New Bozeman-area MPO begins 15–18 month long-range transportation plan

The newly formed Metropolitan Planning Organization that now covers the City of Bozeman, the City of Belgrade and surrounding areas is launching a 15–18 month long-range transportation planning process, MPO staff said. The plan will set priorities, identify federally eligible projects and help coordinate multimodal work across jurisdictions.

"Metropolitan Planning Organization is a regional transportation planning organization that is designed to help increase the collaboration between regional entities when planning the future transportation network," Jeff Fuchs, the MPO's chief staff member referenced in the meeting, said during the presentation. He said the MPO area extends from Bozeman out to Belgrade and Four Corners and includes Gallatin County.

Why it matters: projects must be listed in the long-range transportation plan to be eligible for federal transportation dollars. Fuchs said the MPO expects to wrap its planning work around September 2026 with a required final plan by December 2026. He described the MPO's role as covering multimodal planning — not just roads but walking, biking and transit — and as a forum for local jurisdictions to coordinate priorities.

Funding and staffing: Fuchs said the MPO's planning work is funded mostly by federal sources (about 86.7%), with roughly 13.4% from state funds; the MPO currently supports two staff positions through those funds and has a modest planning budget. He noted that larger or supplemental studies would likely require grant funding or pooled contributions from local governments.

Local implications: elected officials raised whether changes such as interstate speed limits fall under MPO authority; Fuchs said interstate decisions rest with the Federal Highway Administration and the state, and the MPO can only make recommendations. Commissioners also emphasized that census-defined urbanized-area mapping affects which projects and communities receive Transportation Alternatives funding; Fuchs cited a local example in which $1.4 million was allocated through a competitive, urbanized-area-tied pool.

Next steps: officials discussed public engagement, committee assignments and potential advocacy around urbanized-area mapping; no formal vote was taken. Staff said they will follow up with outreach and a schedule for public involvement.

The presentation closed with an offer for questions and an invitation to elected officials and staff to identify priorities for the MPO process.