HomeMy WebLinkAboutChapter 1Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Chapter 1: Introduction and Background Robert Peccia & Associates, Inc. /ALTA Planning + Design /Cambridge Systematics 1-1 1.1
INTRODUCTION The city of Bozeman and the surrounding area is experiencing tremendous growth that includes a mixture of commercial, residential, industrial, retail and office. This growth,
coupled with the existing transportation system constraints, has necessitated the update of the community’s current Transportation Plan. The existing Plan was completed in 2001, is commonly
referred to as the “2001 Update” and provides a blueprint for guiding transportation infrastructure and associated decision making principles. Because of steadily increasing growth,
and the community’s increasing interest in transportation related matters, the governmental entities have decided to update their regional Transportation Plan. To that end, the consulting
firm of Robert Peccia & Associates was retained to assist in developing the Greater Bozeman A?rea Transportation Plan (2007 Update) project. This update is intended to offer guidance
for the decision-makers in the greater Bozeman community. It contains a multi-modal analysis of the transportation system in the Bozeman area. This Plan includes an examination of the
traffic operations, road network, transit services, non-motorized transportation system, trip reduction strategies, and growth management techniques. This document also identifies the
problems with the various transportation systems and offers recommendations in the form of improvement projects and progressive programs that will help relieve existing problems and/or
meet future needs. A word of caution is appropriate. The previous focus of much of the transportation across the United States has been to move cars. This has necessitated more and larger
roadways at extensive costs. The time is right in the Bozeman community, and the rest of western Montana, to begin to focus on moving people. Although the roadway needs will be well
defined and will be the standard by which community transportation infrastructure is measured, the decision makers and community at large must recognize the need for alternatives. These
alternatives include more and better bicycle and pedestrian facilities, a focus on transit service, a desire to explore alternative transportation, and the willingness to forge partnerships
with adjacent jurisdictions. Growth in the Bozeman Area is well documented and explained later in Chapter 3 of this document. Impacts to the transportation system resulting from this
growth are a measurable and identifiable quantity, and the community must be prepared to deal with it accordingly. 1.2 STUDY AREA All transportation plans begin by defining the study
area. Sometimes this study area follows governmental boundaries such as city limits, but most often they include land outside city limits in which future growth is seen as likely to
occur. As part of the 2007 update to the Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan, an evaluation of the past Transportation Plan’s Study Area Boundary was undertaken in consultation
with the City of Bozeman and Gallatin County, the Montana Department of Transportation, and the Bozeman Area Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC). Subsequently, adjustments were
deemed necessary and made to the Study Area Boundary in an effort to capture those areas likely to see future growth that may impact the community’s transportation system.
Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Chapter 1: Introduction and Background 1-2 Robert Peccia & Associates, Inc. /ALTA Planning + Design /Cambridge Systematics For
the purposes of this Plan, the study area boundary includes the entire city limits of Bozeman, as well as a substantial portion of unincorporated lands surrounding the City. These lands
are generally located to the north and south of the City proper, and extend from an eastern limit of the Bridger Mountains to a western limit of the Gallatin River. The study area boundary
was developed for two primary reasons. First, to include land where recent growth has occurred or is anticipated to occur in the foreseeable future and second, to include the 2001 Transportation
Plan’s study area. It should be recognized that there are many other areas that are not formally included in the study area boundary that will exhibit development patterns affecting
the area transportation system. These areas include, but are not limited to, the City of of Belgrade, the Gallatin Gateway area and east along Interstate 90. These are not included in
the study area due to both funding and jurisdictional constraints, however, cursory attempts and land use forecasting will be made to evaluate overall transportation impacts through
the travel demand modeling process. The new study boundary includes everything in the previous study area, along with additional areas that are developing and/or forecast to develop
over the planning horizon of the study (i.e. the year 2030). Therefore, no land was removed from the study area. The study boundary is shown on Figure 1-1 and was used for all aspects
of the Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update). This study boundary includes all of the major employers in the area, and includes all of the land that may be used for
employment centers in the next twenty years. It also includes developing residential land uses in the area, and those areas likely to increase the housing supply in the future and subsequently
add traffic onto the transportation network. It is important to recognize that areas outside of the formal study area boundary will still have an effect on the transportation system
within the study area boundary. To that end, land use changes outside of the “formal” boundary are still accounted for and incorporated into the travel demand model; however, precise
transportation system impacts are not identified for facilities outside of the “formal” study area boundary.
Study Area Boundary Figure 1-1 Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Legend City Boundary Urban Boundary Study Area Boundary 0 5,000 10,000 Feet
Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Chapter 1: Introduction and Background 1-4 Robert Peccia & Associates, Inc. /ALTA Planning + Design /Cambridge Systematics 1.3
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The overall goal of this project is to update the existing 2001 community Transportation Plan. This existing plan was originally developed
by Robert Peccia and Associates. The intent of this project is to take an entirely fresh look at the condition of transportation issues in the Greater Bozeman area. This Transportation
Plan Update is intended to facilitate community goals and improve the transportation infrastructure and services within the Greater Bozeman area to meet the needs of existing and future
land use. The Plan will address regional transportation issues, overall travel convenience, traffic safety, property access, and potential special issues such as traffic calming and
multi-modal connections. The Plan will include recommendations for shortterm Transportation System Management (TSM) improvements as well as recommended modifications and capital improvements
to the “Major Street Network (MSN)”. The Plan will address all modes of transportation in a balanced attempt to meet the current and future transportation needs of the Greater Bozeman
area while keeping in compliance with state and federal requirements. With this background in mind, it is important to recognize that “Goals and Objectives” have been developed to guide
this Transportation Plan Update. These are presented later in this section. It is also appropriate, however, to present the existing goals that are found in the various planning level
documents found within the community. Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2001) and the Bozeman 2020 Community Plan Goals 1. Maintain and enhance the functionality of the transportation
system. 2. Ensure that a variety of travel options exist which allow safe, logical, and balanced transportation choices. 3. Encourage transportation options that reduce resource consumption,
increase social interaction, support safe neighborhoods, and increase the ability of the existing transportation facilities to accommodate a growing city. 4. Establish and maintain an
integrated system of transportation and recreational pathways, including bicycle and pedestrian trails, neighborhood parks, green belts, and open space. In response to issues and concerns
raised during the development of this transportation planning process, it is suggested that transportation related goals and objectives be refined to reflect the diversity of competing
transportation interests and the inherent limitations of just focusing on automobile traffic. To that end, the “Goals and Objectives” found on the following page are presented for consideration
by the community as transportation system development is considered over the planning horizon of this document.
Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Chapter 1: Introduction and Background Robert Peccia & Associates, Inc. /ALTA Planning + Design /Cambridge Systematics 1-5 “Goals
and Objectives” for the Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Goal #1: Provide a safe, efficient, accessible, and cost-effective transportation system that offers viable
choices for moving people and goods throughout the community. Objectives: ?? Plan and implement a logical, efficient, long-range arterial and collector transportation system to ensure
that public and private investments in transportation infrastructure support other land use decisions of the community. ?? Plan a logical, efficient long-range arterial system that can
be systematically implemented by right-of-way reservations and advance acquisition procedures. ?? Meet the current and future needs of the greater Bozeman area that can be maintained
with available resources. ?? Provide adequate emergency service access to all residents inside and and outside of the Study Area Boundary. ?? Develop a “Major Street Network” classifying
existing roadways by functional usage (as well as future corridors) within the Study Area Boundary. ?? Address the needs of business and commerce both locally and regionally. ?? Plan
for adequate access to high volume traffic generation points. ?? Conduct a comprehensive data collection effort that will include vehicular counts, truck counts, bicycle movements and
pedestrian usage at the intersections identified for the study. ?? Review the most recent three-year accident history and crash statistics to evaluate potential safety problems and possible
mitigation efforts that can improve and/or resolve identified concerns on the existing transportation system. ?? Examine population and employment growth trends to assess demographic
changes and how those changes may affect transportation system users over the twenty year planning horizon. ?? Develop a 20-year traffic model that can be used to predict future transportation
system needs as growth occurs within the Study Area Boundary limits. ?? Identify current and foreseeable traffic problems. Goal #2: Make transit and non-motorized modes of transportation
viable alternatives to the private automobile for travel in and around the community. Objectives: ?? Support alternatives to single occupancy vehicles. ?? Establish safe pedestrian and
bicycle access in designated areas by: o Considering pedestrian/bicycle needs when planning and designing new roads. o Considering improvement and dedication of bikeways and pedestrian
paths though developing area. o Providing widened shoulders where possible to accommodate pedestrians/bicycles on existing roadways, with a preference for physical separation between
motorized and non-motorized traffic. ?? Encourage mixed-use development that integrates compatible residential, office, and commercial uses to reduce the need for automobile trips.
Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Chapter 1: Introduction and Background 1-6 Robert Peccia & Associates, Inc. /ALTA Planning + Design /Cambridge Systematics ?? Encourage
walkable neighborhoods, both within existing developed areas and new residential and commercial subdivisions. ?? Recommend policies and decisions to ensure bicyclists and pedestrians
can access and conveniently cross all major roadways and highways. ?? Identify and incorporate, as applicable, Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies to provide alternatives
to private vehicle travel. ?? Consider equestrian needs, where appropriate, when planning and designing new roads. Goal #3: Provide an open public involvement process in the development
of the transportation system and in the implementation of transportation improvements, and assure that community standards and values, such as aesthetics and neighborhood protection,
are incorporated. Objectives: ?? Provide for citizen involvement in the planning and implementation of transportation plans and projects. ?? Respect and ensure the areas natural and
historic context and minimize adverse impacts to the environment and existing neighborhoods. ?? Minimize negative transportation effects upon residential neighborhoods. ?? Encourage
transportation improvements that preserve the natural panorama of skylines and sightlines, and are compatible with historic resources. ?? Evaluate and identify transportation system
needs of area schools, and address existing and future transportation issues as appropriate. ?? Provide for connecting streets among neighborhoods. ?? Meet the unique transportation
needs of the areas elderly, disabled and disadvantaged populations Goal #4: Provide a financially sustainable Transportation Plan that is actively used to guide the transportation decision-making
process throughout the course of the next 20 years. Objectives: ?? Review all existing and on-going planning reports and studies for compatibility. ?? Conduct a financial analysis to
ensure the the Plan is financially feasible and sustainable. ?? Identify funding mechanisms that may be viable alternatives to the traditional funding programs currently used to fund
transportation system improvements. Goal #5: Identify and protect future road corridors to serve future developments and public lands. Objectives: ?? Develop a Plan to address forecasted
transportation growth needs. ?? Identify future corridors and future connections to existing roadways in order to secure appropriate right of way and improvements. ?? Identify road construction
needs to serve developing areas, and encourage development in identified urban areas.
Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Chapter 1: Introduction and Background Robert Peccia & Associates, Inc. /ALTA Planning + Design /Cambridge Systematics 1-7 1.4
PREVIOUS TRANSPORTATION PLANNING EFFORTS In the course of data collection, past plans and studies were obtained. From the review of these documents, applicable issues were incorporated
into this Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update). The contributing documents are as follows: ?? Gallatin County Growth Policy; ?? Gallatin County Neighborhood Plans;
?? Gallatin County Subdivision Regulations; ?? Gallatin County Trails Plan; ?? Gallatin County Transportation Infrastructure and Recommendations; ?? Streamline Bus Routes; ?? Gallatin
County Transportation Needs (Phase I and Phase II); ?? Gallatin County Road Impact Fee Study (currently underway); ?? Bozeman 2020 Community Plan; ?? Design and Connectivity Plan for
North 7th Avenue Corridor; ?? North 19th Avenue /Oak Street Corridor Master Plan; ?? Gallatin County Regional Sewer Feasibility Study; ?? Montana Department of Transportation Access
Management Plans; ?? City of Bozeman National Citizen Survey; ?? Bozeman Creek Neighborhood Plan; ?? Bozeman Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails Master Plan; ?? Bozeman Unified
Development Ordinance; ?? Bozeman Impact Fee Update; ?? Montana State University Long Range Plan (i.e. Campus Plan); ?? Bicycle Facility Planning Map (developed by the Bike Board); ??
Western Transportation Institute (WTI) Bozeman Bicycle Network Plan; ?? Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2001 Update); ?? Greater Bozeman Area 2001 Transportation (Transit)
Development Plan Update; ?? Downtown Bozeman Traffic Studies; ?? Miscellaneous Traffic Impact Studies (Gallatin County & City of Bozeman); ?? City of Bozeman Engineering Standards; ??
Gallatin County Road Standards; ?? Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (1993 Update); ?? School Bus Routes; ?? Postal Routes; ?? Fire District Maps; ?? Bozeman Deaconess Hospital
“Sub-area” Plan; ?? Locally adopted master plans, public facility plans, and related development regulations; ?? Official Code of the City of Bozeman; ?? Montana Department of Transportation
STIP and other Local Planning Documents; ?? U.S. Bureau of Census data; ?? City building permits, County location and conformance permits, and utility records; and ?? Socioeconomic data
and projections complied by the Planning Board, Montana Department of Commerce and/or University of Montana.
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PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT The primary goal of the communications program for the Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) was to keep the public informed and involved in the project.
A second goal of the process was to integrate the opinions and issues identified by the public, as a result of the program, into the project approach and methodology, wherever feasible.
The methods that were used to achieve these goals included: guidance from the TCC; outreach to key constituencies (i.e. special interest groups and the general public); education of
decision-makers (i.e. Gallatin County Commission and Bozeman City Commission); project newsletters; news releases; and public events. An initial step in developing the project public
outreach campaign was the development of a detailed Public Participation Plan to guide public opportunities and input as the project developed. The Public Participation Plan was structured
around the developed scope of work for this Transportation Plan Update, and utilized several traditional and non-traditional public participation strategies. Furthermore, the Public
Participation Plan defined the appropriate strategies to be used, defined the sequencing within which the various strategies to be implemented, and charted out a course of action to
be followed as the project commenced. The purpose of the Public Participation Plan was to insure a proactive public involvement process that assured the opportunity for the public to
be involved in all phases of the planning process. This was accomplished by providing complete information, timely public notice, and opportunities for making comments and full access
to key decisions. The goal of the TCC and the Consultant team was to have significant and ongoing public involvement for this transportation planning process. Education and public outreach
were an essential part of fulfilling the local entities responsibility to successfully inform the public about the transportation planning process. All three contracting entities (i.e.
Gallatin County, the city of Bozeman and MDT) strove to empower the public to voice their ideas and values regarding transportation issues. The entities also strove to ensure early and
continuous public involvement in all major actions and decisions. The Consultant team understood that the interest of the public in transportation issues has increased with the community’s
rate of growth, and that updating the Plan provided public outreach opportunities that served to: ?? Educate the public on the critical elements of planning and engineering the community’s
transportation system; ?? Respond to the increasing interest of the general public to participate in planning of the community; and ?? Increase the public’s investment in our Transportation
Plan. A brief summary of some of the project outreach activities utilized during the projects development is contained in the following pages.
Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Chapter 1: Introduction and Background Robert Peccia & Associates, Inc. /ALTA Planning + Design /Cambridge Systematics 1-9 Transportation
Coordinating Committee (TCC) The Bozeman Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) provided project oversight for this project to serve in an advisory capacity and to review and comment
on materials over the projects duration. Meetings were generally held every month (on the fourth Wednesday of the month). Membership was composed of individuals as noted on the acknowledgements
page of this document, and generally included representatives from the Montana Department of Transportation, Gallatin County, the City of Bozeman, and local business and citizen interests.
The TCC was the principal guiding force behind this Transportation Plan. In addition, a full-day workshop was held on October 1st, 2008 to discuss the information contained in the “Administrative
Draft” of the Transportation Plan Update. From that exercise, several projects were modified and/or removed from consideration. Public Meetings Three formal public meetings were held
during the study process. The first meeting was held at a time when the data collection process was nearing completion. This meeting focused on informing the public about the current
transportation problems that had been identified to date, and receiving public comment on which issues should be addressed in the Plan. A variety of key issues were identified. The issues
generally fell within four categories: 1) the need to plan for future growth; 2) to relieve traffic congestion; 3) to improve traffic safety; and 4) to provide alternatives to the automobile.
Specific problem intersections and roadway corridors were identified and presented at this first meeting. The second public meeting was held after the analysis of the existing transportation
system was completed. Additionally, the effects of population growth on traffic volumes and transportation infrastructure were discussed. Where and potentially when future land use changes
(i.e. growth) were also defined and discussed. Again, the public had the opportunity to give their opinions on transportation system issues in the study area, as well as any other concerns
they might have. The third public meeting was held after the preliminary project recommendations were completed and prior to release of an “official” Public draft document. This meeting
gave the public the opportunity to review the preliminary project recommendations in their entirety, including a thorough review of recommended projects that not only offered mitigation
measures to solve existing transportation issues, but also measures to accommodate future growth issues. All three public opportunities described above were held at the Bozeman High
School cafeteria. Other Public Outreach Activities Formal and informal meeting and presentations occurred many times over the course of the project. These are specifically listed in
Table 1-3 later in this chapter.
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Hearing One public hearing was conducted near the completion of this planning process to obtain formal public comment on the public draft document before the Gallatin County Commission
and separately before the Bozeman City Commission. The public hearing covered all elements of the draft and significant additional time for public comment was provided after the public
hearing closed. After reviewing the comments received at the public hearing, the TCC met with the consultant to provide comments and direction in revising the draft document, and developing
the final version of the Plan. News Releases Television and newspaper articles were used several times during the planning process to help keep the public informed. These news releases
generally were issued prior to public meetings (and the public hearing), to generate interest in the process, and to encourage participation by the public. Internet Access The results
of the traffic studies and analyses conducted during the study process were made available to the public on the Internet website. As sections of the report and graphic displays became
available, they were posted on the web site for public review and comment. This enabled the public to stay abreast of the developments occurring during the planning process. It also
provided an opportunity for the public to submit comments. Project Newsletters Several project newsletters were created and distributed via email to a project email list. Towards the
end of the project, there were approximately 915 people on the project e-mailing list.
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COORDINATION SUMMARY The following tables (Table 1-1 thru Table 1-3) summarize all of the coordination that occurred over the course of this planning project. They encompass all formal
and informal meetings, including but not limited to Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) meetings and workshops, formal public meetings, and others. Table 1-1 Summary of Transportation
Coordinating (TCC) Activities Date Agency or Individual 03/28/2007 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 1 04/25/2007 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting
No. 2 05/23/2007 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 3 06/27/2007 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 4 07/25/2007 Transportation Coordinating
Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 5 08/22/2007 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 6 09/26/2007 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 7 10/24/2007 Transportation
Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 8 11/28/2007 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 9 12/19/2007 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 10
02/27/2008 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 11 03/26/2008 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 12 04/23/2008 Transportation Coordinating Committee
(TCC) Meeting No. 13 05/21/2008 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 14 07/23/2008 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 15 08/27/2008 Transportation
Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 16 10/01/2008 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting Workshop 10/29/2008 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No.
17 12/17/2008 Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) Meeting No. 18 Table 1-2 Summary of "Formal" Local Government Outreach Activities Date Agency or Individual 08/20/2007 Bozeman
City Commission Meeting No. 1 08/21/2007 Gallatin County Commission Meeting No. 1 02/06/2008 Gallatin County Commission Meeting No. 2 02/11/2008 Bozeman City Commission Meeting No. 2
12/17/2008 Gallatin County Commission Meeting No. 3 01/20/2009 Bozeman City Commission – Public Hearing 02/10/2009 Gallatin County Commission – Public Hearing
Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) Chapter 1: Introduction and Background 1-12 Robert Peccia & Associates, Inc. /ALTA Planning + Design /Cambridge Systematics Table
1-3 Summary of "Other" Outreach Activities Date Agency or Individual 04/12/2007 Gallatin County Staff Meeting – Planning & Public Works 04/12/2007 Bozeman City Commission – Roadway Design
Best Practices Meeting 04/27/2007 City of Bozeman Staff Meeting -Planning & Public Works 05/08/2007 Inter-Neighborhood Council (INC) Project Outreach 06/14/2007 Gallatin County Staff
Meeting – Planning & Public Works 06/14/2007 City of Bozeman Staff Meeting -Planning & Public Works 06/15/2007 Bozeman Chamber of Commerce – Eggs & Issues Meeting 06/26/2007 Streamline
Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) Presentation 06/27/2007 Transit Outreach Meeting – Lisa Ballard (Current Transportation Solutions) 06/27/2007 Public Information Meeting #1 (held
at Bozeman High School) 07/25/2007 Four Corners Neighborhood Group Meeting 07/25/2007 MDT Director Jim Lynch & Gallatin Gateway Neighborhood Group Meeting 08/09/2007 City of Bozeman/Engineering
Inc./PC Development Meeting -Highland 08/21/2007 City
of Bozeman Planning Board Presentation 10/17/2007 South Central Association of Neighbors (SCAN) Project Outreach 11/28/2007 Public Information Meeting #2 (held at Bozeman High School)
04/07/2008 Montana State University – Engineering Students/Faculty Presentation 08/12/2008 Gallatin County Planning Board 08/20/2008 Public Information Meeting #3 (held at Bozeman High
School) 08/26/2008 Streamline Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) Presentation 10/07/2008 Northeast Neighborhood (NENA) -Neighborhood Fall Meeting 11/12/2008 Inter-Neighborhood Council
(INC) Project Outreach