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ANNOUNCEMENT

The Public Commenting Period for the 2024 Great Falls Area Long Range Transportation Plan ended on Monday, September 23, 2024. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the plan and submitted comments. Next, the plan will undergo an approval and adoption process.

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Welcome to the project website dedicated to the 2024 Great Falls Area Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The previous LRTP was completed in 2018 and amended in 2019.  Although much of the information still holds true today, the transportation system and community's needs are ever changing.

 

The 2024 LRTP provides an opportunity to respond to the changing needs and interests of the community, plan for emerging transportation technologies, advance national, state, and local initiatives, and prepare Great Falls for future transportation funding opportunities.

LRTP NEWS

WELCOME

This website has been created to facilitate public input and provide information about the 2024 Great Falls Area LRTP. We invite you to explore the website, provide your comments, and ask any questions you may have regarding the plan.

Approval and Adoption Process

The public comment period ended on September 23, 2024. The plan will be presented to the Great Falls Technical Advisory Committee, City and County Commissions, and Great Falls Policy Coordinating Committee for approval and adoption.

SCHEDULE

The planning effort for the 2024 LRTP kicked off in February 2023. The plan is expected to be adopted by the end of 2024.

LRTP NEWS
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ABOUT

ABOUT

The Great Falls Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) have initiated a community-wide transportation planning process focusing on the greater Great Falls area. This planning process will assist the planning partners and broader community in guiding transportation infrastructure investments based on system needs and anticipated developments over the 2045 planning horizon. The plan will integrate with and build upon past planning efforts to evaluate and address the transportation system needs of all travel modes.

Transportation is a major concern to area residents today and is expected to remain a top priority as growth continues and the challenges of accommodating travel become more difficult. A comprehensive LRTP will provide an opportunity for city, county, and state officials, staff, and residents to work together to develop the innovative approaches necessary to plan and implement a transportation system that will serve the community's citizens well into the future.

The transportation plan effort began in February 2023. The plan is expected to be adopted by the end of 2024.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of this transportation plan?

The purpose of this transportation planning effort is to evaluate the community's current transportation system and understand what changes are needed to ensure the transportation system functions adequately over the 20+ year planning horizon. The overriding objective is to develop a plan that coordinates with the desires and direction of the community as a whole, while still providing a safe, functioning, and multimodal transportation system that can accommodate both existing and future travel demands. The end product of this important planning effort will be a useable plan that can help guide investments in the community's transportation system.

Who is developing the transportation plan?

The Great Falls MPO and MDT are the contracting authorities for this planning effort. Robert Peccia and Associates (RPA) is assisting the planning partners in completing this planning effort to meet federal deadlines. We will coordinate with the City of Great Falls, Cascade County, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Transit Administration to ensure the plan meets the needs and requirements of all affected entities.  We'll also look to key stakeholders and the broader community to guide the planning effort to ensure the resulting plan adequately reflects the needs, desires, and visions of all of its users.

How will the transportation plan be used?

The end product of the planning effort will be a comprehensive transportation plan that can be used by the MPO to guide transportation infrastructure investments within the Great Falls area over the planning horizon. The LRTP will set the course for improvements related to multimodal access and align with community desires for upgrades and extensions of existing transportation facilities. LRTP recommendations may be integrated into the transportation plans and programs of MDT and other local affected planning agencies based on funding availability. The LRTP will also provide information to support future implementation efforts by identifying appropriate funding sources.

How can the public/community contribute to the planning effort?

The public is invited to participate in the process through surveys, public open house events, and ongoing information review and input. This website has been developed to provide opportunities to comment on the needs of the community's transportation system and later, on the draft recommendations. Event dates, times, formats, and locations will be announced through local media sources, city social media channels, the transportation plan mailing list, and this website.

Everyone with an interest in the effort is encouraged to join the plan's email list by completing the email signup form below. Additionally, an interactive public commenting platform is available here, and can be used to share your thoughts at any time. RPA and the planning partners will collect and consider all public comments received to better understand the public view of potential issues and needs.

How will recommendations be evaluated?

The planning effort is designed to determine impacts - both adverse and beneficial - of potential transportation improvements in the study area. Consideration of planned and ongoing land development, the environment, community values, and sound engineering standards will shape the recommendations and study findings. In some cases, decision makers will be faced with conflicting desires and needs during the transportation planning process. Determination of recommendations will involve analysis of the previous plan's recommendations, comparing the trade-offs among the potential improvement ideas, as well as consideration of all public comments. The Great Falls MPO, City of Great Falls, Cascade County, and MDT will consider these comments and evaluate all relevant information as  appropriate when making final transportation plan recommendations. It is intended that the plan and its recommendations will reflect the outcome of this process and identify the most beneficial improvements for the community transportation system.

DOCUMENTS

DOCUMENTS

MAPS

MAPS

INTERACTIVE COMMENTING MAP

INTERACTIVE COMMENTING MAP

MAPS FOR DOWNLOAD

MAPS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

Public Engagement

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

The development of this transportation plan includes an extensive public involvement process to encourage community engagement and meaningful participation. Over the course of plan development, multiple public outreach activities will be devoted to defining relevant issues, understanding community needs, and presenting preliminary findings. The planning team will also schedule events to solicit public input during development of recommendations to ensure identified needs and concerns are addressed. At the end of the planning process, a public hearing will be held to facilitate formalization and adoption of the plan.

 

Check your local news sources, social media channels, and this website periodically for information relating to the time, format, and location of future public events or sign up for email updates below. 

Have a comment about a specific location?

The commenting period has now closed. Thank you for your input!

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General Comments?
Email List Sign Up

Subscribe to the Transportation Plan email list so you never miss an update!

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CONTACTS

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ANDREW FINCH

Senior Transportation Planner

Planning & Community Development Department

City of Great Falls

P.O. Box 5021

Great Falls, MT 59403

(406) 455-8434

afinch@greatfallsmt.net

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SCOTT RANDALL

Consultant Project Manager

Robert Peccia & Associates

P.O. Box 5653

Helena, MT 59604

(406) 447-5005

srandall@rpa-hln.com

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CONTACTS
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