HRDC and Community Stakeholders Launch Petition Drive to Form an Urban Transportation District

BOZEMAN, MT — HRDC and community public transportation advocates are moving forward with a petition drive to form an Urban Transportation District (UTD) in Gallatin Valley.
Creating a UTD will ensure that our community will continue to receive federal transportation funding, and will sustain the vital service HRDC’s Streamline provides to Gallatin Valley residents.

The need to create a UTD is a result of dramatic population increases in the Gallatin Valley, which is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation. The population of Bozeman alone has grown to more than 53,000 people according to the latest U.S. Census data. Bozeman’s growing population exceeds an important threshold in the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA’s) classification system. Rather than being classified as a rural community, Bozeman is now considered to be a small urban community.

Heather Grenier, HRDC’s CEO, explained that after operating Streamline for more than 15 years to provide transportation services across Gallatin Valley, retaining these funds for the Gallatin Valley will require either the establishment of UTD or the assumption of the community’s transportation services by Gallatin County or the City of Bozeman.

Grenier continued, “When HRDC originally launched Streamline, our mission was to provide mobility services and alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles in southwest Montana. This mission has become increasingly important with area growth. HRDC’s Streamline helps meet community transportation needs in several ways, benefiting not just riders, but everyone living in the Gallatin Valley.”

Community benefits of zero-fare community transportation include a reduction in traffic with reduced pressure on parking; transportation help for seniors, veterans and those with disabilities; workforce and MSU student transportation; community transportation to large-scale events; connection of Bozeman to smaller outlying communities like Belgrade and Livingston, and cleaner air through the reduction of motor vehicle emissions. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, HRDC’s Streamline is also key to addressing the growth and affordability issues of Gallatin County by ensuring everyone has access to essential services, educational and workforce opportunities, and recreation regardless of income.

The “Redesign Streamline 2020 Transit Development Plan,” based on extensive study and outreach to Gallatin Valley stakeholders, advised the community to explore the creation of a Gallatin Valley Urban Transit District so that Streamline could maintain and improve necessary services to align with the region’s growing population.

Creating a UTD so that Streamline can continue providing a service that benefits us all requires collecting the signatures of 20% of registered voters living within the proposed district. That is around 10,000 signatures from voters. If sufficient signatures are collected and verified, the Gallatin County Commission will hold a public hearing and place the UTD on the May Special District election ballot for voter approval as required by law.

The proposed UTD includes Bozeman, Belgrade, and Four Corners and is based on Streamline’s current and projected future service areas. Other regions identified in Gallatin County’s Transportation Development Plan as “future need areas” also are included in the boundaries.
A steering committee of community public transportation stakeholders and advocates is working with HRDC on the petition drive.

Sunshine Ross, HRDC’s Transportation Director, helped spearhead the community outreach and development plan and expressed enthusiasm for Streamline’s next chapter, “We couldn’t be more pleased with the outpouring of suggestions and support from across our community for the creation of a UTD in Gallatin Valley. Once the County approves the petition, the steering committee will have just 90 days to gather the required signatures to move the approval of the formation of a UTD to county voters.”

If you are interested in learning more about the UTD, please visit our webpage at StreamlineBus.com/UTD. The public is also invited to attend a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, July 27th from 12pm - 1pm. The meeting can be accessed here.
HRDC is a private, not-for-profit Community Action Agency focused on building a better community through nearly 50 different initiatives aimed at combating poverty in southwestern Montana. Streamline is a program of HRDC with a proven track record of benefiting all area residents through the provision of public transit. Streamline promotes equity, fosters economic development, and advances sustainability goals.

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More information about HRDC’s Streamline can be found at https://streamlinebus.com/
Donors, volunteers, and community members can learn more about HRDC at
https://thehrdc.org/

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According to the American Public Transit Association:
●  Public transportation provides vital connections to jobs, schools, and medical facilities. 

●  Every $1 invested in public transportation generates $4 in economic returns. 

●  87% of public transportation trips have a direct impact on the local economy. 

●  Public transit users can save nearly $10K a year vs. driving an automobile. 

●  Communities with strong public transportation can reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons yearly. 
HRDC’s Streamline benefits us all by: 

●  Facilitating smart growth 

●  Creating opportunities for all (e.g. provides transportation to work, school, recreation, 
shopping, etc.) 

●  Serving people with unique needs including the elderly, people with mobility challenges, 
young riders 

●  Reducing traffic congestion 

●  Lessening parking pressure 

●  Improving air quality 
Streamline is also key to addressing the growth and affordability issues of Gallatin County by ensuring everyone has access to essential services, educational & workforce opportunities, and recreation regardless of income.