in Neighborhood
Parks
BEND, ORBOULDER, COCORVALLIS, ORFORT COLLINS, COMISSOULA, MTBOZEMAN, MTMEDIAN
COURTS
8.3
13.9 12
9.5
37.3
22.5
17.2
How does Bozeman Compare to Peer Cities?
PER 50K
PEOPLE
42
33
Aquatics accounted for nearly half
(48.8%) of the program menu and
32% of all enrollments, which is
typical due to the smaller class
size and the advertisement of
several course sections that can
be combined, if needed. For camps
and preschool, the percentage of
participants is greater than the
percentage of courses offered.
Similar Providers
Bozeman residents enjoy a wide
variety of recreation programs
offered by a host of different
organizations – some of these
are nonprofit groups and others
are private businesses. Many of
these are provided space for their
activities by the Department.
The Department permits space
to several affiliate groups that
provide recreation programs to
the community. When discussing
the permitting process with
staff regarding the local sports
programs, understanding of
requirements were inconsistent.
Future policies should be clarified
for consistent communications
between the Department and
affiliate groups and should
consider requiring all affiliate
groups to:
◊require all coaches to
submit to a criminal
background check,
◊compare the list of
coaches to the state
and federal sex offender
databases,
◊charge a special field
use fee for nonresident
participants
◊track demographics and
city-county resident
status, scholarships
given out and DEI
training
Fitness programs are often
a desire for young adults in
communities across the country.
Due to the low percentage
of programs offered by the
Department for adults, fitness
opportunities within the
community were reviewed. There
are several private facilities
spread out in the community
offering fitness opportunities for
Bozeman residents.
In addition to the camps offered
by the Department, there are
dozens and dozens of summer
camps available for Bozeman
Youth. There are opportunities for
children of all interests including
art, dance (ballet, hip hop, aerial
hammock, and choreography),
hiking, camping, rock climbing,
STEAM (outdoor science, coding,
sports, yoga, drumming, karate,
performing arts, horseback riding,
farm camp, and more).
Community Survey
During the winter of 2021, the
City released a community survey
and received 300 responses. This
survey, which is statistically valid
and has a confidence level of 95%,
How does Bozeman Compare to Peer Cities?
PLAYGROUNDS
20.6
14.8
54
12.2
24
23.3
19.3
23 MEDIAN
Bozeman sits well above
the median for number of
playgrounds, which are
typically found in both
Neighborhood and Pocket
Parks
BEND, ORBOULDER, COCORVALLIS, ORFORT COLLINS, COHELENA, MT*MISSOULA, MTBOZEMAN, MTPER 50K
PEOPLE
*FOR 30K PEOPLE43
34
highlighted community-wide
desires for programs, parks, and
park improvements. The survey,
which was administered by mail,
contained a cover letter, survey
document, and instructions for
the survey to be taken online. The
cover letter included instructions
for taking the survey over phone
for any residents that preferred to
speak a different language in their
response.
Findings
The survey surfaced significant
shifts in park and facility use that
could be attributed to the impacts
of the pandemic on outdoor and
indoor recreation, like recent
changes in level of comfort with
visiting facilities or taking part in
online programs. There were also
many unsurprising conclusions,
including the finding that
Bozeman residents visited parks
much more frequently in the past
year than the national average.
Ninety-seven percent of Bozeman
residents visited parks in their
community during the past year
compared to 70% nationally.
Using a calculation that combines
the importance that residents
place on a park, trail and program
with the identification of unmet
need, the survey was able to
identify where a community
should invest resources to add or
increase facilities or programs.
The top five priorities for
investment in recreation
facilities and elements in
Bozeman included natural
trails, on-street bike lanes,
indoor pools, outdoor pools,
and shared use paths. The top
five priorities for program
investment in Bozeman include
aquatics programming, arts
and culture, winter recreation,
fitness, and etiquette programs
for park and trail users, tied
with outdoor adventure
activities.
The community survey also
surfaced barriers to park
or facility use and program
participation. Only 22% of
residents participate in programs
and events offered by the City,
which is below the national
average of 32%, however this
doesn’t necessarily reflect
the people who participate in
programs within parks managed
by user groups. The top reasons
for lack of participation are that
residents are not aware of the
programs offered, have no time to
participate, or have little interest
in what the City offers. While park
participation is at an all time high
for residents in Bozeman, barriers
still exist. Limited time, lack of
relevant elements, maintenance
and cleanliness concerns, and
limited operating hours were
among the top barriers to park
visitation.
When considering the priorities
identified between facilities and
programming together, there
top 5 priorities for investment
recreation facilitiesprogramsnatural trails
on-street bike lanes
indoor pools
outdoor pools
shared use paths
aquatics
arts + culture
winter recreation
fitness
etiquette
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Bozeman on the Move
The 2007 Bozeman PROST Plan
established that the local trails
are the City’s most utilized
recreation facilities. Likewise,
the PRAT Plan statistically valid
survey revealed this to still be the
case in 2022. This is not unique
to Bozeman, as throughout the
country walking and biking on
local trails are low-cost, low-
impact recreation and exercise
options for people of all ages and
abilities.
Existing Network
As a result of past and current
investments in shared use paths,
natural-surface trails, and on-
street bike facilities, the City
of Bozeman has established
a solid foundation on which
to continue to build a robust,
city-wide pedestrian and
bike transportation network.
Currently, Bozeman is home
to over 39 miles of shared use
pathways, 79 miles of natural-
surface trails, and 58 miles of on-
street bike facilities, resulting in
an exifsting active transportation
network of approximately 176
miles of off-street routes.
Active transportation routes were
consistently prioritized as highly
valued community elements
during public outreach for this
plan. Current trails and pathways
is clearly a need to focus future
investment on aquatics as well as
outdoor education. With indoor
and outdoor pools and aquatics
being included in the top four
for both facilities and programs,
finding spaces for arts and culture
and history programming are
two additional areas of potential
focus. In addition, having a nature
center and outdoor education
both rating high, this type of
programming (and potentially
creating a new space) should be a
priority as well. Bozeman already
provides winter recreation, but
additional offerings should be
explored.
Evaluating Facility and
Recreation Component
Needs Against Demand
The community survey and
public engagement process
helps to define priorities for
strengthened or new elements
from a public needs perspective,
while an evaluation of national
and similar peers articulates
an understanding of demand for
elements. By evaluating need and
demand in unison, the PRAT plan
can best describe where priorities
for investment exist. Based on
this evaluation, there are clear,
aligned priorities for aquatics
facilities, a nature center and
indoor fitness space.
In 2020 American Trails
published a guide highlighting
the health benefits of trails:
Mental Health Benefits
•Spending even 20 minutes
outside will have short
term effects on the brain to
reduce stress.
•Countless studies show
people self-reporting
reduced stress, clearer
thought patterns, more
optimism, and an overall
heightened sense of well-
being after being outdoors.
•We are now seeing more
medical practitioners
prescribe time in the
outdoors as a way to combat
depression, anxiety, and
other health related issues.
Physical Health Benefits
•For every dollar spent on
trails, there is a three-
dollar savings in health
care costs.
•More overall physical
activity is measured in
communities after trails
are built.
•Cardiovascular benefits
are seen across all trail
user types. This means
healthier hearts, and a
reduction in preventable
disease for trail users.
•Commuting by foot or bike
gains popularity when
trails go into a community.
This both reduces traffic
and creates a healthier,
more physically active
community.
Trails Health Benefits
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what is active transportation?
From the Partnership for Active Transportation:
“Active transportation is a means of getting
around that is powered by human energy, primarily
walking and bicycling. Often called “non-motorized
transportation,” we prefer the term “active
transportation” since it is a more positive statement
that expresses the key connection between healthy,
active living and our transportation choices.
Communities that prioritize active transportation
tend to be healthier [because they enable] residents
to be more physically active in their daily routines
and [because they have] cleaner air to breathe. Active
transportation systems also foster economic health
by creating dynamic, connected communities with
a high quality of life that catalyzes small business
development, increases property values, sparks
tourism, and encourages corporate investment that
attracts a talented, highly educated workforce.”
Source: Partnership for Active Transportation
Existing Bike Routes
Existing Key Connector
Proposed Key Connector
Roads
Railroad
Streams
Lakes & Reservoirs
Parks
Open Space
City Boundary
Forest and Woodland
Grassland
Shrubland + Savannah
overwhelmingly received positive
responses from the community
in terms of quality, and are also
rated the top two most important
facilities for future needs.
Pathways and trails for recreation
and transportation are top
community priorities identified
in numerous local planning
documents including the Bozeman
Community Plan and the Bozeman
Area Transportation Plan.
The current network, however,
needs substantial improvement
regarding equitable accessibility,
range, connectivity, and safety.
These key elements were
identified through the survey,
public engagement and City staff
input.
East-West Corridors
The trail system relies on the
natural network of waterways
throughout the valley that
allow development of trails to
parallel these waterways. As a
result, traveling in a north-south
direction using off street trails is
relatively accessible throughout
the City. However, corridors that
run east-west are outcompeted
by sidewalks and on-street bike
lanes as the only options for this
directional movement.
Lack of Connectivity
The City has a system of shared
use pathways, on-street bike
facilities and off-street trails,
but connectivity between these
46
37
0 0.25 0.5 1 mile
Current Active Transportation Network
N
Downtown
Bozeman
47
38
facilities is often lacking. For
many common routes continuity
of experience is frequently broken
through lack of transitions
between existing trails, shared
use paths and bike lanes.
This makes these routes more
challenging and less comfortable
as users are forced to negotiate
wide roadways with high speed
traffic. Furthermore, recreational
trails in the winter, while still
used by residents, can be unsafe
or not enjoyable due to a lack of
maintenance.
System Barriers
Based on analysis within the
Transportation Master Plan of
critical safe crossings at high
traffic intersections and arterial
streets which act as barriers,
there are opportunities for future
investments in parks and trails to
be coordinated with opportunities
to make the sidewalks, crossings,
and roadways that surround
parks and trails safer.
Where are needs and demands aligned?
Demand represents priorities
identified by the Bozeman
community in the statistically
valid survey and Need represents
alignment of elements with peer
communities. For example, not
many people indicated that sports
fields were a priority in Bozeman,
though the City has a lot less sport
supporting infrastructure than
peer communities. Playgrounds
were identified as being important
and Bozeman has more than their
peers.
There is alignment in both
demand and need for the
following:
•Aquatics
•Nature center
•Indoor fitness
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39
Barriers: Parks, trails, or facilities
No time to visit parks/trails/facilities
Parks/trails/facilities do not have elements I want
Parks/trails/facilities not well maintained
Operating hours are not convenient
Not aware of parks/trails/facilities
18%
12%
9%
7%
5%
Top barrier to access
Figure 3.5 Top five identified barriers to parks, trails, or faciilties within the Statistically Valid Survey
Barriers: Programs
Not aware of programs offered
No time to participate in programming
Types of programming not interesting/relevant/desired
Times when programs offered not convenient
Program location/venue not convenient
Top barrier to participation
45%
24%
16%
12%
6%
Figure 3.6 Top five barriers to programs within the statistically valid survey
Splash pads
Courts
Trails
Fields
AquaticsDog
accommodations
Playgrounds
Community
gardens/ Food
Forest Indoor fitness
Nature center
HIGH NEED HIGH DEMAND
HIGH NEED
LOW DEMAND
LOW NEED HIGH DEMAND
LOW NEED
LOW DEMANDDEMAND
NEED
Figure 3.7 Demand (the y-axis) represents priorities identified by the Bozeman community in the statistically valid survey and Need
(the x-axis) represents alignment of elements with peer communities.
49
safe routes to parks community engagement
The “Safe Routes to Parks Community Survey: Disability
Community” and interviews conducted by the Community
Liaisons indicated that several respondents were unsatisfied
or unsure of support options for programming and events. A
lack of access to ASL interpreters in the City of Bozeman was
used as one example. Other participants cited inadequate
transportation options to programming and events as a barrier.
Comments included:
“Post
that interpreters will
be made available upon
request.”
“He needs an interpreter to be
understood. And it is the law.”-
Interviewee
“If there is a sign with info, you can offer a bar code to scan so
the device will link to web pages or audio files to be able to read
it.Also, partnering with organizations like Montana Independent
Living Project, Montana Association for the Blind, School for the
deaf/blind, VR agencies and senior focused housing to get
more folks active and out into the community.” -
Survey Respondent
“At the event at Bogert, he would have liked
to be able to ask questions. He couldn’t do
that without an interpreter.” -Interviewee
50
“We
haven’t had much opportunity yet,
but how do the deaf get interpreters
so they can get equal access?” - Survey
Respondent
“For self and native students, main concern is
how do we do this for free” - Interviewee during
Safe & Welcoming Parks to BIPOC Communities
conversation
“At MSU, one thing that has been successful
having events that engage in a direct
cultural activity; not a lot of visual cues
that people of color belong unless there
are other people there” - Interviewee
during Safe & Welcoming Parks to BIPOC
Communities conversation
community Liaisons
Mikayla Pitts
Hosted group conversations
and conducted surveys to
engage BIPOC community
conducted interviews
and surveys to engage
disability community
Hosted front door
conversations to hear
from Latino community
Bri Daniels
Luis Islas
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42
Pocket Parks
2 acres
Neighborhood
Park
238 acres
Community
Park
145 acres
Regional Park
54 acres
Special
Use
Park
200 acres
Natural
Areas
179 acres
Linear Parks/
Buffers
64 acres
Acreage
of
Park Type
Parks and Trail Facilities by Type
There are eight park types that
frame how the City activates,
maintains and develops parks.
These park types have unique
characteristics that balance a
variety of elements and demands
based on their size, use, and
location within the city. Each type
is described in more detail on the
next few pages.
In addition to these seven park
types, the PRAT also includes
active transportation types.
For more information on active
transportation elements and types,
head to Bozeman on the Move.
52
43Park TypeNumber of ParksTotal AcreageProgram and UseEnvironmental BenefitsSiting/AccessPocket Park 6 2
Provides public space and
recreational opportunities
to underserved or
commercialized areas
Allows access to shade +
water during hot summers
Urban or commercialized areas without
access to public open space, accessible by
sidewalks, trails, or residential streets
Neighborhood
Park 47 238
Flexible multi-use spaces
(traditional recreation
elements, including
courts, playgrounds, and
fields, informal seasonal
recreation, movable
furniture, access to
electrical/water)
More land area for denser
canopy + shade, accessibility
by interconnected trails
create valuable ecological
corridors for local wildlife
Centrally located within residential
service area, easily accessible by way
of interconnecting trails, sidewalks, or
residential streets, aesthetic qualities,
leftover parcels of land that are
undesirable for development are also
generally undesirable for neighborhood
parks and should be avoided.
Community
Park 7 145
Provides active and passive
recreational facilities
for all, space for group
activities, sitting areas
Guided walking trails connect
to existing trail network,
areas with native plantings,
and nature study areas
Natural character of site, serviced by
arterial and collector streets, community
trail system, accessible to parking areas
Special Use Park 8 200
Provide for single-purpose
recreational uses (such as
indoor/outdoor recreational
facilities or historic/
cultural sites)
Single-use cultural sites
advocate for environmental
stewardship (arboretums,
native plant gardens,
sculpture gardens), benefits
of turf with droughts, keeping
facilities cool
Accessibility from arterial/collector
streets, recreation need, community
interests, and land availability
determine location
Natural Areas 27 179
Provide for greenway,
trails, and nature viewing
opportunities
Protect natural resource
areas such as wetlands,
riparian areas, and ponds
Lands unsuitable for development,
remnant landscapes, parcels with
steep slopes and natural vegetation,
drainageways, riparian areas, wetlands,
ponds
Natural Areas in
Parks ----
Provide for greenway,
trails, and nature viewing
opportunities
Protect natural resource
areas such as wetlands,
riparian areas, and ponds
Lands unsuitable for development,
remnant landscapes, parcels with
steep slopes and natural vegetation,
drainageways, riparian areas, wetlands,
ponds
Linear Parks 22 64
Allow uninterrupted and
safe pedestrian and bicycle
movement between parks,
connect parks, trails,
recreational areas, and open
spaces into a cohesive sytem
Linear parks and buffers
improve stormwater runoff,
connect ecological habitat
Edges of developments, buffers adjacent
to linear features such as water courses
or railways, linear parks are often places
with significant topography, located
in floodplains or other locations not
suitable for development
Regional Park 1 54
Provide park elements and
larger recreational facilities
for the larger region, special
events, concerts, sports
tournaments
Connect to countywide trail
sysem
Sited to be accessible from a multi-county
area, serviced by arterial and collector
streets and the countywide trail system,
accessible to parking areas
53
4. bozeman prat vision
The Bozeman Parks, Recreation and Active
Transportation Plan’s recommendations
are formed around five central goals:
Unify and provide safe, equitable
access to all.
Invest in alignment with changing
community needs and trends.
Connect and experience all that
Bozeman has to offer.
Adapt to changing environmental
pressures.
Increase staff and resources to benefit
the community.
1
2
3
4
5
54
45
goal 1: unify
goal 2: invest
goal 3: connect
goal 4 :adapt
goal 5: increase
in this chapterThese citywide goals were developed through
analysis into the existing system today,
identification of gaps and opportunities for
the future, and - most importantly - through
community conversations, engagement, and
input into the plan. Each goal is supported by
a series of recommendations that will help
to realize and implement them over time.
Community conversations and ideas were
distilled into plan themes which drove the
outcomes.
The PRAT recommendations reflect the
community’s love for their parks and
recreation system, their aspirations and
concerns for its future, and the changing
social, environmental, and economic context
that surrounds the system and future
generations who will steward it.
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46
UNIFY and provide safe,
equitable access to all.
A high priority of the PRAT Plan and the Bozeman Parks and
Recreation Department is to provide high quality, equitable access
to parks, nature, and recreation programs for all city residents
- especially as the city grows and changes in the coming years.
Through the planning process, both the level of service analysis
and feedback from community members pointed to key areas of
gaps in access, barriers created by fast-moving roadways, and to
the increasing challenges of having more park users occupying
the same beloved spaces. Even as population growth is projected
to increase significantly in the coming years, the Bozeman Parks
and Recreation Department holds firm in its commitments to work
to ensure residents are within a safe ½ mile (or ten minute walk)
to a publicly-accessible park, and can access a wide variety of
recreation experiences and programs that meet the expectations of
Bozeman’s high quality of life.
To meet this goal, the plan includes strategies to
◊ensure a baseline of elements across the city,
◊meet targets for expansion as growth occurs,
◊balance park use by increased numbers of people
◊reinforce the diversity of the park system and
◊expand access and usability of the system in all seasons
and into the evening.
Goal 1
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Bozeman’s growth as a city has moved from
its original development in the 1920s around
Downtown and the first park at Cooper Park
outward, with recent development focused in the
west, north, and southwest. As the decades have
evolved, development patterns have changed and
the shape, uses, and character of the parks and
open spaces within each neighborhood reflects
the era within which it developed. This varied
character is both a strength and a challenge
for the system: the variety lends interest and
choice across the city, yet makes equitable
access to recreation elements difficult when the
underlying park fabric is so different. Looking
forward to increased growth and change, the
PRAT plan seeks to leverage the diversity of the
system, while ensuring a baseline of elements,
access, and equity citywide.
In the rectilinear gridded neighborhoods
of historic central Bozeman, vehicular
transportation did not fully impact the
neighborhood pattern leading to more walkable
neighborhoods where classic neighborhood and
community parks predominate today. There,
over ½ of all parks are community serving parks
and over ⅓ are neighborhood parks. In the next
ring of development, which formed in the middle
to later 20th century, Bozeman grew outward
from its downtown core and was developed
around the rise of the automobile. Here, parks
- such as the recent Story Mill Park - perform
more multifaceted services drawing community
members from both local neighborhoods
and driving distances. In this middle era of
development, natural areas in parks, linear
parks and special use parks are much more
common. Finally, modern neighborhoods that
developed most recently in Bozeman echo the car-
orientation of the latter part of the 20th century.
There, destination parks with unique elements,
such as Gallatin County Regional Park, can be
found alongside more natural areas.
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1.1: Create a baseline of elements across
neighborhoods
◊Add park assets that were identified as in high
demand by the community in new and existing
spaces.
Using community feedback as a guide, add elements to
increase access citywide to playgrounds (including universal
playspaces), trails, spaces for dogs, community gardens/
food forests, fields, courts, and splash pads. Explore ways
to respond to high demand and identified need for aquatics,
indoor fitness, and nature centers, which require more
significant investment.
◊Create and implement a plan to provide
universal access to parks and programs.
Parks and recreation services should be made accessible to
all Bozeman users regardless of age, ability, or language. The
Department can begin with an ADA audit of physical facilities
and program access to create an ADA Transition Plan
which should include clear phasing over time and identified
funding. Universal access should consider access and cultural
appropriateness with special consideration of play spaces,
trails (including paved trails), printed and digital materials,
wayfinding and signage, and ongoing community engagement
and communication.
◊Strategically include and allocate resources
for community engagement in parks,
recreation plans and capital projects to
align with changing community needs and
concerns.
UNIFY
Strategies
Parks and recreation services should be made accessible to all Bozeman users regardless of age, ability, or language.
“N19th is a bike/ped barrier.
Need safer crossing for east-
west shared use paths” -
Feedback from April Public
Workshop
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49
Bozeman’s recent Strategic Plan resulted in creation and
adoption of the Engage Bozeman Community Engagement
Initiative in April 2021 which is a guiding framework for how
the community can contribute to decision making processes.
The PRAT plan incorporated Engaged Bozeman principles and
approaches, and was able to use a partnership with the HRDC’s
Safe Routes to Parks grant to increase the focus on engagement
and outreach to underheard communities to ensure that their
voices were heard and incorporated. In particular, the grant
included community liaisons to Bozeman’s BIPOC, Latinx, and
disability communities.
Future engagement should build on the lessons learned from
PRAT engagement overall and on the early relationships from
this engagement to deepen and extend connections into all
communities in Bozeman. Perhaps the most important lesson
learned was that additional resources (both funding and
time) need to be specifically added to projects to meaningfully
support this type of more diverse engagement. Additional
engagement recommendations include:
◊In line with the universal access strategy above, future
community engagement should factor in universal
access and translation/interpretation. These
components should be planned and budgeted for at the
start of any project.
◊During future park and recreation planning and
improvements, staff should develop engagement
processes that match the scale of the improvement
and subsequent impact. These plans should
coordinate with the City of Bozeman’s community
engagement process and early outreach to community
organizations, partners, and affected community
members.
“Parks build
and enhance neighborhood
character and community
culture” - Partners PRAT
Visioning Session
“Need parks and outdoors
where people can just “exist
and be yourself;” as a writer
I crave to walk to a park
and just write or read”
-SRTP Conversation: BIPOC
Communities
59
50
UNIFY
Strategies
1.2: Maintain or expand parkland as the
community grows
The City of Bozeman currently provides 17 acres of parkland per 1,000
residents, not including undeveloped open space, putting Bozeman’s
current parks provision in the upper middle of similar peer cities. If
the population grows to 91,000 residents by 2050 and the city does not
acquire land, this ratio will drop to 9.6 acres per 1000 residents. While
Bozeman’s overall park supply does not indicate a shortfall today,
staying in balance with future rapid growth will be important since
residents have made clear that parks are a core driver of quality of life
in the city.
◊Refine and clarify the process of obtaining
new parks, facilities and trails from new
development through changes to the UDC.
The UDC currently requires new residential development
to support park system growth through either direct land
dedication, a contribution to a fee-in-lieu fund, or a combination
of both. This contribution acknowledges that residential
development generates a need for additional parkland, facilities
and trails; yet, it has not always produced spaces with the
right match of elements to community needs or enabled more
strategic investment in the system. The plan recommends
creating criteria that allow more targeted allocation of
resources to meet the specific needs of a neighborhood and
acknowledge the land’s intrinsic value for recreation or
environmental contributions. These criteria, if met, could enable
the contribution of more well-designed park spaces and more
connected trails/pathways between parks.
Department staff have identified the core programs as active
aging, adult, aquatics, camps, events, preschool, and school’s out
activities. In many departments, core programs are organized
by activity type (fitness, nature, sports) and not by age group
If the population grows to 91K by 2050 and the City doesn’t continue to acquire parkland through development, park acreage will drop to 9.6 acres per 1000 residents.
The City of Bozeman currently provides 17 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents
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(preschool, youth, adult). Bozeman uses a combination of both.
As the variety of programming increases, re-establishing the
core programs will help to clarify what programs are offered
publicly, and better identify gaps in program areas internally.
◊Continue to improve coordination with the
School District.
State law and the UDC allow for a subdivider to dedicate a land
donation to a school to satisfy park land requirements, subject
to the approval of the City Commission and acceptance by the
school district. This provision could be explored in more detail
to foster increased coordination for mutually beneficial public
facilities such as a new aquatics center.
Figure 4.1 UDC process
Intent
Applicability
Base 0.03ac/du
Calculations
Land Dedication
Fees in Lieu
Combinations
Possible
New Park Base
Requirements
Types of Parks
Key Design
Criteria
Types of
Pathways
Base
Requirements
Key Design
Criteria
Pathway
Connection
$ Toward
Improvements Criteria
Cash-in-Lieu Critera
UDC 38.420
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◊Explore the possibility of requiring
commercial development to also contribute to
parkland.
Hotel and motel guests are increasingly using city parks
and trails as Bozeman continues to grow into one of the
leading outdoor recreation tourist destinations and
sports tournament centers. While state law currently
prohibits requiring parkland for subdivisions that are all
nonresidential, there is the potential to explore commercial
linkage for parkland through zoning requirements. Using
existing national data to supplement local data can help
to efficiently create the needed nexus study. This could
supplement the cash-in-lieu fund and be used for park and
pathway improvements. Staff should monitor discussions
at the state level that could open the door for parkland
requirements applicable to commercial developments.
◊Invest in acquisition of new pathways, parks
and open spaces that: 1) help to close existing
10-minute walk gaps, and 2) overcome extreme
physical barriers.
For future investments, the Department should use park
space & trail gap mapping to prioritize adding land in areas
that are experiencing limited public park space today, or
reducing barriers, such as rail or busy roads, between existing
neighborhoods and parks.
◊Focus increased parks and recreation service
in areas of high growth or current park
overcrowding.
Work with the Community Development Department, during
growth policy updates in particular, to align park and
recreation investments in areas planned for new housing or
increases in density in the future.
UNIFY
Strategies
tourists are increasingly using city parks and trails as Bozeman continues to grow into one of the leading outdoor recreation destinations
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Figure 3.8 Proximity analysis of access to parks from a 10 minute walk.
Roads
Railroad
City Boundary
Growth Boundary
Streams
Lakes & Reservoirs
Parks
Areas within 10-minute walk
TMP-identified roadway
barriers
Park access gaps
N00.5 1 mile
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◊Acquire land to make key trail, path or
park connections identified in the Active
Transportation component of the plan (Goal 3)
and to better connect people to parks.
◊Collaborate with staff in Transportation and Engineering
to expand the continuity of the active transportation
network by overcoming existing gaps through acquisition of
land, facilitation of safe crossings and the maintenance of
continuity of facility type and level of comfort.
1.3: Balance the needs of different park users
The popularity of many of Bozeman’s parks, open spaces, trails, and
recreation centers is both a success and a challenge. Community
members reported many issues with overcrowding, user conflicts,
and balance of different activities. As the City continues to grow,
these concerns will only increase without efforts to respond with
greater service or programs and policies that reinforce shared
spaces.
◊Expand kindness campaigns.
Continue to partner and expand the One Montana “Outside
Kind” campaign that reinforces kindness and civic
engagement in public spaces. Reinforce the Gallatin Valley
Land Trust’s additional educational efforts to support similar
outcomes.
◊Make rules and regulations clear and easy to
understand.
Ensure that all parks, trails, and centers contain clear, direct,
non-conflicting, and community-minded signage that clarifies
rules, regulations, and expectations of behavior for use of
facilities. Chapter 26: Park Regulations, Bozeman Municipal
Code be separately evaluated and updated.
UNIFY
Strategies
Case Study
One Montana “Outside Kind”
campaign:
The primary goal of Outside Kind is
to share best practices, principles
and tips for enjoying the outdoors
in any community. Whether you
wish to encourage your friends
and family or visiting guests to
hike kind, ride kind, fish kind,
etc., Outside Kind is designed to
offer users consistent and clear
messages around outdoor activities,
increase user knowledge, and
maintain natural resources. We
also encourage users to engage with
organizations and communities
that provide opportunities for you to
enjoy our wild places.
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◊Partner with volunteers and youth.
Explore a park ranger volunteer program and junior ranger
program to expand monitoring capacity and model kindness in
parks and recreation spaces.
◊Consider adding non-conventional dog and dog-
owner oriented programs or policies.
A large number of conflicts and complaints were noted between
dog owners and non-dog owners. A few areas for exploration to
address this topic directly include:
◊Expand programs and activities.
Many parks and recreation departments offer a range
of courses geared to dogs, including training, owner
information, and social activities. Consider broadening
into this area through partnerships or expanded
programs to support more formal opportunities for
dogs and dog owners to socialize and get easy access to
instruction.
◊Consider designated off-leash hours.
Some communities also include specific off leash hours
in parks, not just designated off-leash areas. These
additional off leash hours are designed to avoid times
when small children or high volumes of people are likely
to use the park space and reduce conflicts. Some areas are
also closed to dogs during wet or thawing conditions to
prevent damage to grass and field areas.
Case Study
The City of Austin’s B.A.R.K.
program is an example of a new
city-initiated dog etiquette program,
based on the National Park Service’s
Healthy People Healthy Parks
Initiative which created a B.A.R.K.
program for national sites. Austin’s
B.A.R.K program strives to teach
dog owners etiquette specific to
visits to public parks with dogs.
The program stands for: Bag your
pet’s waste; Always leash your pet;
Respect wildlife; and Know where
you can go. With successful program
completion, dogs can also become
“BARK Rangers!”
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1.4: Promote parks that reflect unique
neighborhoods but also continue to advance
the City’s brand within the park system
◊Use parks to tell stories that engage with arts,
culture and local history and reflect local
identities.
Bozeman residents identified a need and desire for more arts
and cultural programming, a request that was a much higher
priority for Bozemanites than in other cities. In addition to
considering programs, Bozeman’s parks and trails have a
chance to engage with art to express community culture, the
city and region’s history, industrial relics, local heroes, and
unique environmental systems. Approaches to storytelling
must reflect the diversity of the city and region to celebrate a
range of lived experiences as the area becomes increasingly
diverse. Signage and interpretive panels can communicate
effectively, while murals and other forms of public art are
more creative platforms for storytelling. Always plan ahead
for needed maintenance practice changes and engage
maintenance team members in design decisions for non-
standard features and art.
Key possibilities for storytelling include:
◊Weave local sports history and heroes into parks,
educating the public about important Bozeman
figures such as mountaineers Conrad Anker or Alex
Lowe, paleontologist Jack Horner, teacher Frieda
Bull, and Sacagawea, the Shoshoni woman who
accompanied Lewis and Clark on their westward
journey.
◊Amplify hyper-local stories at neighborhood
parks, through art, interpretation or naming,
in partnership with community processes and
partners. The PRAT plan engagement included a
naming contest for a new park. Carefully consider
Figure 4.2 Bozeman Creek bridge
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the common practice of naming parks and
other places after people, as the meaning and
relevance of these names can change over
time.
◊Work with partners to incorporate art into
functional park elements when possible,
like the existing frog and trout drinking
fountains.
◊Draw attention and educate about interesting
natural history such as watersheds, creeks,
and wetlands as successful programs such
as the Gallatin Valley Land Trust’s Discovery
Walks have done
◊Establish a network of local craftspeople
and artists who can construct elements such
as benches along trails and integrate their
stories into the pieces.
◊Beyond permanent installations, activate
spaces and tell stories through festivals and
special events.
◊Explore signature play experiences
Creative play experiences are increasingly popular,
as evidenced at Story Mill where design of the play
structures interpret the landscapes of Montana,
from farms and agriculture to rocky terrain and
forested wilderness. While it is not practical to
have every play structure represent this level of
design for maintenance and cost reasons, there is an
opportunity for strategic expansion of artful play in
other areas of the city as future community parks are
developed. These are key opportunities for partners or
philanthropic engagement.
Figure 4.3 Pedestrian bridges in Bozeman
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◊Celebrate Bozeman’s park bridges.
Bozeman’s parks and trails include many unique,
architectural pedestrian bridges that go beyond their
utilitarian function. The city should build on this pattern and
embrace opportunities to continue it in the future. Artful/
designed bridges could be mapped to create a Bridge Loop or
passport for visitors to explore Bozeman’s parks and trails
through a new lens.
1.5: Support all-season recreation
The Bozeman community’s desire to get outdoors and be active is
not limited to fair weather days. Instead the city and its parks and
recreation spaces and landscapes take on new dimensions and
activities during the colder months. Maintaining access to outdoor
experiences in the winter can be important to balance Seasonal
Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a type of depression that is
brought on during the fall and winter months. Currently, partners
such as the Bridger Ski Foundation program existing park spaces,
groom cross-country ski trails and support facility development.
◊Support existing winter activity partners by
increasing access to complementary indoor
space.
Indoor spaces support outdoor wintertime activity by
providing storage and warming spaces which expand
programmatic and concession opportunities. Indoor space
also makes participation more viable and accessible for people
of all ages and abilities. Bozeman’s larger historic parks,
which also are located in the east side of the community
with better winter snow access, are often characterized by
older park buildings. These buildings abound with charm
and authenticity, but are not fully operational to the public.
Opening small buildings to community use offers many
benefits, but also will require additional resources, in terms of
staffing and operational support. Small buildings also do not
offer the efficiencies of larger centers, but meet more specific,
BOZEMAN’S parks, recreation spaces and landscapes take on new dimensions during the winter.
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local needs. The City should explore the costs and benefits of each
site and investigate ways to partner and share costs.
◊Conduct a Feasibility Study to Open the Lindley
Center.
The Lindley Center is currently closed to public access, but could
be explored for renovations and improvements that better support
year-round public use to expand recreation and programming
opportunities at Lindley Park, for skiing and beyond. A feasibility
study of the building should first be undertaken to understand
costs associated with physical improvements (weatherizing,
insulation, code-compliant updates, access and parking), program
and staffing costs, operations and maintenance implications,
and community benefits. With a complete picture of needs,
opportunities, and constraints, the City can explore potential
partnerships or grants to support capital improvements and
future operations. Vendors or concession operators and space
rentals can also be additional ways to outsource elements and
raise small amounts of revenue.
◊Reduce barriers to participation in wintertime
activities.
Many wintertime activities entail specialized equipment and
require warm weather clothing to be comfortable and safe.
The Bridger Ski Foundation’s annual Ski Swap is an example
of a community-driven effort to make wintertime recreation
equipment available in a more affordable and sustainable way.
If a building like Lindley were renovated and made open to the
community, a possible vendor or city-led effort could include
loaning or renting equipment to encourage new users in addition
to the BSF program.
◊Communicate best practices for safety outdoors
in the winter.
Outdoor winter recreation safety practices are similar, but
different, from those in warmer months. While many in Bozeman
Figure 4.4 Cross skiing is a popular outdoor
winter activity
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are well-prepared for outdoor activities, newcomers to winter
sports may benefit from safety information and support
around hydration, staying warm, and risks to mobility.
Informational signage for trails prepared for winter use or
other outdoor spaces and the presence of warming huts or
access to water can support safe use.
◊Adapt maintenance practices for winter use.
As more spaces are made available and adapted to wintertime
use, align maintenance practices and resources to additional
care needed to maintain paths, parking areas, and access to
facilities, parks and open trails. This might include winter
maintenance of shared use paths (see Goal 3 for alignment
with active transportation recommendations) to allow for
more ‘year-round’ commuting, as well as enhanced winter
recreation use of trails, like designated/groomed fat bike
trails or Nordic skiing areas.
Figure 4.5 Multi-modal transportation on trails in the
winter include biking, walking, and skiing.
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top barrier to usage of parks, trails, or facilities was a lack of time to participate
“To cater to youth and teenagers,
transportation infrastructure
could be expanded for teen
destinations” - Partners PRAT
Visioning Session
1.6 Increase evening or night time access
and activities at designated facilities with
appropriate lighting, facilities, and noted hours.
The top barrier to usage of parks, trails, or facilities that Bozemanites
identified in a statistically valid survey was a lack of available time
to participate (18%). Survey results also noted that residents say
operating hours are not convenient (7% or 4th place ranking). Today,
Bozeman Parks and Recreation does not have a fully operational, all
day recreation and community center. Instead, a combination of the
new Story Mill Community Center, Beall Center, and the Bozeman Swim
Center work together to provide distinct services to the community, with
the recent addition of the Story Mill taking an important step forward.
However, both Story Mill and Beall Centers typically close by 4:30pm
unless a user group has reserved a space (though, as of 2022, Ping Pong
is happening in the evenings several nights). In contrast, Bozeman park
policy is to keep parks open until 11:00pm, unless specified otherwise.
In peer communities, recreation and community centers are often open
until 8:00pm or 9:00pm most evenings.
Evening programming and drop-in hours provide important flexible
options for busy Bozeman residents of all ages. In particular, it offers a
“third space” for teenagers to be together and socialize, other than home
and school. Extended hours are important to capture teens and younger
children after school hours and support busy people whose days are
occupied with work and other requirements.
Extended hours bring with them expanded needs for staff resources to
support programming and facility operations. The Department should
evaluate demand and access across its facilities, determining where it
can begin to pilot extended hours and what it will cost to support this.
As planning for the westside recreation and community aquatics facility
continues (see Goal 2.1), evening hours should be considered as part of
that major, citywide investment. Partners who provide youth or after-
school programming may be able to benefit from access to city space
through use agreements where they share space during these times and
the community benefits from extended access.
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Demand for existing and new programs is high, and Bozeman
residents are keenly interested in structured programs like
classes, sports, and events and places that allow for unstructured
or individual-led recreation. Investments in this range of activities,
classes, sports, and events alongside places to enable residents to
explore their own creative approaches to fitness and wellness will
have a significant impact on residents’ lives.
Finally, the Safe Routes to Parks Community Survey: Disability
Survey and a review of program participation rates all identified a
gap in inclusive or adaptive programs. These programs can build
on what the Parks and Recreation Department already offers and
be structured around the specific needs of persons with different
physical, visual, or mental abilities. From a youth soccer game to
a swimming class, residents’ lives are impacted everyday by their
participation in what the City offers. In addition to reaching out for
more inclusive program offerings, the PRAT plan also recommends
filling in existing programming gaps based on regional and national
trends to create a more robust and equitable range of opportunities
for residents of all backgrounds and abilities.
Bozeman residents are aligned in identification of their top three
program needs: access to aquatics or swimming, arts and culture,
INVEST in alignment
with changing
community needs and
trends.
Goal 2
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and winter recreation. Beyond this consensus, residents
identified needs for over 18 different programs.
Given the size of existing facilities, the City’s staffing
capacity, and the wide range of recreation needs, the
Bozeman Park and Recreation Department today is unable
to provide all programs at all locations. By re-purposing
the facilities that the City has and partnering to build new
spaces that support what the community wants most in
places with the lowest access, the Department can make
better use of available resources and tailor programming
to meet the needs of all residents. The following strategies
outline how the City can make use of what it has, expand
inclusive programming, and craft a transformative
program menu over time.
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invest
Strategies
Bozeman has limited indoor space to support indoor programming
2.1. Invest in distributed community hubs.
Bozeman has limited indoor space to support indoor programming
and has less community center and recreational facilities than
its peer cities. Still, the City and various partners are actively
engaged in conversations to close facility gaps. For example, the
City of Bozeman, Belgrade, and Greater Yellowstone Aquatics are all
working to increase access to aquatics spaces and programs through
investments in new swim facilities.
◊Create an intergenerational, multi-functional
center on the west side of the city.
The 2012 Feasibility Study, ongoing library and community
center project, and ongoing aquatics discussions reinforce
the need for a new recreation center and outdoor pool facility.
Investments also need to be made in existing facilities,
especially the Bozeman Swim Center and Bogert Pool to
ensure aquatic facilities are more evenly distributed across
the city. The new westside center is slated to include aquatics
space and programs, flexible indoor fitness space, and a
library, as well as elements like a cafe, kitchen, and lab
space. Its proximity to the Bozeman High School will support
community desires for an intergenerational space that
also provides focused support for teenagers, mental health
connections, and universal design.
◊Prioritize future facility or community hub
investments in areas with limited park access
and places where growth is highest.
Coordinate all long-term future community hubs near
land within the city designated commercial mixed-use or
residential mixed-use as identified by the City’s future land
use map.
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invest
Strategies
◊Regularly update and expand the City’s
inventory to support community health,
wellness, and need across the city.
Baseline elements for community hubs like universally
accessible and gender neutral restrooms, indoor gathering
spaces, outdoor pavilions, water access and aquatics related
elements, and trails within parks should be increased in areas
of the city with high social vulnerability or in areas projected
to grow.
2.2. Connect program offerings and facility
elements to community needs, especially
underserved demographic groups.
While people across all ages currently participate in recreation
programs, anecdotally, community members indicated that currently
the Department does the best job providing a range of options for
youth activities. Winter recreation, arts and culture, and aquatics
or swimming programs were the programs for which the highest
number of residents indicated were a priority for future investment.
Many of the programs identified as community priorities have
specific requirements about the types of facilities that can support
their function or have limitations on inclusion. The Department
should focus on providing program offerings that support a
welcoming, inclusive, and accessible environment for all residents.
◊Redefine core program areas to focus on
program type rather than age.
Rather than organize programs by age group, which is how
these programs are organized today, Bozeman should consider
using activity types to designate core programs, building
on the core programs residents identified as priorities for
future investment. The PRAT Plan proposes that the future
core programs be organized into nine program areas - arts,
athletics, aquatics, camps, fitness, general interest, lifelong
learning, nature/outdoor education, and outdoor adventures.
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Within each program area, the goal would be to provide offerings
for all age groups (preschool, youth, teen, adult, seniors). There
will still be age-specific core program areas like camps, which
would only include preschool, youth, and teen. Organizing in this
fashion will clarify the structure of recreation programming and
reinforce how the City is incorporating the needs and desires of
residents for structured experiences and activities.
◊Develop a policy for inclusive or adaptive
recreation programming.
While the Department aims to make all programs inclusive and
accommodate participant special needs for accommodations
on a case by case basis, the Department needs a formal policy
for therapeutic or inclusive programming to communicate
how these needs will be met and set expectations regarding
program participation with Bozeman residents with intellectual,
physical and/or sensory disabilities. In accordance with these
efforts, Eagle Mount distributed disability survey to get relevant
community feedback. The City needs to continue outreach to get
the word out to partner organizations, leaders and individuals
with disabilities and their families.
◊Formalize oversight of athletics partners
and field use with public and private sports
organizations.
Explore an athletic commission to work with the operators of
private leagues to coordinate scheduling, sign-ups, marketing,
and officials.
◊Create a clear calendar and reservation system
for field reservation needs.
◊Consider requiring all affiliate groups to provide
proof of coach criminal background checks,
and compare the list of coaches to the state and
federal sex offender databases.
the city presently organizes programming by age group
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Strategies
◊Charge a special field use fee for nonresident
participants.
◊Partner to expand the mix of Arts and Culture
program offerings.
Building on a successful partnership with the Bozeman
Municipal Band, explore more opportunities for program
partnerships or shared use agreements with Bozeman Art
Museum, the Emerson, and other cultural organizations to
support arts-based education and capacity building.
◊Expand temporary art exhibitions and
permanent public art programs across city
parks and facilities.
Work with the Gallatin Art Crossing and other organizations
focused on community enrichment and wonderment, like
Random Acts of Silliness and Mountain Time Arts to foster
more engagement with art and exploration throughout the
city.
2.3: Enhance awareness of programs and
services.
In the statistically-valid community survey, over 90% of respondents
rated parks and recreational opportunities in Bozeman as good or
excellent. Yet, throughout the planning process, and in that same
survey, citizens and stakeholders frequently indicated they were
unaware of all of the parks, facilities, and programs that the Park
and Recreation Department offers. Just under half of respondents
were unaware of or do not take advantage of the City’s programs.
Case Study
BumbleWood Thicket
Fairy Village 2022
Located amid the winding, wooded
paths of Glen Lake Rotary Park in
Bozeman, the 3rd Annual Fairy
Village contained all new fairy
homes and business establishments
created by talented Montana
artists.
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◊Develop mobile applications for users to
find system information (e.g., park locations
and elements, trails and paths, program
information, upcoming events) or to report a
problem.
People increasingly prefer to access the majority of their
information online, rather than through print material. In
response, communities across the country are developing
mobile applications, or apps, with information and locations
of all of the municipality’s parks and facilities and their
elements, tied to work cities are already doing to inventory
and communicate all that their parks have to offer. It can be a
great tool to get the word out to teens and young adults about
park-specific events, share updates about new facilities or
programs, and provide a seamless connection to a centralized
program registration system.
◊Continue to review the most effective uses of
electronic and social media for marketing and
informational purposes.
Almost half of Bozeman residents are unaware of the
programs the City offers and the printed program guide
continues to be the primary source of information about City-
led programs. The City of Bozeman social media platforms
including, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram collectively have
over eleven thousand followers. These platforms could be used
to market programs and classes, as well as to broadly share
when the Department is hiring and celebrate major events.
◊Highlight health and wellness benefits of Park
and Recreation Department programs in all
informational materials.
Bozeman Health, Healthy Gallatin, the Billings Clinic and
the City-County Health Department, among others, already
tracks localized health information and shares health
The following programs
are offered by many
agencies across the
country, but are programs
not currently offered by
the Department.
◊Arts
◊Childcare
◊Cooking
◊Dance
◊E-Sports
◊Golf
◊Gymnastics/Tumbling
◊Homeschool
◊Horseback Riding
◊Language Arts
◊Martial arts
◊Music
◊Open Gym
◊Pets
◊Preschool
◊Seniors
◊Theatre/Acting
◊Therapeutic Recreation
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benefits of increased physical activity, thoughtful eating
habits, and access to the outdoors. The Department should
develop a relationship with these health-focused partners to
communicate the role of parks and recreation on community
health online, in social media posts and program guides, and
in City facilities.
2.4 Work with local and regional tourism
and economic development organizations to
get the word out about Department parks,
facilities, and events as destinations for
visitors.
Over 1.94 million visitors flew into Bozeman’s airport and spent
a total of $1 billion dollars in Gallatin County in 2021 alone. As
the gateway to Yellowstone and Big Sky, the Park and Recreation
Department has the opportunity to capitalize on the value and
quality of its events and parks to attract visitors to the city, recoup
costs, and support economic development.
◊Work with the City of Bozeman’s Chamber
of Commerce and Downtown Bozeman
Partnership to strengthen the Park and
Recreation Department’s contribution to local
and regional marketing efforts.
At a minimum, this could include flyers in the tourism office,
at the Bozeman airport, and top ten City park attractions on
partner webpages to help strengthen engagement between
visitor experiences of the city.
◊Cross-market Park and Recreation
Department destinations with other regional
attractions to encourage visitors to spend
time and money in the city of Bozeman, like the
Pathway to the M.
invest
Strategies
“People freaking love the
park when it gets flooded for
hockey.” -- Partners PRAT
Visioning
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2.5. Gather program data and track program
participation annually.
The pandemic has shown just how beneficial parks and recreation
programs are to the health and wellness of a community; yet, Parks
and Recreation Departments continue to work within increasingly
tight budgets and cuts as a “nonessential” community service. Data
can help to safeguard against budget cuts. Data-driven decisions
are needed to better make the case for the essential contributions of
parks, open space and recreation services as well as to ensure that
investments are shared equitably across the city and, particularly, to
places where investments could have outsized impacts on the long-
term sustainability and health of residents.
◊Establish metrics for measurement of
departmental goals (i.e., program cancellation
rate, program reach, new programs offered,
and residency).
One method to establish and track progress is to develop a
Department-led “business plan” process that establishes
priorities and defines performance metrics as a way to
quantify the Department’s success towards program goals. The
business plan could be developed as part of recreation staff
meetings to brainstorm metrics and connect staff to achieving
quantifiable goals.
◊Begin Recreation Division quarterly program
evaluation process.
Using fee to participation data, customer satisfaction
surveys, and overall program participation as a guide, meet
as a Department quarterly to share updates to program
investments, participation rates, and revenues after every
program season to reflect on the season and prepare for future
investments.
IN 2021, Over 1.94 million visitors flew into Bozeman’S airport
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◊ Track population changes, community health
metrics, and development starts across the
city, and use that data to inform decisions
about locating recreation programs and
events.
Work with Gallatin City and Gallatin County Health
Department, Bozeman Health, and Billings Clinic to help
support their Community Health Needs Assessment process
and identify any metrics that help to tie individual and
community health outcomes to nutrition programming,
physical activity, and outdoor experiences.
2.6. Grow and formalize program
partnerships in areas that are not
Department mission-critical.
◊ Enhance existing local public, private and
nonprofit partnerships and seek out new ones
to fill gaps in service delivery.
The City’s Park and Recreation Department operates over 125
programs a year, which is significant for a small group and
a resident population of over 50,000 people. There are also
many private and not-for-profit organizations that provide
either similar programs or help to close the gaps on programs
the Department cannot operate. As an example, Aquatics
are among the most sought after programs for residents
of all ages, reaching capacity within hours of opening the
registration portal. The YMCA, discovery walks lead by the
Gallatin Valley Land Trust and other programs and private
providers help to alleviate the pressure on Bozeman to provide
aquatics programs across the City, especially more recently
when an unexpected closure at the Bozeman Swim Center
meant that many City-led programs needed to find space for
aquatic needs.
Data can help to safeguard against budget cuts
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◊ Expand partnerships beyond the Montana
Parent Magazine to deploy seasonal program
guides.
Additional partners could include organizations that serve
persons with disabilities, persons who speak a language
other than English at home, seniors, teens, and young adult
populations.
◊ Create partnership, teaming guidelines and
policy to define goals and expectations.
The City of Bozeman currently has a wide range of
partnerships with various organizations for programming,
advocacy, land acquisition, and park improvements. To
protect and strengthen these relationships, it is vital that
the Department craft formal agreements that better define
common mission, outline expectations, timelines, and specify
leadership roles for both the City and the partner organization.
Bozeman’s operations, capital investments, and programs are
made stronger by successful partnerships with like-minded
organizations. The Gallatin Valley Land Trust and their trail
acquisition and trail building programs are an example of a
mutually beneficial partnership the City of Bozeman wants
to continue to enhance and expand. Not all relationships are
as successful. Communicating expectations early and clearly
around topics that can easily become significant challenges
if not addressed, like maintenance or operations roles, will
help to support the capacity of City staff and optimize existing
resources aligned with the core mission of the Department.
Partnerships, even strong ones with long standing
organizations like the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, benefit from
short term agreements that allow both parties to revisit terms
every few years to protect the relationship over a sustained
period. The PRAT plan proposes that the Department engage
all partners in two to five year agreements with all program,
maintenance, and investment partners.
“Organize frequent family, kid
runs” - Community member
during August Pop-Up Event
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Demand for new facilities to expand the current network of
pathways, trails and bike facilities is strong and the network will
need to keep up with the growing community. Additionally, the need
to improve connectivity and reduce barriers within the network
must be addressed. This goal is focused on the facilities and policies
to connect and grow the active transportation network of shared
use paths, natural trails, on-street bike boulevards, and sidewalks.
A safer, well-maintained, connected path and trail system provides
more residents with the option to walk or bicycle as a primary
means of transportation. Whether for work or accessing goods
and services, the better the network the more residents will
choose active transportation as a less expensive, healthier, and
environmentally friendly option over driving a personal vehicle.
Additionally, how people move to, from, and within parks is
fundamental to building a healthy community, both in terms of
providing active options for transportation, but also for providing
CONNECT and
experience all that
Bozeman has to offer.
Goal 3
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equitable means for residents to access park facilities and
programs. Active communities have improved health, a cleaner
environment, and are more sustainable and resilient. To maintain
and improve its status as an active transportation community
Bozeman must prioritize the construction and maintenance of
bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Expanding and improving a
network of safe, accessible, and efficient paths and trails will make
active transportation an even more attractive option for everyday
travel by everyone.
This plan includes recommended strategies and key actions to
create a connected active transportation network. Together
with the specifications outlined in the Design Manual and the
implementation recommendations, these strategies outline the
actions to build a seamless network for active transportation.
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connect
Strategies
3.1. Invest in a City-wide Active
Transportation Network
Expanding the active transportation network will provide both
reliable recreation and transportation opportunities throughout
the community. The proposed network maps identify locations of
new shared use paths and connector paths that begin to address the
community needs identified in this plan. This plan, in coordination
with the county level Triangle Trails Plan, focuses on network
connectivity. Additional neighborhood trails should be added
through the private development process to enhance connectivity
further.
◊ Use this plan as a guide for future public
infrastructure planning and investment, as
well as a resource in the private development
process.
Proposed facilities in this plan should be incorporated into
the City’s GIS mapping and other resources to ensure that
the public and development community has access to the
proposed network. Proposed pathway alignments shown
are a ‘planning level’ representation of intended routes,
which provide connections between destination points and
desirable pathway experiences for a variety of users. In the
final implementation of the proposed network, adjustments
and modifications to the alignments shown are expected.
Such adjustments may be required to navigate environmental
features, meet code requirements, accommodate landowner
desires, and complement future development projects. These
adjustments should be expected and accommodated, so long as
the adjustments do not compromise the original intent of the
planning level alignment.
The proposed new routes represent approximately 137 new
miles of shared use paths, 36 new miles of connector paths,
107 new miles of neighborhood trails, and nine miles of bike
boulevards for a total of 289 miles of new pathways.
“A big investment in parks and
connecting trails would make
the city much more vibrant and
livable.” -PRAT Plan Engage
Bozeman public comment
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Connector Path
VARIESSHARED ROAD VARIESSHARED ROAD5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’SIDEWALK 5’SIDEWALK2’2’
CURB &GUTTER CURB &GUTTER
BIKE BOULEVARD
4’-6’TRAIL
Neighborhood Trail
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA6’-8’TRAIL
Connector Path
10’CLEAR
BUFFER
2’VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
BUFFER
2’
Shared Use Pathway
10’PAVED TRAIL VARIESTRAIL BUFFER2’2’10’DRIVE LANE
12’CLEAR
BUFFERBUFFER CURB &GUTTER
Bike Boulevard
Streets that prioritize pedestrian
and bicycle travel by using signage,
pavement markings, and lane
constrictions to limit vehicle traffic.
Connector Path
Connect other bike and pedestrian
corridors and neighborhood
destinations with 6 to 8-foot wide
paved or natural surfaces.
Neighborhood Trail
Four to six foot wide local, natural
surface or gravel routes that are
typically used for recreation
Pathways
A term used to collectively refer to all
types of active transportation routes.
Shared Use Path
Ten to twelve foot paved paths that
accommodate higher speed travel
directly connecting community
destinations.
Typologies
Figure 4.6 Active Transportation facility typologies
Neighborhood Trail
Shared Use Pathway
VARIESSHARED ROAD VARIESSHARED ROAD5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’SIDEWALK 5’SIDEWALK2’2’
CURB &GUTTER CURB &GUTTER
BIKE BOULEVARD
4’-6’TRAIL
Neighborhood Trail
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA6’-8’TRAIL
Connector Path
10’CLEAR
BUFFER
2’VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
BUFFER
2’
Shared Use Pathway
10’PAVED TRAIL VARIESTRAIL BUFFER2’2’10’DRIVE LANE
12’CLEAR
BUFFERBUFFER CURB &GUTTER
VARIESSHARED ROAD VARIESSHARED ROAD5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’SIDEWALK 5’SIDEWALK2’2’
CURB &GUTTER CURB &GUTTER
BIKE BOULEVARD
4’-6’TRAIL
Neighborhood Trail
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA6’-8’TRAIL
Connector Path
10’CLEAR
BUFFER
2’VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
BUFFER
2’
Shared Use Pathway
10’PAVED TRAIL VARIESTRAIL BUFFER2’2’10’DRIVE LANE
12’CLEAR
BUFFERBUFFER CURB &GUTTER
Bike Boulevard
VARIESSHARED ROAD VARIESSHARED ROAD5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’SIDEWALK 5’SIDEWALK2’2’
CURB &GUTTER CURB &GUTTER
BIKE BOULEVARD
4’-6’TRAIL
Neighborhood Trail
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA
6’-8’TRAIL
Connector Path
10’CLEAR
BUFFER
2’VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
BUFFER
2’
Shared Use Pathway
10’PAVED TRAIL VARIESTRAIL BUFFER2’2’10’DRIVE LANE
12’CLEAR
BUFFERBUFFER CURB &GUTTER
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Baxter LnBaxter Ln
Valley Center LnValley Center Ln
I-9
0
I-9
0
I-90I-90Oak StOak St
DurstonDurston
Huffine LnHuffine Ln
Kagy BlvdKagy Blvd
Kagy BlvdKagy Blvd
Main StMain St7th Ave7th Ave19th Ave19th AveRouse AveRouse AveFowler AveFowler Ave3rd Ave3rd Ave7th Ave7th Ave19th Ave19th AveFowler LnFowler Ln3rd Ave3rd AveSourdough RdSourdough RdCottonwood RdCottonwood Rd80
Proposed AT Network
88
Kagy BlvdKagy Blvd
I-90I-90
Main StMain St
Durston RdDurston Rd
Griffin DrGriffin Dr
W Tamarack StW Tamarack St
7th Ave7th AveRouse AveRouse Ave3rd Ave3rd AveOak StOak St
I-90I-90
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Proposed Anchor Routes
Proposed Shared Use Paths
Proposed Connector Paths
Proposed Neighborhood Trails
Proposed Bike Boulevards
Existing Trails
Existing Shared Use Paths
City Boundary
Growth Boundary
Roads
Railroad
Streams
Lakes & Reservoirs
Future Parks
Parks
7th-Front Street Connector
Pathway Facilities
Figure 4.7 Proposed Active Transportation network with zoom in
of 7th-Front St Connector, highlighted in orange.
N1 mile00.5
89
Baxter LnBaxter Ln
Valley Center LnValley Center Ln
I-
9
0
I-
9
0
Oak StOak St
DurstonDurston
Huffine LnHuffine Ln
Kagy BlvdKagy Blvd 19th Ave19th AveFowler AveFowler Ave19th Ave19th AveFowler LnFowler LnCottonwood RdCottonwood RdBaxter LnBaxter Ln
I-9
0
I-9
0
I-9
0
I-9
0
Oak StOak St
DurstonDurston
Huffine LnHuffine Ln
Kagy BlvdKagy Blvd
Kagy BlvdKagy Blvd
Main StMain St7th Ave7th AveBridger DrBridger Dr
Tschache LnTschache Ln
Annie StAnnie St 19th Ave19th AveRouse AveRouse AveFowler AveFowler Ave3rd Ave3rd Ave7th Ave7th Ave19th Ave19th AveFowler LnFowler Ln3rd Ave3rd AveSourdough RdSourdough Rd82
East/West Connector
Figure 4.8 Proposed East-West Connector highlighted in orange
Proposed AT Network
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I-
9
0
I-
9
0
Kagy BlvdKagy Blvd
I-90I-90
Main StMain St7th Ave7th AveRouse AveRouse Ave3rd Ave3rd Ave7th Ave7th Ave3rd Ave3rd AveSourdough RdSourdough RdBaxter LnBaxter Ln
Oak StOak St
Ferguson AveFerguson AveFlanders Mill RdFlanders Mill RdValley Center LnValley Center Ln
Catamount StCatamount St
I-9
0
I-9
0
19th Ave19th AveFowler AveFowler AveI-
9
0
I-
9
0
Fr
o
n
t
a
g
e
R
d
Fr
o
n
t
a
g
e
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Frontage Pathway
Figure 4.9 Proposed Frontage Pathway highlighted in orange
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Bike facility recommendations are included in the 2017 TMP.
All collector and arterial roadways within Bozeman should
have some form of bike facility. This plan recommends that
arterial roadways have separated facilities. This plan also
recommends that the City and MDT consider upgrading
existing and proposed on-street bike lanes to separated
facilities.
◊ Establish an inclusive network of bike
boulevards that provide low-stress
connectivity through Bozeman’s core.
Bike Boulevards are streets with low motorized traffic
volume and speeds. They are designated and designed to
give pedestrians and bicycles travel priority by using signs,
pavement markings, and obstacles to limit speed and number
of vehicles. Bike boulevards feature enhanced crossing
treatments at major streets to provide improved comfort
and safety. Bike boulevards are a key component of a low-
stress active transportation network providing connections
throughout the core of the community.
◊ Annually update the network improvements
using the prioritization recommendations
included in the “How Do We Get There”
chapter.
The list of proposed new routes and connections exceeds
the annual investment for active transportation. In order to
maintain and grow the network, the City should annually
review and dedicate funds to effectively construct the
new routes over time and consider requirements in the
development code for new developments to infill the system as
they currently do for roads.
Figure 4.10 Bike boulevard
connect
Strategies
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Bike BOulevards
Bike Boulevards are local streets that
prioritize bicyclists, pedestrians, and rollers
of all ages and abilities. The goal of a bike
boulevard is to increase bike and pedestrian
comfort, safety, and accessibility to provide
more active transportation opportunities
through urban settings. Although some
vehicle traffic is still allowed on these
boulevards, cars are demoted to secondary
users.
Creating successful bike boulevards require
implementing a variety of strategies
including traffic-calming mechanisms,
ample signage and pavement markings, and
protected crossings.
Bike boulevards should include a selection
of (but are not limited to) the following
design elements:
Signs and pavement markings –
Essential elements for establishing and
differentiating a bike boulevard from a local
street. Signage and markings communicate
priority for bikers and pedestrians, while
limiting through traffic and lowering vehicle
speeds. Signage guides users through the
active transportation network.
Sharrow Wayfinding Identification
Speed management strategies – Tools constructed to reduce the speed of vehicles on the
street, ideally below 20 miles per hour. This can be achieved by vertical deflection mechanisms,
horizontal deflection mechanisms, or roadway narrowing. Vertical deflections are raised
sections of the roadway, such as speed humps, that force vehicles to slow down in order to go
up and over the obstacle in a safe and comfortable manner. Horizontal deflections are
treatments to the edges or middle of the street, such as chicanes, that require drivers to slow
their speed to turn and navigate around the obstacles. Finally, physically narrowing the roadway
leads drivers to slow down due to the reduced space available to operate their vehicle.
- Speed humps, bumps, tables, and cushions
- Chicanes
- Neighborhood traffic circles
- Median Islands
- Curb bulb outs
- Pinch points
Speed Hump Chicane Median Island
Figure 4.11 Sharrow pavement markings
Sharrow Wayfinding Identification
Speed management strategies – Tools constructed to reduce the speed of vehicles on the
street, ideally below 20 miles per hour. This can be achieved by vertical deflection mechanisms,
horizontal deflection mechanisms, or roadway narrowing. Vertical deflections are raised
sections of the roadway, such as speed humps, that force vehicles to slow down in order to go
up and over the obstacle in a safe and comfortable manner. Horizontal deflections are
treatments to the edges or middle of the street, such as chicanes, that require drivers to slow
their speed to turn and navigate around the obstacles. Finally, physically narrowing the roadway
leads drivers to slow down due to the reduced space available to operate their vehicle.
- Speed humps, bumps, tables, and cushions
- Chicanes
- Neighborhood traffic circles
- Median Islands
- Curb bulb outs
- Pinch points
Speed Hump Chicane Median Island
Figure 4.12 Wayfinding Signage
Sharrow Wayfinding Identification
Speed management strategies – Tools constructed to reduce the speed of vehicles on the
street, ideally below 20 miles per hour. This can be achieved by vertical deflection mechanisms,
horizontal deflection mechanisms, or roadway narrowing. Vertical deflections are raised
sections of the roadway, such as speed humps, that force vehicles to slow down in order to go
up and over the obstacle in a safe and comfortable manner. Horizontal deflections are
treatments to the edges or middle of the street, such as chicanes, that require drivers to slow
their speed to turn and navigate around the obstacles. Finally, physically narrowing the roadway
leads drivers to slow down due to the reduced space available to operate their vehicle.
- Speed humps, bumps, tables, and cushions
- Chicanes
- Neighborhood traffic circles
- Median Islands
- Curb bulb outs
- Pinch points
Speed Hump Chicane Median Island
Figure 4.13 Identification Signage
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Vehicle volume management strategies
– Established to reduce vehicle through-
traffic. Diversions can be either regulatory
or physical. Regulatory treatments include
signs that post written street restrictions,
such as banning turns or entry onto a street
during specific times of day or only allowing
Vehicle speed management strategies –
Physical improvements to the streets that
reduce vehicle speeds to a maximum of 15
to 20 miles per hour. Vertical deflections,
such as raised speed humps, horizontal
deflections, such as chicanes, and street
narrowing, all create streets designed for
slow driving.
Sharrow Wayfinding Identification Speed management strategies – Tools constructed to reduce the speed of vehicles on the street, ideally below 20 miles per hour. This can be achieved by vertical deflection mechanisms, horizontal deflection mechanisms, or roadway narrowing. Vertical deflections are raised sections of the roadway, such as speed humps, that force vehicles to slow down in order to go up and over the obstacle in a safe and comfortable manner. Horizontal deflections are treatments to the edges or middle of the street, such as chicanes, that require drivers to slow their speed to turn and navigate around the obstacles. Finally, physically narrowing the roadway leads drivers to slow down due to the reduced space available to operate their vehicle.
- Speed humps, bumps, tables, and cushions
- Chicanes
- Neighborhood traffic circles
- Median Islands
- Curb bulb outs
- Pinch points
Speed Hump Chicane Median Island
Figure 4.14 Chicane
Bike Boulevards Bike Boulevards are local streets that prioritize bicyclists, pedestrians, and rollers of all ages and abilities. The goal of a bike boulevard is to increase bike and pedestrian comfort, safety, and accessibility to provide more active transportation opportunities through urban settings. Although some vehicle traffic is still allowed on these boulevards, cars are demoted to secondary users. Creating successful bike boulevards require implementing a variety of strategies including traffic-calming mechanisms, ample signage and pavement markings, and protected crossings. Bike boulevards should include a selection of (but are not limited to) the following design elements: Signs and pavement markings – Essential elements for establishing and differentiating a bike boulevard from a local street. Signage and markings communicate priority for bikers and pedestrians, while limiting through traffic and lowering vehicle speeds. Signage guides users through the active transportation network.
Sharrow Pavement Markings Wayfinding Signage Identification Signage
Vehicle speed management strategies – Physical improvements to the streets that reduce
vehicle speeds to a maximum of 15 to 20 miles per hour. Vertical deflections, such as raised
speed humps, horizontal deflections, such as chicanes, and street narrowing, all create streets
designed for slow driving.
Speed Hump Chicane Median Island
Figure 4.15 Speed hump
Sharrow Wayfinding Identification
Speed management strategies – Tools constructed to reduce the speed of vehicles on the
street, ideally below 20 miles per hour. This can be achieved by vertical deflection mechanisms,
horizontal deflection mechanisms, or roadway narrowing. Vertical deflections are raised
sections of the roadway, such as speed humps, that force vehicles to slow down in order to go
up and over the obstacle in a safe and comfortable manner. Horizontal deflections are
treatments to the edges or middle of the street, such as chicanes, that require drivers to slow
their speed to turn and navigate around the obstacles. Finally, physically narrowing the roadway
leads drivers to slow down due to the reduced space available to operate their vehicle.
- Speed humps, bumps, tables, and cushions
- Chicanes
- Neighborhood traffic circles
- Median Islands
- Curb bulb outs
- Pinch points
Speed Hump Chicane Median Island
Figure 4.16 Median island
Neighborhood Traffic Circle Curb Bulb Outs
Pinch Point
Volume management strategies – Established to reduce vehicle through-traffic by
discouraging drivers to use neighborhood greenways as transportation routes for cars or
actually forcing drivers to take alternative route. Diversions can be either physical or
regulatory. Regulatory, or “soft”, treatments include signs that post written street restrictions,
such as banning turns or entry onto a street during specific times of day or only allowing
residents to drive on the greenway. These are considered “soft” barriers as they can technically
be disregarded by drivers with the risk of be ticketed. Physical, or “hard”, treatments are
constructed barriers that prevent certain vehicle traffic from entering the neighborhood
greenway. These are considered “hard” as vehicles are physically forced to reroute to a
different street.
- Regulatory signage
- Partial physical closer
- Full physical closer
- Channelized Right-in, Right-Out
- Diagonal or Median diverter
Neighborhood Traffic Circle Curb Bulb Outs
Pinch Point
Volume management strategies – Established to reduce vehicle through-traffic by
discouraging drivers to use neighborhood greenways as transportation routes for cars or
actually forcing drivers to take alternative route. Diversions can be either physical or
regulatory. Regulatory, or “soft”, treatments include signs that post written street restrictions,
such as banning turns or entry onto a street during specific times of day or only allowing
residents to drive on the greenway. These are considered “soft” barriers as they can technically
be disregarded by drivers with the risk of be ticketed. Physical, or “hard”, treatments are
constructed barriers that prevent certain vehicle traffic from entering the neighborhood
greenway. These are considered “hard” as vehicles are physically forced to reroute to a
different street.
- Regulatory signage
- Partial physical closer
- Full physical closer
- Channelized Right-in, Right-Out
- Diagonal or Median diverter
Figure 4.17 Neighborhood traffic circle
Figure 4.18 Pinch point
Figure 4.19 Curb bulb outs
Neighborhood Traffic Circle Curb Bulb Outs
Pinch Point
Volume management strategies – Established to reduce vehicle through-traffic by
discouraging drivers to use neighborhood greenways as transportation routes for cars or
actually forcing drivers to take alternative route. Diversions can be either physical or
regulatory. Regulatory, or “soft”, treatments include signs that post written street restrictions,
such as banning turns or entry onto a street during specific times of day or only allowing
residents to drive on the greenway. These are considered “soft” barriers as they can technically
be disregarded by drivers with the risk of be ticketed. Physical, or “hard”, treatments are
constructed barriers that prevent certain vehicle traffic from entering the neighborhood
greenway. These are considered “hard” as vehicles are physically forced to reroute to a
different street.
- Regulatory signage
- Partial physical closer
- Full physical closer
- Channelized Right-in, Right-Out
- Diagonal or Median diverter
connect
Strategies
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Crossings – Protected intersections and
crossings allow for continuous and safe
travel of bikes and pedestrians along
the bike boulevard corridor. Adequate
protection at intersections should ensure
that intersecting car traffic is highly aware
of crossing pedestrians and bicyclists,
while establishing a comfortable crossing
experience for users.
Signage Partial Closer Right-In, Right-Out
Median Diverter
Crossings – Protected intersections and crossings allow for continuous and safe travel of bikes
and pedestrians along the neighborhood greenway corridor. Adequate protection at
intersections should ensure that intersecting car traffic is blatantly aware of crossing pedestrians
and bikers as well as establish comfortable crossing infrastructure for users.
- Crossing signage
- Pedestrian signals (RRFBs, HAWKS, etc)
- Median refuge islands
- Curb bulb outs
Median Refuge Island RRFB
Figure 4.20 Median diverter
Signage Partial Closer Right-In, Right-Out
Median Diverter
Crossings – Protected intersections and crossings allow for continuous and safe travel of bikes
and pedestrians along the neighborhood greenway corridor. Adequate protection at
intersections should ensure that intersecting car traffic is blatantly aware of crossing pedestrians
and bikers as well as establish comfortable crossing infrastructure for users.
- Crossing signage
- Pedestrian signals (RRFBs, HAWKS, etc)
- Median refuge islands
- Curb bulb outs
Median Refuge Island RRFB
Figure 4.21 Median refuge island and RRFB
Crossings – Protected intersections and crossings allow for continuous and safe travel of bikes and pedestrians along the bike boulevard corridor. Adequate protection at intersections should
ensure that intersecting car traffic is highly aware of crossing pedestrians and bicyclists, while
establishing a comfortable crossing experience for users.
Median Refuge Island RRFB
Curb Bulb Out HAWKS Crossing
Figure 4.22 Curb bulb out
Figure 4.23 Signage/ Partial closure
Signage Partial Closer Right-In, Right-Out
Median Diverter
Crossings – Protected intersections and crossings allow for continuous and safe travel of bikes
and pedestrians along the neighborhood greenway corridor. Adequate protection at
intersections should ensure that intersecting car traffic is blatantly aware of crossing pedestrians
and bikers as well as establish comfortable crossing infrastructure for users.
- Crossing signage
- Pedestrian signals (RRFBs, HAWKS, etc)
- Median refuge islands
- Curb bulb outs
Median Refuge Island RRFB
Figure 4.24 Right-in, right-out
Signage Partial Closer Right-In, Right-Out
Median Diverter
Crossings – Protected intersections and crossings allow for continuous and safe travel of bikes
and pedestrians along the neighborhood greenway corridor. Adequate protection at
intersections should ensure that intersecting car traffic is blatantly aware of crossing pedestrians
and bikers as well as establish comfortable crossing infrastructure for users.
- Crossing signage
- Pedestrian signals (RRFBs, HAWKS, etc)
- Median refuge islands
- Curb bulb outs
Median Refuge Island RRFB
Signage Partial Closer Right-In, Right-Out
Median Diverter
Crossings – Protected intersections and crossings allow for continuous and safe travel of bikes
and pedestrians along the neighborhood greenway corridor. Adequate protection at
intersections should ensure that intersecting car traffic is blatantly aware of crossing pedestrians
and bikers as well as establish comfortable crossing infrastructure for users.
- Crossing signage
- Pedestrian signals (RRFBs, HAWKS, etc)
- Median refuge islands
- Curb bulb outs
Median Refuge Island RRFB
Figure 4.25 HAWKS crossing
Crossings – Protected intersections and crossings allow for continuous and safe travel of bikes
and pedestrians along the bike boulevard corridor. Adequate protection at intersections should
ensure that intersecting car traffic is highly aware of crossing pedestrians and bicyclists, while
establishing a comfortable crossing experience for users.
Median Refuge Island RRFB
Curb Bulb Out HAWKS Crossing
residents to drive on the bike boulevard.
Physical treatments are constructed
barriers that prevent certain vehicle traffic
from entering the bike boulevard.
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3.2. Identify and develop a network of Anchor
Routes that serve as key travel corridors.
Anchor Routes are the backbone of the active transportation
network. Existing pathway corridors, like the Gallagator Trail, as
well as new major corridors were identified as Anchor Routes. These
primary routes will serve as longer-distance, lower-stress, and
comfortable thoroughfares that anchor the active transportation
network. Anchor routes provide a highly visible system enhanced by
the wayfinding plan.
These primary routes strive to maximize connectivity between
key community locations. They are chosen because they provide
cohesion within the system (sufficient spacing and connection to the
supporting grid) and directness in terms of distance and travel time
and they will be the focus of investment for improvements to safety,
comfort and enjoyment for all ages and abilities. At times, Anchor
Routes will be primarily part of a street cross-section that ties
together lively civic spaces. At other times, Anchor Routes will fall
entirely within a park or a parklike space.
◊ Identify key needs for land acquisition,
easements, and coordination opportunities
with land development projects to secure
Anchor Route corridors.
Developing a network of anchor routes will require a long-
term vision and a comprehensive strategy to aggregate the
necessary land or legal access.
◊ Prioritize funding to build, connect, and
maintain Anchor Routes.
The City should add prioritized shared use path and connector
path projects to the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP).
Likewise, an annual portion of the City’s street construction
budget should be allocated to build shared use paths and
critical connector paths. In areas of key park connectivity
benefit and where severe barriers exist, cash-in-lieu of
parkland money can be used to close gaps. Routes not likely to
be completed with adjacent development should be prioritized.
"I would love to ride my bike
from Bozeman to Belgrade
and Four Corners without
traveling along a high vehicle
traffic route." -PRAT Plan
Engage Bozeman public
comment
What is an “Anchor Route”?
Visionary
Highly visible
All-ages and abilities
Uninterrupted
All-season
Anchor Routes are Shared
Use Paths, with a minimum
with of 12-feet, are intended
to establish unbroken routes
linking neighborhoods to
parks and commercial areas.
They connect to neighborhood
trails and connector pathways
to provide a unified network.
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Strategies
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◊ Plan for robust maintenance of Anchor Routes
to ensure year-round use and a high level of
accessibility.
A complete set of maintenance recommendations are provided
in the Design Manual.
3.3. Create an interconnected network of
pedestrian and bicycle facilities by closing
existing network gaps.
This plan identifies areas of Bozeman that lack adequate access to
the network and neighborhoods where facilities are isolated due
to a lack of connectivity. New shared use paths and connectors are
proposed in these areas to close network gaps and increase overall
connectivity.
◊ Prioritize construction of network segments
to close key connectivity gaps.
This plan includes a project prioritization matrix located in
the “How Do We Get There” chapter, which suggests a variety
of recommended criteria including mobility equity and park
accessibility. High priority projects should be added to the
City’s CIP or funded with an allocation from the City’s street
construction budget.
◊ Ensure new private development is required to
construct any adjacent active transportation
facility identified in this plan.
As Bozeman continues to grow, private development has
and will continue to be a primary vehicle for building out the
active transportation network. The UDC should be reviewed to
ensure this is clearly required and best practices from other
communities should be adapted for Bozeman.
"Traffic Calming on Babcock
is critical as promoting access
to Valley West park. Bike
lane on Babcock is a step, but
decreasing the width of the
road and more trees close to the
street edge would slow traffic
more naturally on this corridor
and improve multimodality."
-PRAT Plan Engage Bozeman
public comment
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mid-block crossings
Mid-block crossings are often needed due to off-street
active transportation routes intersecting the street
network away from existing street intersections. These
are ideal for connecting neighborhood trails to nearby
services and the greater active transportation network.
An effective mid-block crossing consists
of a marked crosswalk, appropriate
pavement markings, warning signage,
and other treatments to slow or stop
traffic such as curb extensions, median
refuges, beacons, rectangular rapid
flashing beacons (RRFBs), hybrid
beacons, and HAWK signals. Designing
crossings at mid-block locations depends
on an evaluation of motor vehicle traffic
volumes, sight distance, pedestrian traffic
volumes, land use patterns, vehicle speed,
and road type and width.
Mid-block crossings should be provided
where pedestrian and bicycle desire lines
clearly exist such as along trails that do
not conveniently connect to an existing
intersection. Experience in Bozeman
shows that diverting these users to nearby
intersections is not effective or practical
and will not dissuade many users from
crossing at the most obvious location.
On collector or arterial streets with center
turn lanes, mid-block crossings should
be paired with pedestrian refuge islands
to shorten the crossing and break it into
two stages. Mid-block crossings vastly
simplify the number of potential conflicts
and decisions that need to be made by both
trail users and motorists over intersection
locations.
Figure 4.26 Conflict diagram showing that mid-block crossings have
fewer conflicts with vehicles.
Figure 4.27 The Gallagator trail at Graf Street where trail has
been cut for road extension. Snow tracks after a few hours of use
show that the sign routing users to a crosswalk 160 feet away is
not effective.
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3.4: Improve east-west connections that
prioritize active transportation
Most of Bozeman’s primary active transportation corridors run
north-south, and this isn’t a coincidence. Many of the current
corridors align with creeks or other waterways that flow through the
city and generally run south to north. Thus, there are currently very
few continuous path and trail corridors in Bozeman that run east-
west resulting in serious connectivity and access issues. A priority
was placed on proposing east- and west-running routes to address
this network inadequacy.
Figure 4.28 At locations where active transportation facilities cross a major street, a variety of
treatments can improve visibility and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians
19th & Lincoln Pedestrian Crossing
Mid Block Crossing on Oak St (View 1)
Kagy & MSU Stadium
Mid Block Crossing at Oak & Ferguson (View 2)
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Figure 4.29 Critical intersection and midblock crossings for safe crossing investments.
Roads
Railroad
City Boundary
Growth Boundary
Streams
Lakes & Reservoirs
Parks
Existing Trails
Intersection Crossings
Midblock Crossings
Oak StOak St
Durston RdDurston Rd
Baxter LnBaxter Ln
Huffine LnHuffine Ln
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◊ Prioritize construction of east-west network
facilities.
◊ Improve safety of pedestrian and bicycle
crossings for east-west routes.
There are numerous north-south arterial streets that act
as major barriers to any east-west active transportation
routes. Therefore, as the recommended east-west routes are
implemented, safe crossings must be included.
3.5. Improve crossings for pedestrians and
bicyclists to overcome major barriers.
Addressing network barriers created by Bozeman’s arterial roadways
is a priority to ensure that the active transportation system is no
longer fragmented by busy streets. Strategies have been established
for various safe and intuitive pedestrian and bike crossings across
large roads, such as 7th Avenue, 19th Avenue, Oak Street, and Huffine
Lane, which prevent continuous low-stress active transportation
connectivity across the city. Critical locations for these crossings
were identified by assessing pedestrian-bicycle-vehicle conflict
points and desire lines along major arterials.
◊ Prioritize improvements to critical safe
crossing locations.
This plan identifies the locations of important crossings that
need safety improvements.
◊ Implement ‘best practice’ safe crossing
configurations and technology.
The safest crossing design alternatives will likely not be the
least expensive. The critical importance of providing the safest
crossings and the long-term health and air quality benefits
of increased ridership requires committing the necessary
funding.
Critical Intersections and Midblock Crossings
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N00.5 1 mile
Figure 4.29 Critical intersection and midblock crossings for safe crossing investments.
Parks
Existing Trails
Intersection Crossings
Midblock Crossings
I-9
0
I-9
0
I-90I-90
I-90I-90
Oak StOak St
Durston RdDurston Rd 7th Ave7th Ave3rd Ave3rd AveRouse AveRouse AveBaxter LnBaxter Ln
Catamount StCatamount St
Huffine LnHuffine Ln
E Kagy BlvdE Kagy Blvd
Main StMain St
W Kagy AveW Kagy Ave19th Ave19th Ave19th Ave19th Ave93
Critical Intersections and Midblock Crossings
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3.6. Implement a comprehensive wayfinding
system.
A comprehensive wayfinding system is a mandatory element of
Bozeman’s active transportation network. Effective wayfinding
signage is a cost-effective way to improve the overall use and
accessibility of the system. Comprehensive wayfinding helps people
traveling throughout the network and directs them to community
destinations.
A coordinated and well-designed signage system improves the
coherency of the network and can provide a greater sense of user
security and comfort, as users receive confirmation that they are on
the correct route and are aware of how far they must travel to reach
their destination.
◊ Enhance users’ ability to navigate Bozeman’s
network and find key destinations.
The wayfinding system should give clear guidance to users
to ensure their experience is safe and that they understand
any accessibility considerations related to that particular
pathway, crossing, or facility.
◊ Provide information such as destinations,
direction, distance, and travel time.
Detailed and accurate wayfinding information will increase
user confidence, improve travel efficiency, and ultimately
increase overall network utilization.
◊ Support and promote Bozeman’s identity.
Future wayfinding should reinforce the unique identity of
the City in the colors, textures and fonts used in signage.
To ensure that the wayfinding identity is communicated
comprehensively, implementation of the system should happen
Case Study
High Line Canal
Vision Plan
Denver Region, CO
2018 Gold National
Planning Achievement
Award For Public
Outreach
The plan proposed a
comprehensive signage and
wayfinding system as a kit
of parts to unify the Canal’s
identity and visitor orientation.
The guidelines provided
guidance about design direction
and location placement for
signage and wayfinding.
Consistent identity for trails
and pedestrian routes easily
and safely guide users to and
from the Canal as well as nearby
landmarks, facilities, and
community services.
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Figure 4.30 Oak street trail
within phases over ten years and include parks and buildings
that tie into the active transportation system. To ensure
cohesiveness of the whole system, existing signage should
be considered into decisions of future wayfinding identity as
much as possible.
◊ Build community voice into the wayfinding
strategy process and raise visitor awareness
of the overall network.
The wayfinding strategy should look back to community
feedback to the PRAT Plan related to access and safety in order
to ensure increased awareness of the final result.
3.7: Install path imporovements along active
transportation routes.
Certain associated improvements adjacent to pathways are essential
for the success of a functional and safe active transportation
network. Others are not critical for network function but enhance the
Shared Use Paths Connector Paths Neighborhood Trails
Required
Improvements
Wayfinding
Lighting
Benches
Bike racks
Bike stations
Trash Receptacles
Wayfinding
Bike racks
Benches
Wayfinding
Dog Waste Stations
Optional
Improvements
Picnic tables
Water fountains
Dog waste stations
Lighting
Bike stations
Water fountains
Dog Waste Stations
Lighting
Water fountains
Trash Receptacles
Benches
Pathway Improvements Classification
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user experience, safety, and cleanliness, and are often greatly desired
by the community and are particularly necessary when trying to effect
mode shift toward bicycling.
◊ Commit to installing the recommended
required improvements.
As discussed further in Design Manual, certain supporting
facilities like wayfinding and lighting are essential to a highly
functioning active transportation network and therefore are
mandatory.
◊ Prioritize installation of recommended optional
improvements to enhance user experience.
Optional mprovements not only improve resident’s experience
but encourage higher utilization of the active transportation
network. These include strategically located benches, bike
racks, and water fountains.
3.8: Better utilize linear parks and
watercourses to connect the active
transportation network with parks and open
spaces.
Many of the existing network gaps and new routes identified in
this plan could be implemented by allowing more flexible use of
linear parks and watercourse setbacks. In order to do so the Unified
Development Code must be revised as recommended in the Policy
Considerations section, within the “How Do We Get There” chapter.
◊ Allow all active transportation typologies to be
located within watercourse setbacks.
Shared use paths, connector paths, and neighborhood trails
should be permitted within Zone 2 of watercourse setbacks
regardless of surface types in areas where infill pathways are
needed or where lot constraints prevent additional setback.
◊ Allow certain active transportation corridors
to be designated as linear parks that meet
“I would like to see the city plan
for a connecting network of trails
that allow bike and ped access
throughout the city, even to
Belgrade and Bridger Bowl, etc.”
-PRAT Plan Engage Bozeman public
comment
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parkland requirements.
In many cases corridors that incorporate pathways and
adjacent open space should be recognized as both active
transportation routes and parkland.
3.9: Ensure inclusive and equitable access to
and within parks.
To develop an inclusive active transportation network, pathways
must be designed and maintained to engage communities of varying
incomes, and feel safe and accessible to all age groups, modes of
travel, and ability levels. The network should consist of a variety
what is micromobility?
Micromobility is an umbrella term encompassing
a variety of small, generally low-speed vehicles
and conveyances that can be electric or human-
powered and privately owned or part of shared
fleets. Micromobility devices include most small,
predominantly one-person vehicles that operate
at low speeds and are not gas-powered. Most
micromobility devices fit within a standard bike
lane or sidewalk and weigh less than 100 pounds.
Although the term applies to everything from
skateboards to wheelchairs, the term, coined by
Horace Dediu, gained popularity when fleets of bikes
and scooters flooded city streets in the 2010s, kicking
off a revolutionary trend that has altered the way
planners and policymakers think about and regulate
street space in many cities.
When supported by safe and accessible
infrastructure, micromobility devices can bridge
the gap between public transit options, replace
cars for short trips, and complement larger delivery
vehicles by providing last-mile services in dense
neighborhoods. Shared fleets can eliminate the
cost of private ownership and the hassle of bringing
devices onto public transit while connecting urban
residents to their destinations.
Source: What Is Micromobility? | Planetizen Planopedia
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of facility types that promote walking, biking, and micromobility
as both recreation activities and transportation options. Finally,
the network of shared use and connector paths should meet the
minimum standards for accessibility to create a variety of accessible
active transportation and recreation opportunities for those with
mobility challenges.
◊ Develop policies to allow for the use of e-bikes,
e-scooters, and similar modes of assisted
mobility on active transportation routes.
Electric assisted modes of micromobility encourage and
allow more people to engage in active transportation.
Comprehensive policies that include education and
enforcement components can effectively incorporate all modes
and minimize user conflicts. Enforcement starts with good
design.
◊ Develop a toolkit to evaluate and prioritize
projects.
Use adopted City plans (Strategic Plan, Community
Plan, Climate Action Plan, Transportation Master Plan),
key network connections, and equitable access goals as
prioritization criteria.
3.10: Revise network typology classifications
and comprehensive design and maintenance
standards.
Clearly defined typologies for active transportation routes is
critical to identifying which facilities best serve which users. The
recommended typologies are intended to not only provide common
nomenclature for this plan and future plans, but also to establish
corresponding design standards. A more comprehensive analysis of
these typologies and standards is included in the Design Manual.
◊ Redefine and simplify off-street active
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Winter maintenance, like removing snow from shared use paths, is critical to year-round active transportation
Street Network Active Transportation
Network
Local Neighborhood
Collector Connector
Arterial Shared Use
Urban Route Anchor Route
Comparative Typologies
transportation typologies.
This plan recommends a revised structural hierarchy of
pathway typologies that loosely mimics Bozeman’s roadway
classifications of arterial, collector, and local streets. The
three recommended pathway typologies are shared use
paths, connector paths, and neighborhood trails.
◊ Create standards for bike boulevards.
Bike boulevards create low-stress routes within existing
neighborhoods by increasing awareness and safety of
pedestrians and bicycles, by ensuring vehicle speeds are
reduced. Major street crossings will have treatments
designed to enhance safety and comfort.
◊ Establish comprehensive standards
and specifications for construction and
maintenance.
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The intersectionality of Bozeman’s natural and human
systems continues to shape how the city grows and manages its
environmental, social, and economic assets. The City of Bozeman
is shaped by thousands of years of human interaction with the
land, which has changed more rapidly as white settlers built roads,
businesses and houses over the landscape--culverting creeks and
covering wetlands.
As the city approaches its growth boundary, the balance of agrarian
uses and woodland, meadow, and riparian land covers continues
to decline at a rapid pace, giving way to more developed places. The
City has responded to rapid growth with forward looking policies
and investment priorities to ensure that new development is
balanced with valuable open spaces both large and small. Recent
investments in City-owned open space has skewed towards larger
parcels dedicated to natural areas and special use facilities,
alongside a greater array of neighborhood scale parks that provide
safe, walkable access between new housing developments and
neighborhood centers and natural areas. These City policies are
ADAPT to changing
environmental
pressures.
Goal 4
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also predicting a future that could result in an
overabundance of these neighborhood parks and
natural areas, potentially putting watercourses,
riparian corridors, and wetlands in vulnerable
positions without proper stewardship or
management.
The PRAT Plan presents an opportunity to
redefine our relationship to our natural systems
and to develop approaches for City-owned and
managed parks to effectively address climate
change and protect our natural places for the use
and enjoyment of generations to come. This goal
identifies strategies to protect valuable green
space balanced with increased development
pressures, improve water conservation and air
quality, support responsible use of our parks and
natural areas, and craft a resilient future.
Montane
grassland 18%
Sagebrush steppe
6%
Floodplain and
riparian 5%
Deciduous
dominated forest
and woodland 4%
Deciduous
shrubland 2%
Introduced
vegetation 1%
Wet
meadow
1%
Conifer-dominated
forest and woodland
(xeric-mesic) 21%
Developed 21%Agriculture
23%
Land Cover: Bozeman and Surroundings
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adapt
Strategies
4.1: Create environmental standards for
acquisition and management appropriate to
each landscape type.
Environmental standards will provide much needed guardrails
for decision making that ensures that the City has the capacity
to purchase, improve, and appropriately maintain various park
landscapes.
◊ Create an environmental management and
design best practices toolkit.
Pull best practices from past plans and local manuals as a
guide, like the 2017 Gallatin Valley Hazard Mitigation Plan,
2018 Climate Vulnerability and Resilience Strategy, and 2020
Bozeman Climate Plan among others.
◊ Consider a rating system to set goals and
benchmarks and evaluate progress.
Rather than starting from scratch, the City can look to existing
environmental standards and benchmark systems like SITES.
This program provides clear guidance for standards and also
connects environmental outcomes with community benefit. The
standards should include tools for reduced fire risk, drought
management, shade, and flood adaptability.
◊ Require developments to provide a parkland
and natural resource analysis coinciding with
the trails/greenway layer to facilitate the
connection and continuity of natural resource
areas (black bear and sandhill crane pathways)
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4.2: Promote sustainable trail and park uses to
positively impact natural areas.
Parks are ideal places to prioritize environmental restoration and
build awareness of natural systems. This can be accomplished by
planting native vegetation, incorporating trails that immerse people
in nature while staying on paths, reducing the use of machinery or
chemicals in maintenance processes that can impact water and air
quality, and communicating the ecosystem service values of natural
areas.
◊ Encourage sustainable trail design and
maintenance through the PRAT Design and
Maintenance Manual.
◊ Establish an awareness campaign for
considerate park and trails use within natural
areas.
Well-intentioned visitors should always stay on marked trails
to protect wildlife habitats and reduce negative impacts to
native vegetation, including ecological degradation from heavy
foot traffic off designated paths.
Successful awareness campaigns are accessible to young
audiences and provide a balance of friendly, clear messaging
with facts that reinforce the importance of abiding by park
rules.
Campaigns that reinforce the relationship between dog owner
behavior and intended or unintended outcomes should also be
considered. Refer to Strategy 1.3 for more information about
programs to support a dog owner and dog etiquette program.
◊ Train and hire staff in sustainable land
management practices.
Consider creating a park ranger program or partnering with an
existing city security program to monitor appropriate park and
trail use.
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The program could be expanded to include volunteer programs
with residents interested in invasive species management,
riparian corridor enhancement, or trail maintenance.
4.3: Promote the protection and enhancement
of intact, contiguous critical lands through
parkland acquisition
◊ Identify large areas of significant ecosystem
benefit in areas of future City expansion and
identify funding mechanisms or partnerships
for acquisition.
The Park and Recreation Department’s mission focuses on
recreation experiences for people. While the Department
does own many natural areas and works to maintain the
land sustainably, the purchase of public lands that limit
public access are not aligned with that mission unless well-
integrated into the design of the park. In order to maintain
the net open land, focus cash-in-lieu and other funding on
acquisition.
◊ Allow watercourse setbacks, wetlands,
and other priority conservation lands and
similar acreage to contribute to dedication
requirements in new developments if the
project also includes community benefit
improvements.
As of 2022, land dedication in new developments is limited to
upland parcels that enable active uses, however these same
dedication requirements do not include improvements to the
park beyond irrigation infrastructure, sod, and perimeter
trees and sidewalks.. Incorporating critical habitats,
riparian corridors, and wetlands into a portion of the land
dedication requirement will enable the City to take on unified
management of critical lands and increase the development’s
responsibility to improve adjacent areas for more active
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uses with more elements than previously required. Not only
will this change to dedication encourage responsible long-
term stewardship by the City, it will also reduce the burden on
maintenance staff to mow large undeveloped open space parcels.
◊Direct funding outside the City in areas of
critical natural resource benefit to prevent net
loss of open land.
4.4: Expand nature play and programming.
◊Find more ways for people and children to
interact with wetlands, waterways and forests.
The Parks and Recreation Department should develop a
metric similar to the “10-minute walk” for unstructured play
areas or ”wild” spaces. The City should frame nature play as
intergenerational, or as spaces that allow people of all ages to
be wild. The park system as a whole should mirror the greater
natural context of Bozeman and include “wild” natural plantings,
outdoor recreation, and places to pause and enjoy nature for all.
4.5: Emphasize water conservation, stormwater
management, and best land management
practices in park and facility capital projects.
In May of 2022, the City Commission enacted permanent watering
restrictions to curb irrigation of lawns and landscape, which often use
half of all city water in the summer months and the Parks Division
followed suit. The Park Division’s participation in achieving and
demonstrating water conservation strategies will make it more difficult
to irrigate parks and fields with large swaths of lawns. It also provides
an opportunity for Parks and Recreation to think differently about
water use and find creative ways to maintain the same high quality
spaces while prioritizing water management needs. Best practices need
to develop specific design guildelines and management for wetlands,
soccer fields, and other park or natural spaces to be improved for
sustainability and climate metrics.
Case Study
Boulder Public Library
and Boulder Creek
Pathway
When the Boulder Public
Library was moved to its current
location along the Boulder Creek
Path, improvements were made
to the path, adjacent creek and
a new nature playground was
incorporated into the project,
next to the new library site.
The balance of active, children-
centered uses and protection
of an important creek corridor
highlighted the City of Boulder’s
approach to reinvestment and
critical habitat protection.
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◊ Create standards for low water or drought
tolerant irrigation infrastructure.
Prioritize simple irrigation systems over advanced systems
to reduce unnecessary water waste. Install flexible irrigation
systems that are easy to manage, maintain, and replace
if needed. Irrigating planting beds and trees during the
vegetation’s establishment period will greatly increase
the chances of survival for the planting and the planting’s
lifespan.
◊ Increase the amount of drought tolerant
and native vegetation and trees in the park
system.
Work with the Montana Master Gardener Program and other
like minded organizations to confirm and update plant
selection guidance, share low water best practices with
city staff, and lead workshops with community members to
promote residential drought tolerant landscape.
4.6 Align Staffing Plan with the Above
Recommendations
◊ Enhance riparian areas and wetland corridors
within existing and new parks through the
design manual
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INCREASE staff and
resources to benefit the
community.
Goal 5
To fully care for Bozeman’s parks, trails and facilities and to
provide the most inclusive experiences for the community, the City
needs to build internal capacity and resources internally. Today,
the City is managing increased maintenance of parks alongside
the management, activation, and investment of existing and new
parks and facilities with a small staff. Increasing staff and City
resources can elevate the quality of the City’s operations and
ensure that Bozeman’s community has equitable access to high-
quality spaces and programs. To start, the City needs to ensure
that the capabilities and capacity of its current staff match the
department’s needs.
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increase
Strategies
5.1: Attract and retain staff to effectively
support the needs of Bozeman’s parks,
programs, and trails.
The design and upkeep needs of parks and facilities and the growing
variety of programs offered by the Department increasingly require a
larger staff. Currently, the Department has 54 FTE employees, which
is far below staffing numbers of the City’s peer communities. The City
needs to increase staff capacity now, while simultaneously looking
to the future. As needs and offerings grow, the Department must
constantly reassess and adapt its staffing to maintain efficiency and
meet the community expectations.
◊ Create intentional strategy to address hiring
gaps directly.
Work with the City’s Human Resources Department to actively
and efficiently recruit qualified staff to fill open positions.
Human Resources has already responded to position gaps
with signing bonuses and hourly wage increases, and is
positioned to do more to connect Department staffing needs to
important programs, like lifeguards and aquatics.
The Department will also need to be proactive about on-
boarding and training new staff who need to develop the
skills necessary to fill the roles they are hired for.. A training
program can be developed to specifically address needed
skills, and encourage staff growth through the Department.
Alongside clear communication and training of roles, the
Department should shed any tasks historically given to
programming staff, including janitorial or administrative
tasks, that are not core to the reason for their hiring.
◊ Conduct annual staff surveys to assess job
satisfaction, staff development, staffing
levels, and work environment.
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Assign a lead investigator within the Department to
summarize surveys and share high level takeaways
Department-wide. The Department should incorporate those
takeaways into future policies and projects to appropriate
retain existing staff, and attract future staff.
◊ Provide regular training to ensure that
existing staff develop the skills to perform
their duties and grow within their roles.
For example, if the City is accepting more watercourse
setbacks as dedicated parkland, the overall maintenance
is likely reduced but is much different from mowing turf
grass because its management will require different types of
equipment and technical skills.
◊ Conduct an in-depth operational assessment
including a staffing plan to define roles and
responsibilities and to strategically allocate
funding.
For example, if the City is accepting more watercourse
setbacks as dedicated parkland, the overall maintenance
is likely reduced but is much different from mowing turf
grass because its management will require different types of
equipment and technical skills.
5.2: Continue to refine and communicate the
Bozeman Parks and Trails Special District
In May 2020, the City created the Bozeman Parks and Trails Special
District. The purpose of the District is to equitably invest and manage
much of the City’s publicly and privately owned open space land. One
of the key components of the District is the transition of maintenance
of privately owned, publicly accessible lands to City management.
five ways to improve hiring process
1. Create and improve
job descriptions
2. Communicate with
applicants in multiple
channels
3. Post job in many
databases
4. Center training/
development as part of
the job
5. Move quickly to
respond to applicants
and potential hires
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increase
Strategies
In order for the effective management and maintenance of these
spaces, the City now levies assessments that will benefit all City-
owned or managed parks and trails. As the City works to transition
to this new structure, it is imperative that the City sets expectations
with communities through a variety of communication methods.
◊Develop a dashboard to share successes
and communicate how resources are being
allocated.
The online dashboard can live on the Parks and Recreation
webpage, and will include updates regarding District
implementation and improvements, along with responses to
frequently asked questions.
Start by comparing costs and benefits of current maintenance
district structure against Department desires for building out
staff capacity including reduced contract reliance, increased
supervision, redundancy with HOA maintenance, etc.
Create a ticket system for the Community Enhancement
application program and publicly track requests from
community members regarding the District program. Using
the seeclickfix program as a model, share what parks and
open spaces are included within the Maintenance District and
include tags in spaces where questions have been asked and
responded to.
The dashboard could include a Frequently Asked Questions
document that is shared with key stakeholders, including
property managers, Homeowners associations, developers
and residents.
◊Undertake a drive time analysis to determine
the time maintenance staff spends driving
during a typical day.
Ensure maintenance district oversight and work to limit the
amount of drive time (ideally to no more than an hour daily) to
increase productivity and reduce the cost of maintenance and
associated expenses such as fuel.
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Use and communicate the highest standards of maintenance
(Per NRPA’s maintenance standards), with the PRAT’s
maintenance and design manual as a guide.
5.3: Develop a philosophy and policies for cost
recovery and revenue generation.
The Department does not currently have a broad-based cost-
recovery plan that could be used as a guideline for setting fees and
systematic resource allocation; however, there is appetite to adopt a
comprehensive cost-recovery philosophy, which can provide guidance
for prioritizing core program areas, setting fees and charges,
identifying tax subsidy levels, and allocating resources effectively
and efficiently.
◊Establish cost recovery targets.
The Department’s average annual cost recovery, or the
calculated percentage of aggregate costs in relation to the
revenues generated from programs and services, is 34.6%.
As context, the offering of an activity or delivery of a service
would achieve 100% cost recovery if the fees charged generated
revenue sufficient to cover all associated costs related to the
operation of the program.
In order to increase the percentage of cost recovery to a new
target, the Department should identify a range of cost recovery
targets related to individual activity and service categories.
Once the range has been established, adjust fees within that
service category accordingly and monitor the program or
service’s cost recovery annually.
◊Adjust fees and pricing to balance revenue
generation with community accessibility.
Departments typically subsidize activities for youth, teens,
and seniors more than adult activities. Bozeman should also
consider subsidies to programs with higher participation by
low-income residents, or scholarships in programs in which
“Create an online "suggestion
box" for people to pin their
ideas or maintenance
concerns onto a platform” -
Community member feedback
during August pop-up event
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affordability or willingness to pay are a barrier for low income
families and other underrepresented demographics.
◊Create pricing strategies for different
audiences based on a variety of factors that
take into account existing fees, affordability,
and program attractiveness.
The following are common pricing factors the Department
should consider when developing an approach to updating fees
and charges:
◊Cost to offer the program (limited direct costs only)
◊History of fees charged
◊Perceived ability and willingness to pay
◊Number of participants per class/activity
◊Affordability for target audience
◊Ability to attract participants
increase
Strategies
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Parks Implementation Guidance
Active Transportation Implementation Guidance
Design and maintenance Manual
in this chapter6. how do we get there?
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Parks Implementation Guidance
Successful implementation of the strategies and
projects identified by the Parks, Recreation and
Active Transportation Plan requires balancing and
addressing community aspirations, partner and
stakeholder goals, and the Department’s mission
and vision. The following build on the strategies
and actions identified in the PRAT plan document
and serve as first steps the Department and the
City can take to begin a successful and inclusive
implementation process.
The PRAT Plan is a Framework
The vision, goals, strategies, and recommendations
should serve as a framework for decision making.
When decisions or responses to the Bozeman
community are needed, the plan serves as the
reference point for decision making and whether or
not new issues or responses to the community are of
higher importance than what’s been established as
existing direction. Because the plan is an integral
tool for the Department, it should also be central to
employee onboarding.
Track Progress: Publicly release the plan online by
placing the plan on the Department’s website and
on Engage.Bozeman to track plan implementation
progress on these sites. The Department can share
updates about recommendation implementation
progress. Track and share progress with interested
partners and community members as well as with
key decision makers.
At the end of each fiscal year, reflect on the results
of the implementation efforts to-date and include
continued community engagement and progress
made within each big idea. In addition to yearly
reviews, the Department should comprehensively
reflect on accomplishments to-date and evaluate
progress in equitable project completion that
achieves the plan’s goals. These comprehensive
reviews are an opportunity for Bozeman to refine or
change strategies and recommendations to reflect
changing community needs and recreation trends.
In these reports the Department should provide data
and metrics to clearly articulate plan developments
and explain project benefits in a way various
audiences can understand
Identify the Plan Champion(s)
Identify a primary staff person (or team) to guide
various pieces of the plan’s implementation to
ensure success. These staff people are responsible
for monitoring progress and works with staff to
effectively integrate the plan into the department. A
strong candidate or team should be knowledgeable
of the planning process, design and community
engagement values of the recommendations made
by the plan. Additional staff members should
also lead specific big ideas. These individuals can
manage each recommendation within a big idea
to ensure implementation is followed through and
communicated with the Plan Champion, project
partners, stakeholders and the broader community.
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Commit to Community Goals
Engage community members (residents, businesses,
Department partners, and non-profit organizations)
early and often during the implementation process. A
knowledgeable community is the best way to secure
support and ensure the project(s) suit the needs of
those who will benefit from them. Equity needs to
continue to be at the forefront of all conversations
and engagement with underresourced communities
must also be paramount to the engagement process.
The following actions can be used to help get the
word out and provide a continuous feedback loop with
community members:
• Engage the community through maintenance
and recreation program staff who interact with
the community daily in conversation or through
formal feedback methods.
• Include a plan progress update in the Urban Parks
and Forestry Board agenda to keep staff and
stakeholders informed of the plan’s progress.
• Guide outreach in an inclusive direction and
adapt to changing community desires by using
formalized policies for outreach advertising and
messaging.
• Use strong, clear visuals paired with data and
reflections on community input to frame the
conversation.
• Hold meetings at times and both in person and
online that make it possible for all members of the
community to participate.
• Partner with community leaders and project
partners to maintain momentum for the plan.
PARTNERS Regular Maintenance and
Monitoring Activation and Programming Significant Renovations or New Investments
Core
Implementer Plan Partner Core
Implementer Plan Partner Core
Implementer Plan Partner
Parks/open
spaces
Parks and
Cemetery
Property Owners
Associations
Parks and Forestry
Board
Recreation Volunteer organizations;
Downtown Bozeman
Partnership; Western
Transportation Institute;
Private Recreation
Programmers; HRDC; Leagues
Parks Planning
& Development;
Bozeman
Planning
Division
Private Developers, Land
Trusts (e.g. Gallatin Valley
Land Trust, Trust for Public
Land)
Trails/AT
System
Parks and
Cemetery
Future Trails
Staff; Private
maintenance
crews to offset
staff capacity
Parks and Forestry
Board
Recreation Gallatin Valley Land Trust;
Western Transportation
Institute; Private Recreation
Programmers
Parks Planning
& Development;
Bozeman
Planning
Division
Private Developers, Land
Trusts (e.g. Gallatin Valley
Land Trust, Trust for Public
Land)
Buildings/
facilities
Facilities
Management
Recreation;
Aquatics
Bozeman Libraries; Bozeman
School District
Parks Planning
& Development
YMCA, Bozeman Libraries;
Bozeman School District
Potential Plan Champions
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• Build from the Safe Routes to Parks liaisons
program to address language barriers,
communication issues, and cultural barriers.
Regulations
The City of Bozeman enables park acquisition and
improvements through the Unified Development
Code. The City should use the design manual and
the current geographic distribution and gaps in
parks and specific park types to dictate what types
of investments should be made in different parts of
the city, either by the city on city-owned or dedicated
land or by developers. The following actions are
recommended.
• UDC revisions are recommended that support an
equitable distribution of elements, park types,
and facilities, especially in communities of color,
low income communities, and in places where
there are gaps in safe, walking access.
• Collect copies of all adopted individual park
plans.
• ·Continue to require that developers prepare
individual park master plans for all newly
dedicated parkland.
• Revise the Unified Development Ordinance to
support more connected park spaces and Active
Transportation investments.
• ·Allocate funds in the City budget for City staff
and/or consultants to prepare individual park
master plans for existing parks lacking an
adopted plan.
• Revise and update existing park plans to reflect
changing community needs as identified by this
process and community feedback.
Active Transportation Implementation
Implementation is the primary goal of any community
plan. However, there are fundamental questions
that must be answered to successfully implement
a comprehensive active transportation network
connecting Bozeman’s parks and recreation facilities.
How will new routes and segments be established?
Who pays for construction? How will the routes be
maintained? What criteria determine prioritization
for investment?
The foundation of successful implementation is built
upon coordination and cooperation between the City,
landowners, developers, non-profit organizations,
and Bozeman’s citizens. Coordination beyond
Bozeman and its city limits are also critical to ensure
the plan’s active transportation efforts align with
those in Gallatin County as outlined in the 2020
Triangle Trails Plan.
The implementation strategies focus on network
construction and route maintenance. As emphasized
throughout this plan, properly maintaining existing
routes is equally important to constructing new ones.
The primary implementation components for both
construction and maintenance include:
• Methods: Various methods need to be used
to construct and maintain Bozeman’s active
transportation network
• Regulations: City regulations must efficiently
guide route construction within future
subdivisions, private development, public
transportation projects, and specifically
wayfinding elements
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• Policies: City procedures and policies need
to align with the goals of establishing and
maintaining a robust active transportation
network
• Standards: Clear standards for route
construction and maintenance must be
established and coordinated between
jurisdictions and partners
• Funding: Multiple sources of financing for both
construction and maintenance must be identified
and leveraged
• Prioritization: Strategic criteria need to be
utilized to establish annual and long-term
priorities for route construction and maintenance
network Construction
Active transportation facility construction is needed
throughout the community for several key reasons:
extending existing routes; closing gaps in the
existing network; upgrading an existing segment
from one typology to another; and providing entirely
new routes. This plan recommends construction
projects meeting all four of these needs.
Methods
A variety of methods will be employed to construct
new routes and segments of the active transportation
network. Which method for a given construction
project will be most appropriate will depend on
facility type, location, responsible parties, and
funding sources.
Anchor Routes and Shared Use Paths
Anchor routes and shared use paths are typically,
but not always, aligned with street corridors.
Therefore, the most logical method for constructing
new shared use paths is to incorporate them into
street improvement and construction projects.
These projects are usually planned and funded by
the City of Bozeman or Montana Department of
Transportation, but occasionally are part of large
private developments. The “Path to the M” is an
example of a significant shared use path construction
project involving multiple government jurisdictions
and several non-profit organizations.
Connector Paths
Connectors can be constructed using the widest
range of methods. Often, they need to be constructed
with private property owners as required by
Bozeman Unified Development Code. Connector
paths and associated wayfinding can be planned
and budgeted as a part of street improvement or
construction projects. Lastly, non-profit partners may
also construction new connectors.
Neighborhood Trails
Trails are typically constructed in conjunction with
private development. Therefore, they are primarily
dictated by the Unified Development Code.
Regulations
The City of Bozeman requires active transportation
improvements through the Unified Development
Code, Section 38.400.110 Transportation Pathways
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and Section 38.420.110 Recreation Pathways. There
are also design and construction standards for some
active transportation facilities within the City’s
public work standards.
The following actions are recommended.
• New development, regardless of type, should the
required to construct any active transportation
facility identified in this plan. The UDC should be
reviewed to ensure to this is clearly required.
• Several other UDC revisions are recommended
in Item 2 and Item 4 within the UDC appendix.
This includes allowing all active transportation
facility typologies to be located within
watercourse setbacks and allowing certain
facility corridors to count towards a project’s
parkland requirements.
• The City should revise its Transportation and
Engineering standards to include all of the active
transportation facilities identified in this plan
and the corresponding specifications.
Policies
Building the comprehensive active transportation
network requires a variety of aligned policies to
ensure efficient implementation. A review of existing
policies should be completed to ensure they support
the recommendations in this plan.
The following actions are recommended.
• Replace the routes proposed by the PROST Plan
with those proposed in the PRAT Plan in the City
GIS Community Development and Infrastructure
Viewers.
• For the PRAT Plan routes added to the City GIS
include a data layer like the “View Additional
Resources” layer currently available for existing
facilities to provide basic specifications of the
proposed routes.
• Continue to engage developers and educate
them about the PRAT Plan routes, facility
classifications, design standards, and
maintenance requirements. Ensure the PRAT
Plan is readily available and directly referenced
in Community Development Department
entitlement process materials.
• Revise policies and procedures to reference
the Triangle Trails Plan and the Triangle
Transportation Plan.
• Develop policies in conjunction with Gallatin
County and the City of Belgrade to review
proposed network facilities adjacent to
jurisdictional boundaries and identify
opportunities to partner on the construction of
new routes.
• The City should include the active transportation
component of the PRAT Plan within the scope
of establishing a Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO).
Funding
Financing the construction of a comprehensive active
transportation network will require a long-term
commitment from the City and its partners. A variety
of funding sources will be necessary to implement the
route construction proposed in this plan. Different
funding mechanisms will apply to each facility
typology.
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Numerous State and Federal grants are available
annually to assist with active transportation facility
construction. These grant funds are awarded on
a competitive basis and demand often exceeds
allocation. While grants are not a reliable source of
funding, they are worth pursuing. An overview of
applicable grants is included below.
The purpose of the future Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) is to coordinate transportation
planning. The MPO may be an option to assist with
the planning, coordination, and funding for active
transportation route construction.
New shared use paths that align with City or State
rights-of-way can be designed and constructed as
streets and roads are improved or built. Therefore,
the funding could come from several sources or a
combination thereof including Montana Department
of Transportation, City of Bozeman, private
developers, and grants.
Connector paths are a critical component of a
complete active transportation network and can be
funded similarly to, and potentially in conjunction
with, shared use path projects.
The following actions are recommended.
• Add prioritized shared use path and connector
path projects to the Capital Improvements Plan
(CIP)
• Allocate an annual portion of the City’s street
construction budget to build shared use paths
and critical connector paths
• Use Cash-in-Lieu of Parkland and Parks District
funds for constructing routes and installing
wayfinding that are part of park and recreation
facilities
• Include Bozeman’s active transportation network
and plan into the scope of the future Metropolitan
Planning Organization
• Identify potential State and Federal grants for
proposed shared use and connector path projects
on an annual basis. Work with community
partners where appropriate.
• Coordinate with other jurisdictions and
partners to secure matching funds and improve
competitiveness of active transportation grant
applications.
Neighborhood trail construction will likely
be incorporated as part of future residential
and commercial development projects. These
improvements will be completed by the developer as
part of a private project’s required infrastructure
improvements.
The Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) has partnered
with the City to construct numerous neighborhood
trails and improve connector trails throughout the
community. GVLT will continue to play an important
role in the implementation of the PRAT Plan as it
relates to trails and outdoor recreation.
The following actions are recommended.
• Continue to ensure that UDC requirements
facilitate the construction of neighborhood
trails in a way that connects to the larger active
transportation network.
• Use Cash-in-Lieu of Parkland funds for
constructing trails that are part of park and
recreation facilities.
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• Continue to partner with GVLT to develop and
maintain important neighborhood trails.
State and Federal Grants
Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside from
the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program
(STBG)
The Surface Transportation Block Grant program
(STBG) provides flexible funding that may be used
by States and municipalities for projects to improve
the conditions and performance on any Federal-aid
highway, bridge and tunnel projects on any public
road, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and
transit capital projects.
The recent Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”
(BIL), expanded and reformed this critical program
which supports smaller biking and walking projects.
The act also increased the size of the transportation
alternatives funding set aside.
Rebuilding American Infrastructure and
Sustainability and Equity (RAISE):
The RAISE program to help urban and rural
communities move forward on projects that
modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports,
and intermodal transportation and make our
transportation systems safer, more accessible,
more affordable, and more sustainable. Previously
known as BUILD and TIGER discretionary grants,
these competition awards support the development
of transportation infrastructure. Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law (BIL) more than doubled the
funding the RAISE Program in 2022.
Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP)
This program provides funding to improve
transportation facilities that provide access to, are
adjacent to, or are located within Federal lands.
The Access Program supplements State and local
resources for public roads, transit systems, and other
transportation facilities, with an emphasis on high-
use recreation sites and economic generators.
Recreational Trails Program (RTP)
This is a financial assistance program of the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA). The RTP provides funds to
the States for a variety of uses including construction
of new recreational trails and acquisition of
easements and fee simple title for recreational trail
corridors. Utilize Community partners to increase
likely hood of grant funding.
Montana Trail Stewardship Program
This program is administered by Fish, Wildlife,
and Parks Department and can be used for the
construction and maintenance of natural trails or
shared use paths. The maximum award is $75,000
and approximately $1.67 million were dispersed to
over 30 projects in 2022. Utilize Community partners
to increase likely hood of grant funding. This can also
fund nordic ski grooming and equipment.
Prioritization
The PRAT Plan proposes an ambitious slate of new
active transportation routes to extend and connect
the network. The construction of new segments and
routes will take years and considerable funding.
Therefore, it is important to develop and utilize a
method to prioritize the proposed improvement
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projects. This plan includes a weighted prioritization
matrix template utilizing the criteria listed below.
The following actions are recommended.
• Develop a methodology for prioritizing potential
active transportation network projects based on
the following criteria:
• Importance of active transportation
connection or route as outlined in the PRAT
Plan
• Importance to the Parks & Recreations
Department facilities, operations, and
objectives of the PRAT Plan
• Importance to the Bozeman Area
Transportation Master Plan
• Importance to the Bozeman Climate Action
Plan
• Importance related to Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion goals
• Opportunity to leverage partnerships and
funding sources
• Create, and annually revise, a rolling 5-year
construction plan similar to the City’s CIP
• Add larger high-priority projects into the City’s
CIP
Network Maintenance
Maintaining active transportation routes that are
safe and accessible for users of all ages and abilities
is a high priority. In addition, adequate maintenance
is critical to maximizing year-round utilization.
The City needs to establish annual and long-
term maintenance plans that includes a deferred
maintenance analysis.
There are three essential elements to properly
maintaining an active transportation network. First,
establish minimum standards for maintenance.
Next, determine maintenance responsibility for each
segment of the network. Lastly, identify the various
sources to finance the necessary maintenance.
Methods
Developing a comprehensive maintenance strategy
will require considering various surface types,
locations, responsible parties, and available funding.
Anchor Routes and Shared Use Paths
Anchor routes and shared use paths located within
street rights-of-way are typically maintained by
the corresponding jurisdiction. One challenge is
achieving consistent maintenance expectations and
standards between the City, County, and State.
Connector Paths
The maintenance of Connectors not only depends on
the responsible party but also on the surface type
each route.
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Neighborhood Trails
Despite being smaller, trails require a considerable
amount of maintenance depending on location,
the quality of construction, and the amount of use.
Neighborhood trails are typically maintained by
neighborhood associations, HOAs, the City, or GVLT.
Regulations
The ability of the City to regulate maintenance of
active transportation routes is limited. The City
should consider ways to require routes owned
or managed by private parties to be maintained
according to established standards.
The following actions are recommended.
◊Strengthen requirements for residential
subdivisions, commercial developments,
and other privately held routes to be
adequately maintained according to
standards adopted by the City.
Policies
Maintenance of active transportation routes in
Bozeman is currently managed through a variety
of resources, including private property owners,
homeowner associations, community groups,
non-profit partners, the City, and the Montana
Department of Transportation. Clarifying
responsibilities for maintenance and establishing
standards will help ensure the financial investment
developing a complete network is protected and
enhanced in future years.
The following actions are recommended.
◊Establish a comprehensive maintenance
plan that includes minimum standards for
upkeep, repairs, and replacement
◊Conduct a comprehensive deferred
maintenance analysis of each route
identifying the current condition, upkeep
and repair needs, and sections needing to be
rebuilt
◊Establish a maintenance template for the
City, property owners, and partners to
develop schedule tasks and estimate costs
◊Review and clarify how the Bozeman Parks
Maintenance District can support the
maintenance of the network
Standards
General maintenance standards for evaluating needs
for surface care, repairs, safety precautions, and
managing adjacent landscaping should be developed
for and consistently applied to all network typologies.
In addition to annual and long-term tasks, seasonal
maintenance of shared use paths is essential to
accommodating year-round active transportation.
Paved paths must have the snow removed frequently
during the winter and be swept of grit and debris
each spring.
The following actions are recommended.
◊Develop a comprehensive maintenance
plan including detailed standards by
typology that ensure a high-level of safety,
accessibility, and utilization.
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Below are recommended routine and periodic
maintenance tasks based on surface type.
Paved Surfaces—Routine maintenance activities:
◊ Regular sweeping to remove debris, gravel,
and other hazardous items
◊ Regular snow removal during winter
months
◊ Inspect and repair pavement surface
problems (seal cracks, grind down ridges,
cut back tree roots, repair pavement)
◊ Prune adjacent and overhanging vegetation
to reduce encroachment or cause sight
distance problems
◊ Treating noxious weeds along corridor
◊ Mowing trail edges if applicable (keep
vegetation height low along trail)
◊ Clearing drainage features to ensure proper
function
Paved Surfaces—Periodic maintenance activities:
◊ Coordinate and schedule pavement overlays
as part of adjacent road maintenance
◊ Addition of surfacing material depending on
condition (2-3 years)
◊ Re-grading to improve cross-slope or out-
slope for improved drainage
◊ Improvement of transitions with sidewalks
or streets, restripe crosswalks and other
markers
◊ Repair or replace wayfinding, stop control
signs and other elements
◊ Restripe crosswalks and other markers
Natural Surfaces—Routine maintenance activities:
◊ Removing encroaching vegetation from trail
tread (grading, chemical treatment)
◊ Prune adjacent and overhanging vegetation
to reduce encroachment or cause sight
distance problems
◊ Treating noxious weeds along corridor
◊ Mowing trail edges if applicable (keep
vegetation height low along trail)
◊ Clearing drainage features to ensure proper
function
◊ Flood or rain damage repair: silt clean up,
culvert clean out, etc.
◊ Bridge/culvert inspection, clearing/repair
◊ Map/signage post condition inspection, and
vandalism repair
◊ Assessing need for sign/map updates or
replacement
Natural Surfaces—Periodic maintenance activities:
◊ Yearly trail evaluation to determine the
need for minor repairs, identification of
erosion damage, need for improved drainage
◊ Addition of surfacing material depending on
condition (2-3 years)
◊ Re-grading to improve cross-slope or out-
slope for improved drainage
◊ Improvement of transitions with sidewalks
or streets, restripe crosswalks and markers
◊ Repair or replace wayfinding, stop control
signs and other elements
◊ Restripe crosswalks and other markers
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Funding
Like construction, the maintenance of Bozeman’s
active transportation is funded by a variety of
entities including the City, Montana Department
of Transportation, non-profit partners, and private
property owners. There are more maintenance needs
than committed funding which leads to a backlog of
repairs and overall degradation of accessibility and
utilization.
According to the Rails to Trail Conservancy, annual
maintenance costs on average range from $1,000 to
$2,000 per trail mile, depending upon the surface.
Therefore, average annual funding required to
maintain Bozeman’s 178 miles of paths and trails is
approximately $267,000.
The funding needed to adequately maintain the
network will only increase as new extensions and
routes are constructed. To meet this financial
commitment, the City and its partners must
proactively account for the necessary funding to
execute the annual and long-term maintenance plans
and aggressively commit the dollars.
The following actions are recommended.
Ensure that a significant portion of the Parks and
Trails Maintenance District funds are dedicated to
path and trail maintenance
Allocate an annual portion of the City’s street
maintenance budget to repair shared use paths and
paved connector paths
Include Bozeman’s active transportation network
and plan into the future Metropolitan Planning
Organization budget
Prioritization
Addressing the maintenance backlog of existing
active transportation network will take years and
considerable funding. Therefore, it is important to
develop and utilize a method to prioritize the needed
upkeep and repair projects. This plan includes a
weighted prioritization matrix template utilizing the
criteria listed below.
The following actions are recommended.
Develop a methodology for prioritizing potential
maintenance projects based on the following criteria:
•Area of deferred maintenance that poses a public
safety risk
•Area of deferred maintenance that restricts
equitable access
•Area of deferred maintenance that reduces
utilization
•Highly utilized routes
•Ability to partner and/or leverage creative
funding opportunities
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Looking Forward
The PRAT plan sets forth an ambitious vision and
series of goals for the growth of the system that
are driven by community voices. These goals are
the product of rigorous community conversations,
multiple surveys, in-depth analysis, and stakeholder
visioning. Going forward, the City should use the plan
as a tool to assist in decision making as it relates
to investment strategies and resource allocation to
ensure barriers to participation are removed and
create a more equitable system. Finally, the PRAT
plan should serve as a unifying document that helps
align the needs of the community with the priorities
and actions of the City in order to continue to grow an
inclusive, loved, and connected park system.
Amendments to the Parks, Recreation, and Active Transportation Plan
The PRAT Plan should be reviewed and revised
as needed every 5 years. Because the PRAT Plan
is coordinated with the growth policy, Bozeman
Strategic Plan and other city documents, the City’s
growth policy, and in light of the time and effort
invested in the preparation of this plan,staff should
follow the procedures for growth policy amendments
and other relevant state laws for revisions.
Amendments to Individual Park Master Plans
Since adoption of the PROST in 2007, there has
been a goal to update park master plans for
existing individual parks within the system. With
the adoption of the PRAT, this effort should be
undertaken on a neighborhood or other sub-area level
to forecast improvement needs for the Department,
partners and new developments to implement
the recommendations in the PRAT and changing
community needs. The individual park master plans
should be conceptual in nature and will be used to:
◊implement new design guidelines as
identified in the PRAT Design Manual for
the individual park type
◊analyze site-specific potential and existing
conditions
◊forecast what types of improvements are
needed in individual parks to improve
the balance of offerings across all
neighborhoods and to eliminate access
barriers.
◊target appropriate grant funds and
partners.
Using neighborhood-level or other subareas, such as
Urban Renewal Districts, as the boundary for these
amendments, this type of assessment will not only
guide investments in existing parks, it will illustrate
needs that parks in new developments can meet.
Parks and Recreation staff should work with the
Urban Parks and Forestry Board and the City’s
Communications and Engagement staff to design
appropriate community engagement for the scale and
scope of these amendments.
Cash-in-lieu of Parkland (CILP) funding can be used
for planning efforts and would be an appropriate
source of funding for this effort because it would set
up future CILP and Improvements-in-Lieu of Parkland
(IILP).
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Design Manual
137
Unifying principles
The following principles guide the development
and maintenance of City-owned or managed
parks with the goal of creating a safe, accessible,
sustainable, and long lasting system of
parks, trails, and facilities. These principles
should be used to ensure the City’s capital
improvements and decisions about park and
facility maintenance align with the goals and
vision laid out by the Parks, Recreation, and
Active Transportation Plan.
Ecology & Environment
The City should strive to maintain or enhance
the ecological function and resiliency of its open
space, trail, and recreation assets.
Accessibility & Inclusivity
City parks, facilities, and trails should strive to
exceed requirements for accessibility to engage
visitors of differing abilities.
Durability & Efficiency
Materials, furnishings, and landscaping used
to construct or improve City assets should be
able to withstand frequent and intense use
and limited maintenance. Equipment should
sourced from sustainable materials and should
require typical, easy to access replacement
parts.
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Typical Assets
Identifiers
139
The following standards identify important elements and facilities that
should be included in the design, construction, and maintenance of parks
and open spaces to align with the vision and goals of the PRAT Plan. The
standards are broken out into two topics - systemwide requirements,
which include investments in physical accessibility, lighting, and
landscape elements; and guidance for design and maintenance by park
type.
As community needs and trends change, this guidance should continue to
provide a relevant and consistent framework for the design, renovation
of future parks and open spaces.
System-wide Park
Standards
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• Reduce road and walkway widths to minimum
acceptable dimensions.
• Reduce the size/width of parking spaces to
NACTO minimums and limit the number of
parking stalls.
• If an entrance or route is not accessible,
install signage that indicates the next closest
accessible entry.
Trees
Trees provide shade and reduce the impacts of
urban heat island on hot days. Trees also sequester
carbon and help to reduce soil erosion through
their root systems. Trees contribute to the natural
look and feel of urban parks year round. The City
should take care to protect existing trees through
proactive monitoring and maintenance. New trees
should be planted in communities with low tree
coverage and to plan for successful succession of
the canopy within older parks and open spaces.
The City should ensure diverse species selection
in parks and city-owned open spaces. The City
should also advocate for more street trees at the
perimeter of parks and facilities.
Required Facilities
The following amenities and furnishings are
important facilities to include in all parks
and open spaces to provide clear and cohesive
identity, encourage safe access, and enhance park
enjoyment.
Barrier free/Accessible paths
Parks should be made accessible to a wide range of
visitors, including persons with varying abilities,
and they must connect safely and efficiently to
surrounding transit stops and neighborhood
streets. Accessible routes often result in paved
connections, which can increase impervious
surfaces, negatively impact stormwater capture,
and increase heat island effect. To reduce these
negative impacts on accessible paths and parking
needs, consider the following:
• Use semipermeable or permeable surfaces
that meet or exceed ADA/Universal Design
requirements.
• Share parking with neighboring uses, like
schools.
Milwaukee Path - Missoula cross city trail
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Signage
Clear, consistent, and accessible signage and
wayfinding helps to communicate what parks,
trails, and facilities have to offer and reinforce
the City’s identity and role in maintaining these
community spaces. There are many types of signs
that should be considered in Bozeman parks and
facilities, depending on the park or facility’s use.
• Informational signage clearly communicates
the City’s relationship in owning or maintaining
the park or facility.
• Directional signage and wayfinding helps to
direct visitors to destinations within parks
and facilities, and will set expectations about
distances between destinations.
• Interpretive signage can be used as an
educational feature to describe the park’s
historic, cultural, or environmental
significance.
Seating
Seating and benches give park users a place to rest,
socialize, and enjoy their parks. Benches, picnic
tables and other seating should be prioritized
along highly trafficked paths and parks, and in
natural spaces. Consider age-friendly bench
designs that prioritize back support and arm rests
as well as benches and picnic tables with adjacent
wheelchair spaces.
Trash & Recycling
Placing trash and recycling receptacles along major
network paths helps keep pathways, corridors,
and their surroundings clean and more enjoyable
for their users.
142
Enhancing Amenities
These amenities are not critical for a functional
active transportation network but enhance the
user experience, safety, and cleanliness, and are
often greatly desired by the community.
Lighting
Pedestrian scaled lighting should be considered
at entrances and in parking lots or fields of larger
parks, many special use facilities, and other parks
used throughout the year. Adequate lighting should
also be considered along popular pathways and
trails through parks. Pedestrian scaled lighting
increases safety for users throughout the year.
Shade Structures
Shade structures range in size, materiality, cost
and purpose. They include arbors, pergolas,
gazebos, pavilions, and canvas tensile structures
over playgrounds and bleachers at fields. These
structures should be used in places where shade
trees are limited and where shade trees conflict
with the particular park use, e.g. playing field or
meadow.
Comfort stations/Restrooms
In larger parks like regional parks and certain
special use facilities, permanent, ADA accessible
restrooms should be considered. Comfort stations
are appropriate as temporary facilities tied to
large events, festivals, or other large gathering.
Bike Racks
Bike racks provide reliable bike storage options at
parks with access to major trails and pathways.
As stated in the Active Transportation section,
providing ample bike racks reduces potential
issues of bikes being locked inappropriately to
trees, park furniture, and private property.
Bike Repair Stations
Bike repair stations can be helpful for bicyclists
if they are caught with an unexpected flat tire or
need to make an adjustment to their bike during a
ride. As noted in the Active Transportation section,
bike repair stations should be located along major
bike corridors and in major parks that are popular
for bike users.
Dog Waste Stations
Dog stations provide pet waste bags and a trash
receptacle for dog owners that use parks. Installing
dog stations along popular dog walking areas can
be beneficial in maintaining clean parks and trails.
Water Fountains
Outdoor public water fountains along pathways
are often desired by active users. However, upkeep
of these amenities is extensive which reduces their
practicality in many situations. Providing public
water fountains will be deliberate decisions that
will hinge on specific locations and circumstances.
Picnic Tables
Picnic tables can be appropriate along pathways
near community hubs. They provide opportunities
for a variety of social activities that can be enjoyed
outdoors such as picnics, games, and conversations.
Irrigation
143
Design + Maintenance Guidance by Park Type
The following principles guide the development
and maintenance of City-owned or managed
parks with the goal of creating a safe, accessible,
sustainable, and long lasting system of
parks, trails, and facilities. These principles
should be used to ensure the City’s capital
improvements and decisions about park and
facility maintenance align with the goals and
vision laid out by the Parks, Recreation, and
Active Transportation Plan.
Pocket Parks
Neighborhood Parks
Community Parks
Special Use Parks
Natural Areas
Natural Areas within Parks
Linear Parks
144
Special Use
Natural Areas
Community
Neighborhood
Pocket
Linear
Roads
Buildings
City Boundary
Railroad
Streams
Lakes & Reservoirs
Park Types
145
Pocket Parks are used to address limited, isolated or unique
recreational needs. They are typically 1 acre or less in size and contain
amenities such as recreational opportunities for young children
with slides, swings, spring toys and the like. They may also function
as landscaped public use areas in commercialized parts of town, and
serve as a destination within a 5 minute walk of a neighborhood. The
service area for a pocket park is a ¼-mile radius around the park in a
residential setting.
Pocket Parks
10 Acres | 20 Parks
Annie St & Cottage Park Ln
Baxter Square
Black Ave Pocket Park
Bosel Park
Childrens Memorial Gardens
Cotton Park Ln
Creekside Park
Equestrian Park
Farmhouse Ln & Little Cottage
Ln
Lewis and Bark Dog Park
Milkhouse N Pocket Park
Milkhouse S Pocket Park
North Meadows Park
Northeast Neighborhood Park
Norton East Ranch Subdivision
Park
Pinnacle Star Street
Sacajawea Park
Sanders Park
Soroptomist Park
Valley Commons Park
Valley Meadows
Westglen Park
Westlake Community Garden
Relevant Parks
Soroptimist ParkWestglen Park
Tree Canopy Goal
Final design manual will include tree canopy goals as percentage per
park type. These goals are currently still in progress
Placeholder146
Arterial access through residential plots
Access to shade and planting
Immediate access through sidewalks and residential streets
Access to play areas
Typical Assets and Design Considerations
Program & Use
Pocket Parks typically contain amenities such as
recreational opportunities for young children with
slides, swings, spring toys and the like. Temporary
amenities like movable tables and chairs support
social activities and gatherings that tie into the
daily activities of move active parts of the city.
Environmental Benefits
Design grading to direct stormwater into planted
areas and mitigate the need for regular irrigation.
It is important to evaluate the quality of the soils
on site in more dense, urban pocket parks to ensure
the soil can support increased stormwater volumes.
Plant native, hardier plants that can serve as
windbreaks that break up wind tunnel effects and
to support sensitive low lying plants. Limit paved
surfaces and cluster plantings throughout the site
to reduce urban heat island effect.
Siting & Access
Accessibility by way of interconnecting trails,
sidewalks, or low-volume residential streets
increases use opportunities. Recognizable public
access should be provided with at least 50 feet of
frontage on a public or approved private street.
In terms of size, they are generally between 2,500
square feet and one acre in size.
Connections and relationships to the surrounding
context are also key to providing an accessible
and visually cohesive connection to surrounding
buildings, paths, and streets. Connections within
and to the park from nearby bike lanes and
greenways should be prioritized, especially those
that connect into city anchor routes. Curb cuts at
street crossings and wayfinding to direct visitors
to surrounding amenities, especially downtown,
will help orient visitors to various destinations.
147
Neighborhood parks are the basic unit of the park system, and serve
as the recreational and social focus of the neighborhood. Focus is on
informal recreation for all age groups and geared towards those living
within the service area. Neighborhood parks should be centrally located
within their service area, with access uninterrupted by non-residential
roads and other physical barriers. The service area of a neighborhood
park has a ¼- to ½-mile radius.
Neighborhood
Parks
223 Acres | 34 Parks
Alder Creek
Centennial Park
Cooper Park
Creekwood Subdivision Park
Diamond Park
Enterprise Park
Flanders Creek Subdivision Park
Four Points Minor Subd. Park
Gran Cielo
Headlands Park
HRDC (West Babcock Park)
Icon Park
Jarrett Park
Legends At Bridger Creek Park
M Anderson Park
Matthew Matsen Park
Meadow Creek Park
NE Corner & N Laurel Pkwy
New Hyalite View Park
Sandan Park
South University Distict
Southside Park
The Lakes At Valley West Park
Traditions Subdivision Park
Valley Unit Park
Valley West Park
Walton Homestead Park
West Winds Park
Westbrook
Westfield Park
Relevant Parks
Centennial Park
Valley West Park
Tree Canopy Goal
Final design manual will include tree canopy goals as percentage per
park type. These goals are currently still in progress
Placeholder148
Typical Assets and Design Considerations
Program & Use
Facilities include playgrounds; informal playfields
or open space; basketball, tennis and volleyball
courts; ice skating; trails; and picnic and sitting
areas.
Environmental Benefits
Similar to the pocket parks and plazas typology, it is
imperative to design grading to direct stormwater
into planted areas and mitigate the need for regular
irrigation. In these active, neighborhood serving
parks, investments in low maintenance plantings
and shade trees will support community use on
hot days and reduce urban heat island effect from
surrounding areas.
Siting/Access
The site should be accessible from throughout
its service area by way of interconnecting trails,
sidewalks, or low-volume residential streets. Ease
of access and walking distance are critical factors
in locating a neighborhood park. A neighborhood
park should have a minimum of 50 percent
frontage on a public or approved private street.
Neighborhood parks are generally 3 to 10 acres in
size. Leftover parcels of land that are undesirable
for development are also generally undesirable for
neighborhood parks and should be avoided. It is
more cost-effective to select a site with inherent
aesthetic qualities, rather than trying to recreate
them through extensive development.
Connections and relationships within the
neighborhood will help to provide accessible and
visually cohesive relationships to surrounding
community destinations. Connections within and
to the park from nearby bike lanes and greenways
should be prioritized, especially those that
connect into city anchor routes. Curb cuts at street
crossings and wayfinding to direct visitors to
surrounding amenities, especially downtown, will
help orient visitors to various destinations.
City Goal of 100% Frontage on Public Roads
Central location in
residential neighborhoods
Flexible Multi-Use Open Spaces
Connection to sidewalks, community trails and greenways
149
Community parks are larger in size and serve a broader purpose than
neighborhood parks. Their focus is on meeting the recreational needs
of the entire community. They allow for group activities and offer other
recreational opportunities not feasible – nor perhaps desirable – in a
neighborhood park.
Community
Parks
Story Mill
Community Park
BozemanPond
Glen LakeRotary Park
Kirk Park
199 Acres | 8 Parks
Beall Park
Bogert Pond
Bozeman Pond
Glen Lake Rotary Park
Kirk Park
Lindley Park
Story Mansion Park
Story Mill Community Park
Relevant Parks
Tree Canopy Goal
Final design manual will include tree canopy goals as percentage per
park type. These goals are currently still in progress
Placeholder150
Program & Use
Potential recreation facilities include playgrounds;
basketball, tennis and volleyball courts; informal
ballfields for youth play; ice skating rinks
(temporary); swimming pools or swimming
beaches; trails, including cross-country ski trails;
individual and group picnic/sitting areas; general
open space; unique landscapes and features;
nature study areas; and ornamental or native plant
gardens.
Environmental Benefits
Similar to the pocket parks and plazas typology,
it is imperative to design grading to direct
stormwater into planted areas and mitigate the
need for regular irrigation. These larger parks can
also direct runoff towards designed bioretention
systems (e.g., swales and rain gardens). Wherever
possible, these parks should increase planting
areas that can capture stormwater and support
water conservation measures citywide, through
low irrigation, native plantings.
Siting/Access
Optimally, the site should be between 20 and 50
acres in size; however the actual size should be
based on the land area needed to accommodate
desired uses. The site should be serviced by arterial
and collector streets, as well as the community
trail system. Parking lots should be provided as
necessary to accommodate user access. The site’s
natural character should play a very significant
role in site selection, with emphasis on sites that
preserve unique landscapes within the community
and/or provide recreational opportunities not
otherwise available.
Typical Assets and Design Considerations
Recreational Facilities
Connection to community trail system Native Planting Areas
Arterial / Connector Streets + Parking Access
151
The Special Use classification covers a broad range of parks and
recreation facilities oriented toward single-purpose or specialized use.
Special uses generally fall into three categories:
• Historic/Cultural/Social Sites – Unique local resources offering
historical, educational, and cultural opportunities. Examples
include historic downtown areas, performing arts facilities,
arboretums, ornamental/native plant gardens, sculpture gardens,
indoor theaters, public buildings, and amphitheaters.
• Indoor Recreation Facilities – Examples include community centers,
senior centers, sports stadiums, community theaters, indoor hockey
arenas, and indoor swimming pools.
• Outdoor Recreation Facilities – Examples include tennis centers,
sports complexes, golf courses, disc golf courses, hockey arenas,
BMX parks and skate parks.
Special Use
Parks
201 Acres | 9 Parks
Bozeman Sports Park
Bronken Park - Soccer Complex
Christie Fields
North Grand Field
Rose Park
Snowfill
Softball Complex
West Babcock Park
Westlake BMX Park
Relevant Parks
Tree Canopy Goal
Final design manual will include tree canopy goals as percentage per
park type. These goals are currently still in progress
Placeholder152
Typical Assets and Design Considerations
Program & Use
Among the most active recreation places within
the City’s park system, these parks and facilities
support a range of activities and should be designed
to address the desires of community members,
national and local recreation trends, and the need
for flexibility.
Opportunities for active recreation should be
expanded to support intended audiences as well
as their caregivers, spouses, and spectators. To
support extended use of the facilities, these places
should support the comfort of all visitors through
water fountains, bathrooms, shade trees, benches
and accommodations for persons who ave physical
disabilities or are neurologically diverse.
Siting/Access
Recreation need, community interests, the type
of facility, and land availability are the primary
factors influencing location and size. Special use
facilities should be viewed as strategically located
community-wide facilities rather than as serving
well-defined neighborhoods or areas. The site
should be accessible from arterial and collector
streets where feasible.
Indoor / Outdoor Recreation Facilities
Native Plant Gardens
Environmental Stewardship Cultural Sites
Arterial Road Connections
Specific Athletic Asset (for
example pump track)
Large Athletic Facilities
Recreational Facilities
153
Natural resource areas are lands set aside for the preservation of natural
resources, remnant landscapes, open space, and visual aesthetics or
buffering. Oftentimes, these areas are contained within existing parks,
and require a different management approach from more isolated
natural areas.
For example, Mcleod Park is a neighborhood park with natural areas that
have to be well designed and integrated into the park to work alongside
existing recreational uses. There are similar examples in West Winds
Park and Bronken Park. These lands typically consist of:
• Individual sites exhibiting natural resources;
• Lands that are unsuitable for development but offer natural resource
potential. Examples include parcels with steep slopes and natural
vegetation, drainage ways and ravines; and
• Protected lands, such as wetlands, riparian areas and ponds.
Natural Areas
(including those within parks)
184 Acres | 27 Areas
Alder Creek Natural Space
Allison Park
Bridger Creek Park
Bronken Park - Natural Space
Burke Park
Cattail Lake Subdivision Public
Park
Flanders Creek Subdivision Park
Natural Space
Grafs East Park
Hauser Park
Ice House Park
Josephine Park
Laurel Glen Park
Loyal Gardens Subdivision Park
Mcleod Park
Meadow Creek Subd Public Park
Norton East Ranch Sub Park
Natural Space
Oak Springs Park Access
Corridor
Peets Hill
Shady Lane Public Park
Traditions Subdivision Park
Natural Space
Tuckerman Park
Valley West Park Natural Space
West Winds Park Natural Space
Willow Park
Relevant Parks with
Natural Areas
Baxter Meadows Natural Space
Baxter Square Natural Space
Cattail Creek Natural Space
Ferguson Meadows Natural
Space
Relevant Standalone
Natural Areas
Tree Canopy Goal
Final design manual will include tree canopy goals as percentage per
park type. These goals are currently still in progress
Placeholder154
Typical Assets and Design Considerations
Program & Use
Although natural areas are resource rather than
user based, they can provide some recreation
opportunities such as trails, and nature viewing
and study. They can also function as greenways.
Development should be kept to a level that
preserves the integrity of the resource.
Environmental Benefits
Restoration areas should be protected and
maintained or expanded. To do this, clear
communication and barriers to prevent dumping,
walking, or vehicle access to the site should be
incorporated into the design of these spaces.
Minimize development of hard surfaces, including
bike trails and boardwalks, and strategically place
them to avoid dissecting, diminishing, or disturbing
natural areas within parks.
Use the existing types of vegetation community
present in natural areas, whether forest, shrubland,
meadow, stream, tidal marsh, or wetland to guide
the restoration design for adjacent sites and for
site expansion within existing parks.
These places should include educational
information (e.g. signage) that will help visitors
understand natural system functions and increase
aware of ecosystem benefits.
Siting/Access
Resource availability and opportunity are the
primary factors determining location and size.
Typically, when siting a natural area, underutilized
areas of parks and areas with vegetation or animal
species of concern are ideal places for natural area
investment.
Access points should be limited and well-signed,
and should connect into existing trail networks.
Access to greenways, trails and nature viewing opportunities
Protection of natural resource areas
155
Linear parks contain pathways that serve a number of important
functions:
• They tie park components together to form a cohesive park, trail,
recreation, and open space system;
• They allow for uninterrupted and safe pedestrian and bicycle
movement between parks and throughout the community
• They contain clear signage that visually connects park components
and trails to better wayfinding
• They provide an opportunity for resource-based outdoor recreation.
Linear Parks
Gallagator
Linear Park
Harvest Creek Park
62 Acres | 24 Parks
Babcock Meadows
Brookside Park
Diamond Estates Public Park
Gallagator Linear Park
Greenway/Westgate
Harvest Creek
Langohr Gardens Park
North 9th
Northern Pacific Addition To
Bozeman
Oak Meadows Subdivision Park
Sourdough Trail Park
Spring Meadows Park
Sundance Springs Park
The Knolls At Hillcrest Park
The Knolls At Hillcrest Park
Valley Creek Park
Village Downtown Park
West Meadows Park
Westridge East Park
Westridge North Park
Westridge South Park
Relevant Parks
Tree Canopy Goal
Final design manual will include tree canopy goals as percentage per
park type. These goals are currently still in progress
Placeholder156
Typical Assets and Design Considerations
Program & Use
Linear parks can be developed for a variety of
different recreational activities. Most notable
are hiking, walking, jogging, bicycling and cross-
country skiing.
Environmental Benefits
Linear parks provide connectivity for healthy plant
animal species to travel along habitat “corridors”.
To support appropriate plant and animal species
along these linear parks, the city should encourage
native species to migrate to new areas by recreating
the conditions of previously established habitat
close to the area where expansion is desired. Since
these habitat corridors will also naturally support
non-native species expansion, it is important to
create barriers for the spread of those species.
Many linear parks exist along water courses,
which presents an opportunity to sensitively
invest in riparian edges. Plantings and naturalized
landscapes along the water’s edge will support
increased fish and other amphibious species
habitat. Education signage regarding “rewilding”
of these riparian edges should also be considered
to raise awareness of these investments.
Siting/Access
Land availability and opportunity are the primary
factors determining location. Many linear parks
will follow natural features such as watercourses,
while others will follow man-made features such
as abandoned railways. Linear parks should be
at least 25 feet wide for general trail use, with
additional width required for parks used for cross-
country skiing. In addition to this minimum width,
which linear parks can extend beyond, linear parks
should also have requirements to provide specific
amenities.
Parcels with steep slopes and natural vegetationProtection of natural wetland and ponds
Connection to further trail systems
157
Design + Maintenance Guidance For Active Transportation
Establishing clear dimensional specifications
and construction standards for each path and
trail typology is fundamental to building out
a highly functioning active transportation
network. Below is a basic summary of the
key standards for each network typology.
The ‘Implementation’ section below provides
a detailed breakdown of the recommended
dimensional and construction standards.
This section of the Design Manual will
identify and describe design and maintenance
considerations for the following three Active
Transportation route types:
System-wide Standards
Anchor Routes & Shared
Use Paths
Bike Boulevards
Connector Paths
Neighborhood Trails
158
Proposed Anchor Route
Proposed Shared Use Paths
Proposed Commuter Paths
Proposed Neighborhood Trails
Proposed Bike Boulevards
Existing Shared Use Paths
Existing Trails
City Boundary
Proposed Active Transportation Network
N1 mile00.5
Growth Boundary
Roads
Railroad
Streams
Lakes & Reservoirs
Future Parks
Parks
159
Standards for the design and construction of all active transportation
typologies is critical to successful implementation of the PRAT Plan.
The City has existing paved path standards within the Public Work and
the PROST Plan contains some standards for natural trails. The existing
standards should be reviewed against best practices and guidelines
referenced below, revised to create comprehensive standards for each
path and trail type, and collocated within a single source such as the
Public Works Standards.
The recommended standards for construction are divided into three
classes based on location, intended use, and preferred maintenance.
As uses or intensity change, a route may be upgraded in classification.
The standards align with those in the Triangle Trails Plan and reflect
similar parameters previous outlined in the Bozeman PROST Plan and
the Gallatin County Trails Report and Plan.
Paths and trails consist of a central walkable/ridable surface, known as
a tread. They have a shoulder located on each side. The tread plus the
shoulder is known as the clear width. The height above the route with no
obstacles like tree branches is known as the clear height.
The following standards are applicable to all city path and trail
classifications:
• Adequate visibility must be provided for safety.
• The minimum acceptable path and trail easement width is 25 feet.
• Path and trail entrances will be signed describing the degree of ADA
access.
• A minimum of 5-foot separation between edge of path to top of slope
that is greater than 1V:3H, if not met, a railing must be implemented
System-wide AT
Standards
160
Required Elements
These associated elements, adjacent to physical
path networks, are essential for the success of a
functional and safe active transportation network.
Wayfinding
The most critical adjacent network facility
is wayfinding. Wayfinding is essential to a
robust, highly functioning community active
transportation network. A comprehensive
wayfinding plan should be adopted and
implemented by the City of Bozeman. One, unified
wayfinding plan for the entire City of Bozeman will
standardize and integrate consistent signage and
information across the entire network to allow for
intuitive and streamlined user navigation.
Lighting on Shared Use Paths
For shared use paths to be viable and reliable
transportation and recreation corridors
throughout the year, proper lighting must be
present on all shared use paths. Adequate lighting
increases safety for users and allows the paths to
be functional throughout the entire day, including
commuting hours, during Montana’s dark winter
months.
Benches
Benches are a highly desired facility in public
spaces and in corridors along pathways. They give
path users a place to rest, socialize, and enjoy the
many beautiful environments Bozeman has to
offer. Benches should be prioritized along highly
trafficked paths and in natural spaces.
Bike Racks
Bike racks provide reliable bike storage options
at network hubs for commuting and recreational
bikers alike to securely leave their bike for period of
time. Providing ample bike racks reduces potential
issues of bikes being locked inappropriately to
trees, park furniture, and private property.
Bike Repair Stations
Bike repair stations can be helpful for bicyclists if
they are caught with an unexpected flat tire or need
to make an adjustment to their bike during a ride.
Bike repair stations should be located along major
bike corridors and at major network intersections.
Dog Waste Stations
Dog stations provide pet waste bags and a trash
receptacle for dog owners that use the network.
Installing dog stations along popular dog walking
areas can be beneficial in maintaining a clean path
and trail environment.
Trash & Recycling
Placing trash and recycling receptacles along major
network paths helps keep pathways, corridors,
and their surroundings clean and more enjoyable
for their users.
Enhancing Elements
These amenities are not critical for a functional
active transportation network but enhance the
user experience, safety, and cleanliness, and are
often greatly desired by the community.
Lighting on other Facilities
As described above, lighting should be required
along all shared use paths. However, some
connector paths and trails may benefit from
lighting installations as well if they are highly
trafficked, are used as a frequent commuter route,
or need added visibility. The need for lighting on
these facilities will be addressed on a situational
basis.
Water Fountains
Outdoor public water fountains along pathways
are often desired by active users. However, upkeep
of these amenities is extensive which reduces their
practicality in many situations. Providing public
water fountains will be deliberate decisions that
will hinge on specific locations and circumstances.
Picnic Tables
Picnic tables can be appropriate along pathways
near community hubs. They provide opportunities
for a variety of social activities that can be enjoyed
outdoors such as picnics, games, and conversations.
161
These paved pathways connect larger community nodes. They are
heavily used with full access and are typically constructed along major
transportation corridors but can also be located outside of rights-of-way.
These routes are designed to permit two-way traffic using an impervious
surface material such as asphalt or concrete.
Width and Clearance
The preferred tread minimum width is 12 feet wide but can be decreased
to 10 feet in interior subdivision settings.
All paths should have a 1-foot gravel shoulder and 2-foot minimum total
shoulder graded away from tread at a 2% maximum slope.
A minimum vertical clearance of 10 feet should be provided. Branches
that could reduce clearance when weighted with snow or rain should
also be removed.
Grade
The maximum tread cross slope shall be 2%, sloping one direction, not
crowned. The cross slopes on corners and curves shall be towards the
inside where drainage permits.
The maximum tread cross slope should be 5%, the cross slopes on
corners and curves shall be towards the inside where drainage permits.
If there is a segment that has a cross slope of more than 5%, the segment
should be as short as possible.
Maximum grade segments:
• 8.3% for a maximum of 15.24m (50ft)
• 10% for a maximum of 9.14m (30ft)
• 12.5% for a maximum of 3.05m (10ft)
Near the top and bottom of the maximum grade segments, the grade
should transition to less than 5%. Rest intervals should be provided
within 7.6m (25ft) of the max grade segment.
There can be no abrupt change in surface level greater than ½ inch.
Anchor Routes &
Shared Use Paths
162
Typical Assets and Design
Considerations
Cross Section
Concrete - The tread base shall consist of a
minimum of 3 inches of crushed gravel compacted
to 95 percent of maximum density as determined
by AASHTO T99. Concrete shall be a minimum of 6
inches of M4000.
Asphalt -Excavate 11.5 inches of material. Install a
minimum of 9 inches of crushed gravel compacted
to 95 percent of maximum density as determined by
AASHTO T99, unless otherwise dictated by sub-soil
type materials being compacted to road standard.
The overlay shall consist of 2.5 inches of asphalt
compacted to 93 percent of maximum density, as
determined by ASTMD 2041. Construction seal
shall be applied at 0.08 gallon/square yard after
installation.
Material
To decrease long term maintenance, tread surface
must predominately be impervious material such
as asphalt, concrete, pavers set on concrete, or
wood decking.
Porous surfaces (permeable pavers, porous
asphalt, porous rubber) should be a priority in
sensitive areas.
The tread material including any base course will
have a total minimum thickness of 6 inches.
Wood deck planks must be run perpendicular to
the direction of travel and joints must not exceed
36 inches. Planks must be securely fastened so
they do not warp.
VARIESSHARED ROAD VARIESSHARED ROAD5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’LANDSCAPEAREA
5’SIDEWALK 5’SIDEWALK2’2’
CURB &GUTTER CURB &GUTTER
BIKE BOULEVARD
12’PATHWAY
Anchor Route
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREAVARIESWATER
4’-6’TRAIL
Neighborhood Trail
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA
6’-8’TRAIL
Connector Path10’CLEAR
BUFFER
2’VARIESLANDSCAPE
AREA
VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
BUFFER
2’
Shared Use Pathway
10’PAVED TRAIL VARIESTRAIL BUFFER2’2’10’
DRIVE LANE
12’CLEAR
BUFFERBUFFER CURB &GUTTER
VARIES
SHARED ROAD
VARIES
SHARED ROAD
5’
LANDSCAPEAREA
5’
LANDSCAPEAREA
5’
SIDEWALK
5’
SIDEWALK
2’2’
CURB &GUTTER CURB &GUTTER
BIKE BOULEVARD
12’PATHWAY
Anchor Route
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREAVARIESWATER
4’-6’TRAIL
Neighborhood Trail
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA
6’-8’
TRAIL
Connector Path
10’CLEAR
BUFFER
2’VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
BUFFER
2’
Shared Use Pathway
10’
PAVED TRAIL
VARIES
TRAIL BUFFER
2’2’10’DRIVE LANE
12’CLEAR
BUFFERBUFFER CURB &GUTTER
163
Bike Boulevards
Bike boulevards are an integrated part of the street network. Streets
designated as bike boulevards should adhere to standards within the
Transportation Master Plan and other adopted documents. In addition
to those standards, bike boulevards should include at least one element
from each of the following categories:
Signs and Pavement Markings
Identification signage
Sharrow pavement markings
Wayfinding signage
Speed management tools:
Speed humps, bumps, tables and cushions
Chicanes
Neighborhood traffic circles
Median islands
curb bulb outs
pinch points
Volume management tools:
Regulatory signage
Partial physical closure
Full physical closure
Channelized right in/right out
Diagonal or median diverter
Crossings:
Crossing signage
Pedestrian signals (Rapid flash beacons, HAWK signals)
Median refuge islands
curb bulb outs
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Typical Assets and Design Considerations
VARIES
SHARED ROAD
VARIES
SHARED ROAD
5’
LANDSCAPEAREA
5’
LANDSCAPEAREA
5’
SIDEWALK
5’
SIDEWALK
2’2’
CURB &GUTTER CURB &GUTTER
BIKE BOULEVARD
4’-6’TRAILNeighborhood TrailVARIESLANDSCAPE AREA VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA6’-8’TRAILConnector Path10’CLEAR
BUFFER
2’VARIESLANDSCAPEAREAVARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
BUFFER
2’Shared Use Pathway10’PAVED TRAILVARIESTRAIL BUFFER2’2’10’DRIVE LANE12’CLEAR
BUFFERBUFFERCURB &GUTTER
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Connector
Paths
These paths receive moderate use intended for a variety non-motorized,
recreational, and commuter users. These paths connect meaningful
destinations, such as neighborhoods, schools, and hubs of commercial
activity. Connector paths are constructed with an ADA accessible
surface of natural fines, or pontentially pavement, and are 6 to 8 feet in
width. For paved connector paths the Class 1 standards shall be utilized.
Even if paved, connector paths are not expected to be maintained
during the winter. However, if the route provides important community
connections, year round maintenance should be provided. For natural
surface connector paths apply the standards below.
Width and Clearance
Single surfaced tread with a minimum width of six feet.
Tread width may be reduced to 36 inches for a maximum distance of 30
feet to pass or preserve significant features such as rock formations,
important vegetation, or cross watercourses. Signs should be used to
warn about such constrictions.
The minimum cleared zone will be the tread width plus 2 feet to either
side of the tread and 10 feet vertical. In no instance may the overhead
clear height be less than 8 feet.
Grade
A cross-slope of no less than 2 percent and no more than 5 percent to
provide for water drainage is allowed.
Maximum sustained running grade is 8%. A 10% maximum grade is
allowed for a maximum distance of 30 feet, and a 14% maximum grade is
allowed when resting intervals are provided every 5 feet.
Tread will be raised above the adjacent surfaces and have a 4-inch
crown. Where this requirement is not possible the tread will have a 1:20
cross slope and/or side ditches outside the cleared zone.
Changes in level:
• Should not exceed 51mm (2 in)
• May be up to a maximum of 76mm (3 in) in areas where 51mm cannot
be attained and the slope of the trail is less than 5% in any direction.
• Obstacles over 51mm (2 in) in height should be removed
Stream crossings will be over culverts or bridges.
Only dips or slot-entrance drainpipe will be used for cross tread water
stops for natural surface treads.
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Typical Assets and Design
Considerations
Cross Section
The path bed must be excavated 6 inches deep,
prior to installation of tread mix.
Tread mix shall be installed in two parts. The first
3-inch lift shall be of ¾ inch Road mix, compacted
to 95%, and then 3/8th inch minus gravel (natural
fines) compacted to 95%. If moisture content is not
adequate for compaction, water should be added
prior to rolling and compacting.
Natural fines used for these paths shall consist
of 80 percent sand, 10 percent silt and 10 percent
clay. If the natural fines tread mix does not contain
enough clay or soil binder, additional binder must
be mixed in.
Geo-textile material will be placed beneath and
gravel or particulate tread material in poorly
drained, boggy, or marshy areas, or wet meadows
and on any of the following soil types: clays, clayey
loams, silts, silty. The preferred material is non-
woven needle-punched engineering geo-fabric, but
woven is acceptable. Fabric should be selected for
use and durability.
Material
Commuter paths shall be designed for ADA access
and year-round maintenance. Those that are not
paved will be surfaced with a minimum of wood
decking, natural fines, or with a well maintained
compacted crushed gravel.
VARIES
SHARED ROAD
VARIES
SHARED ROAD
5’
LANDSCAPE
AREA
5’
LANDSCAPE
AREA
5’
SIDEWALK
5’
SIDEWALK
2’2’
CURB &GUTTER CURB &GUTTER
BIKE BOULEVARD
4’-6’
TRAIL
Neighborhood Trail
VARIES
LANDSCAPE AREA
VARIES
LANDSCAPE AREA
6’-8’
TRAIL
Connector Path
10’
CLEAR
BUFFER
2’VARIES
LANDSCAPE
AREA
VARIES
LANDSCAPE
AREA
BUFFER
2’
Shared Use Pathway
10’
PAVED TRAIL
VARIES
TRAIL BUFFER
2’2’10’
DRIVE LANE
12’CLEAR
BUFFERBUFFERCURB &GUTTER
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Neighborhood
Trails
Neighborhood trails are narrower soft surface trails that connect locally
to parks and open space These trails receive moderate to low use and
are typically 3-5 feet in width. They are either natural trails developed
by use over time or constructed with natural fines. ADA accessibility
may be limited as trails typically follow the natural contours, however
nearby sidewalk spurs can provide ADA connections to areas along the
corridor.
Width and Clearance
Tread width minimum is three feet. The minimum clear zone will be the
tread width horizontally and seven feet vertically.
Grade
Grades typically follow the natural topography therefore ADA access is
extremely limited. Blending the trail into the setting is emphasized in
trail routing.
Provide positive drainage for the tread utilizing grade dips, cross
sloping, and water bars to minimize erosion.
Cross Section
No trail bed excavation is required except to eliminate extreme cross
grades.
Material
Preparation varies from machine-worked surfaces to those worn
only by usage. No surfacing is required except in erosion prone poorly
drained, marshy areas, or wet meadows. Wood chip tread materials
are acceptable when traffic is limited to pedestrian traffic in sensitive
locations such as in wetland nature education areas.
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Typical Assets and Design Considerations
VARIES
SHARED ROAD
VARIES
SHARED ROAD
5’
LANDSCAPE
AREA
5’
LANDSCAPE
AREA
5’
SIDEWALK
5’
SIDEWALK
2’2’
CURB &GUTTER CURB &GUTTER
BIKE BOULEVARD
4’-6’TRAIL
Neighborhood Trail
VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA VARIESLANDSCAPE AREA
6’-8’TRAIL
Connector Path
10’CLEAR
BUFFER
2’VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
VARIESLANDSCAPEAREA
BUFFER
2’
Shared Use Pathway
10’PAVED TRAILVARIESTRAIL BUFFER2’2’10’DRIVE LANE
12’CLEAR
BUFFERBUFFERCURB &GUTTER
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Maintaining active transportation routes that are safe and accessible
for users of all ages and abilities is a high priority. In addition, adequate
maintenance is critical to maximizing year-round utilization. The
City needs to establish annual and long-term maintenance plans that
includes a deferred maintenance analysis.
There are three essential elements to properly maintaining an active
transportation network. First, establish minimum standards for
maintenance. Next, determine maintenance responsibility for each
segment of the network. Lastly, identify the various sources to finance
the necessary maintenance.
Methods
Developing a comprehensive maintenance strategy will require
considering various surface types, locations, responsible parties, and
available funding.
Anchor Routes and Shared Use Paths
Share use paths located within street rights-of-way are typically
maintained by the corresponding jurisdiction. One challenge is achieving
consistent maintenance expectations and standards between the City,
County, and State.
Connector Paths
The maintenance of Connectors not only depends on the responsible
party but also on the surface type each route.
Neighborhood Trails
Despite being smaller, trails require a considerable amount of
maintenance depending on location, the quality of construction, and
the amount of use. Neighborhood trails are typically maintained by
neighborhood associations, HOAs, the City, or GVLT.
AT Maintenance
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Regulations
The ability of the City to regulate maintenance of
active transportation routes is limited. The City
should consider ways to require routes owned
or managed by private parties to be maintained
according to established standards.
The following actions are recommended.
• Strengthen requirements for residential
subdivisions, commercial developments, and
other privately held routes to be adequately
maintained according to standards adopted by
the City.
Policies
Maintenance of active transportation routes in
Bozeman is currently managed through a variety
of resources, including private property owners,
homeowner associations, community groups,
non-profit partners, the City, and the Montana
Department of Transportation. Clarifying
responsibilities for maintenance and establishing
standards will help ensure the financial investment
developing a complete network is protected and
enhanced in future years.
The following actions are recommended.
• Establish a comprehensive maintenance plan
that includes minimum standards for upkeep,
repairs, and replacement
• Conduct a comprehensive deferred
maintenance analysis of each route identifying
the current condition, upkeep and repair needs,
and sections needing to be rebuilt
• Establish a maintenance template for the
City, property owners, and partners to develop
schedule tasks and estimate costs
• Review and clarify how the Bozeman Parks
Maintenance District can support the
maintenance of the network
Maintenance Standards
General maintenance standards for evaluating
needs for surface care, repairs, safety precautions,
and managing adjacent landscaping should be
developed for and consistently applied to all
network typologies. In addition to annual and long-
term tasks, seasonal maintenance of shared use
paths is essential to accommodating year-round
active transportation. Paved paths must have the
snow removed frequently during the winter and be
swept of grit and debris each spring.
Maintenance Actions
The following actions are recommended.
• Develop a comprehensive maintenance plan
including detailed standards by typology that
ensure a high-level of safety, accessibility, and
utilization.
Below are recommended routine and periodic
maintenance tasks based on surface type.
Paved Surfaces—Routine maintenance activities:
• Regular sweeping to remove debris, gravel, and
other hazardous items
• Regular snow removal during winter months
• Inspect and repair pavement surface problems
(seal cracks, grind down ridges, cut back tree
roots, repair pavement)
• Prune adjacent and overhanging vegetation to
reduce encroachment or cause sight distance
problems
• Treating noxious weeds along corridor
• Mowing trail edges if applicable (keep
vegetation height low along trail)
• Clearing drainage features to ensure proper
function
Paved Surfaces—Periodic maintenance activities:
• Coordinate and schedule pavement overlays as
part of adjacent road maintenance
• Addition of surfacing material depending on
condition (2-3 years)
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• Re-grading to improve cross-slope or out-slope
for improved drainage
• Improvement of transitions with sidewalks or
streets, restripe crosswalks and other markers
• Repair or replace wayfinding, stop control signs
and other elements
• Restripe crosswalks and other markers
Natural Surfaces—Routine maintenance
activities:
• Removing encroaching vegetation from trail
tread (grading, chemical treatment)
• Prune adjacent and overhanging vegetation to
reduce encroachment or cause sight distance
problems
• Treating noxious weeds along corridor
• Mowing trail edges if applicable (keep
vegetation height low along trail)
• Clearing drainage features to ensure proper
function
• Flood or rain damage repair: silt clean up,
culvert clean out, etc.
• Bridge/culvert inspection, clearing and repair
• Map/signage post condition inspection, and
vandalism repair
• Assessing need for sign/map updates or
replacement
Natural Surfaces—Periodic maintenance
activities:
• Yearly trail evaluation to determine the need
for minor repairs, identification of erosion
damage, need for improved drainage
• Addition of surfacing material depending on
condition (2-3 years)
• Re-grading to improve cross-slope or out-slope
for improved drainage
• Improvement of transitions with sidewalks or
streets, restripe crosswalks and other markers
• Repair or replace wayfinding, stop control signs
and other elements
• Restripe crosswalks and other markers
Funding
Like construction, the maintenance of Bozeman’s
active transportation is funded by a variety of
entities including the City, Montana Department of
Transportation, non-profit partners, and private
property owners. There are more maintenance
needs than committed funding which leads to
a backlog of repairs and overall degradation of
accessibility and utilization.
According to the Rails to Trail Conservancy, annual
maintenance costs on average range from $1,000 to
$2,000 per trail mile, depending upon the surface.
Therefore, average annual funding required to
maintain Bozeman’s 178 miles of paths and trails is
approximately $267,000.
The funding needed to adequately maintain the
network will only increase as new extensions and
routes are constructed. To meet this financial
commitment, the City and its partners must
proactively account for the necessary funding to
execute the annual and long-term maintenance
plans and aggressively commit the dollars.
The following actions are recommended.
• Ensure that a significant portion of the Parks
and Trails Maintenance District funds are
dedicated to path and trail maintenance
• Allocate an annual portion of the City’s street
maintenance budget to repair shared use paths
and paved connector paths
• Include Bozeman’s active transportation
network and plan into the future Metropolitan
Planning Organization budget
Prioritization
Addressing the maintenance backlog of existing
active transportation network will take years and
considerable funding. Therefore, it is important
to develop and utilize a method to prioritize the
needed upkeep and repair projects. This plan
includes a weighted prioritization matrix template
utilizing the criteria listed below.
The following actions are recommended.
Develop a methodology for prioritizing potential
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maintenance projects based on the following
criteria:
• Area of deferred maintenance that poses a
public safety risk
• Area of deferred maintenance that restricts
equitable access
• Area of deferred maintenance that reduces
utilization
• Highly utilized routes
• Ability to partner and/or leverage creative
funding opportunities
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