Latest news with #MetropolitanPlanningOrganization
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘It's been 50 years': Bill to update public transit law awaits governor's signature
Mountain Line, Missoula's community bus service, provides zero-fare fixed-route bus and Paratransit service in and around Missoula and the University of Montana. (Courtesy photo) Right now, the City of Billings MET Transit buses can't serve nearby Lockwood because of a 1973 law. Legislation awaiting a decision by Gov. Greg Gianforte would change that, as well as an issue regarding transportation districts highlighted during the past few years in Bozeman. If signed, House Bill 764 would make changes to Montana's urban transportation districts and bus systems. Under current law, transit systems owned by a municipality can't serve communities outside the city limits. Legislators also used the bill as an opportunity to revisit laws surrounding urban transportation districts. The new law would open up cities with larger transportation systems — like Billings — to expand their reach outside town. Rusty Logan, an assistant director with the City of Billings who leads MET Transit, said the legislation could potentially lead to new routes. 'It allows the city to more openly negotiate inter-local agreements to provide regional transit service,' said Logan, who is also the president of the Montana Transit Association. 'As far as the urban transportation districts goes, the intention of the bill was to make it easier to establish an urban transportation district; and in saying 'easier,' just easier to get the vote on the ballot so that the voters could decide.' Currently, municipal bus routes can't go further than eight miles from city limits. The bill adds language allowing municipalities to exceed that mileage if funded by another state, federal or non-profit source. The bill was brought by Rep. Brian Close, a Bozeman Democrat, whose community was part of the reason the legislation was brought in the first place. 'It's been 50 years since you looked at these statutes,' Close said during a House hearing on the bill on March 4. 'And I think the statutes need just a small amount of reform.' The 2020 census put the Bozeman population at more than 50,000 people, an important milestone as they were now federally required to create a Metropolitan Planning Organization. It also opens up the city for increased federal funding, including for transportation. While the Bozeman area already had some transit services run by a non-profit, a new funding structure had to be created in order to continue receiving federal funding. Gallatin Valley Urban Transportation District was formed in the wake of the changes to Bozeman's population. Creation of the district required 20% of all registered voters in the boundaries of the proposed district to sign a petition to get it on the ballot. It was a drawn out process, said Sunshine Ross, who is the transit director at Gallatin Valley Urban Transportation District. 'A lot of effort, a lot of time, but it really did pay off,' Ross said. Gallatin County voters approved the district, with 79% voting yes. HB 764 will simplify the process by allowing a county commission to put creation of a transportation district directly on the ballot. 'It eliminates this really onerous threshold,' said Jordan Hess, who is the CEO of Mountain Line and a former city council member in Missoula. Gallatin Valley was the fifth transportation district in the state, which includes larger cities like Missoula and smaller ones like Glendive, which is served by Dawson Urban Transit. The bill also gave a clear definition of 'direct transportation service,' saying it was 1.5 miles from the nearest route used by 'a vehicle that provides general or special service to the public on a regular and continuing basis.' Clarity was needed in cases where a property owner wanted to get out of the boundaries of the transportation district, which can be used to generate funding through taxes. 'Our board has had to essentially define the term in statute by policy, since it is not defined in statute,' Hess said. 'We're happy to be in a situation. We're happy to be in an environment where that's clarified and we're not having to interpret unclear statutes.'
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chief Ladiga Trail: Anniston's 16-Year journey of perseverance, partnerships and planning
ANNISTON — In 2008, when the Surface Transportation Board approved the abandonment of a 1.4-mile Norfolk Southern rail corridor in Anniston, few could have predicted it would take nearly 16 years of research, advocacy and coordination to secure that short stretch of land for the completion of the Chief Ladiga Trail. Toby Bennington, Anniston's director of Economic Development and City Planning, has been at the center of it from the beginning. 'There were times when it would have been easy to throw in the towel,' Bennington said. 'But those of us who were there from the start held our own and didn't give up.' The trail, a 33-mile paved path stretching from Anniston to the Alabama-Georgia line where it connects with Georgia's Silver Comet Trail, has long been a cornerstone for regional recreation and economic development in Calhoun and Cleburne counties. But the final link — through the heart of Anniston — was tangled in legal ambiguity and bureaucratic red tape. 'In June of 2008, the city and (Metropolitan Planning Organization) received notice of the Norfolk Southern abandonment,' Bennington said. 'Former Mayor Gene Robinson and I reached out to Craig Orcutt with NS Real Estate. Craig, now retired, helped clarify what this meant and even provided original Valmaps of the railroad.' Despite Robinson's interest in moving forward, support from the City Council at the time was lacking, and there was no documented communication between the city and Norfolk Southern before the abandonment occurred. Nonetheless, Bennington and Jack Plunk of the MPO created a line item in the regional transportation program, hoping the city would one day acquire the corridor. Progress was slow until the Stewart administration reignited the city's interest in the project. Bennington and then-City Manager Brian Johnson resumed talks with Norfolk Southern, only to find that the Alabama Water and Wastewater Systems Board had acquired part of the corridor by quitclaim deed. Norfolk Southern argued they no longer owned the property — a claim that complicated the city's eligibility for federal funds. To unlock that funding, Anniston had to prove Norfolk Southern had once owned the right-of-way and build a property map from the ground up. 'It was new to everybody — the consultants, the MPO, ALDOT, even the FHWA,' Bennington said. 'We were creating a legal and historical record of rail ownership from scratch.' Multiple administrations — Stewart, Draper and now current leadership — kept the project moving. Kent Davis came on as city manager, and researchers Bruce Downey and Jay Rhodes dove into historical records to document the right-of-way ownership. That work paid off. The Federal Highway Administration and Alabama Department of Transportation ultimately approved the right-of-way map, allowing the city to purchase the property from Norfolk Southern and AWWSB. Over 12 years, the MPO earmarked $525,000 for acquisition and design engineering. Sain Associates became the lead design consultant after JRWA's retirement, and environmental studies, permitting and neighborhood assessments followed. Former Anniston City Manager Steven Folks helped sustain the vision and leadership for the project. During those years of persistence, the city expanded its bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure planning. With MPO support, Anniston developed a Bicycle-Pedestrian Integration Plan, a Multimodal Center Preservation Plan and several 'Share the Road' routes. In 2012, the city added the McClellan Spur using Recreational Trail Funds, connecting the trail to the Longleaf Preserve and the Talladega National Forest via the Pinhoti Trail. 'This was never just about a trail,' Bennington said. 'It was about building a system that connects people — to each other, to downtown, to the outdoors.' In 2022, Anniston officially purchased the final 1.4-mile segment from Norfolk Southern. And on February 20, 2024, the city awarded a $7.26 million construction contract to B&B Developers to complete the trail. The list of contributors is long: former mayors, city managers, MPO staff like Lori Sokol and Elizabeth Messick, state officials like Del Marsh and DeJarvis Leonard of ALDOT, researchers, engineers, JSU economists and many more. 'This has been a team effort from start to finish,' said Jackson Hodges, the city's director of Public Relations. 'Toby really was the glue. Without his institutional knowledge and drive, I don't think this would've happened.' Now, with the final leg finished, Anniston is positioned to reap the trail's economic and recreational benefits. A JSU-led impact study predicts increased tourism, healthier lifestyles and stronger local economies along the route. 'For Anniston, this is more than a trail,' Bennington said. 'It's a legacy — and a promise fulfilled.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Improving bike and pedestrian connectivity top of East Grand Forks' safety action projects
Apr. 8—EAST GRAND FORKS — Safety improvements along the Murray Bridge and Bygland Road were among the top projects identified in the draft Safe Streets for All plan, presented to the East Grand Forks City Council Tuesday night. The Safe Streets for All plan has been led by the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization. The plan, which comes from a $400,000 federal grant the MPO received, seeks to create a safety action plan and identify projects that could be done to improve traffic safety across greater Grand Forks. Once complete, the plan will open additional safe street funding opportunities and potentially other federal and state funding for projects. "We are getting to the end of our implementation, project identification phase and getting ready to get into our draft and final report and documentation adoption process," said Cody Christianson of Bolton and Menk, the consultants for the project. Since March of last year, the MPO has held numerous meetings about the plan and given presentations to many of the local public bodies . As the plan nears its final phases, likely in late summer, the MPO is planning more public meetings for opportunities for people to learn about it. The plan encompasses both Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, with Tuesday's presentation focusing on East Grand Forks. Among the top segments that have been identified for safety improvements include Bygland Road, the Murray Bridge and the U.S. Highway 2 curve on the northeast side of the city. For Bygland Road and the Murray Bridge, that would include improving bike facilities, which could create better pedestrian connections between the north and south sides of the Red Lake River. "I'm interested to see what the (advisory) group comes up with to improve the Murray Bridge," City Council President Brian Larson said. "It'll be very beneficial to connect the south end of the Greenway to the north end." Also identified was the intersection of 12th Avenue Northwest, 17th Street Northwest and River Road as a potential roundabout and the intersection of 14th Street Northeast and Central Avenue. All of the major intersections along Central Avenue north of Highway 2 were identified as potential projects to improve safety. In other news, the council: * Received updates from American Crystal Sugar about how operations have been. According to Ryan Wall, vice president of administration, 2024 had a record crop of sugar beets with higher-than-average sugar content. The company expects to finish its processing campaign on May 20, making it one of the longest ever. * Reviewed a memorandum of understanding for the purchasing model of city fire trucks with surrounding townships. The city and the seven surrounding townships have been partners for fire services since 2009 and this agreement will put in writing previous council direction given earlier this year.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Westover sidewalk delayed as state prepares US 19 corridor study
Mar. 20—WESTOVER — It's one of those good news, bad news situations. The bad news — A highly requested sidewalk project along Westover's Fairmont Road is being delayed at least a year. The good news — The delay is tied to a planning study that could lead to significant corridor improvements, sidewalks included, through the heart of the city. When the roughly $1.5 billion in federal RAISE Grant (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) awards were announced for 2024, the West Virginia Department of Transportation had three projects on the list. One in Charleston. One in Beckley. One in Westover. In Westover, the state is looking to spend the $1, 275, 000 grant to take a good, hard look at the U.S. 19 corridor that runs the length of the city as Fairmont Road and Holland Avenue. According to the information included with the U.S. Department of Transportation's 2024 RAISE awards, improvements are sorely needed. "The project will improve the safety of the US 19 corridor for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. The corridor currently poses a range of safety risks, which will be addressed with a combination of new sidewalks, repaired sidewalks, bike lanes and enhanced traffic management." The local Metropolitan Planning Organization agrees it's a priority. It listed the corridor as a Tier 1 project as part of the 2022 update to its Metropolitan Transportation Plan. At that time, the cost of the needed upgrades were estimated at $13.3 million. When Westover was informed of the pending study, the news came with a request from the state. "So, they're committed to making that better and the DOH came to us and asked us if we could postpone the sidewalk grants until they were done with this study, because they want to make sure all the work that gets done on this corridor, from front to back, fits with this study, basically, " Westover Public Works Director Jason Stinespring said. The sidewalk grants in question are a collection of funding sources pulled together by the city to construct a much-needed sidewalk along Fairmont Road, starting at Savannah Street and running toward Dents Run Boulevard. Two of those funding sources — a $400, 000 Surface Transportation Block Grant through the MPO and a $125, 000 Transportation Alternative Grant — are state sourced. Stinespring said those funds will be held for future use. That's not the case for a $400, 000 Community Development Block Grant, which the city will essentially lose. Westover's plan was to build as much sidewalk as the funds would cover, then pick it up again when more money became available. "[The state ] is doing this [study ] to eventually have all this work done, so they said there's going to be plenty of money to pull from to probably get a sidewalk the whole way down the road, to be honest with you, " Stinespring said, explaining any projects resulting from the study are likely at least two years away. "With the state putting that much effort into it with a million-dollar grant, our thinking at least is they're really wanting to do something nice with this, " he said. "It does stink with all the work we put into it, and we were excited for the sidewalk, but I think trying to look in the long-term, working with them on this is going to get us the best product in the corridor."
