Gallatin County Commissioners Accept Petitions Calling Formation of Urban Transportation District Public Hearing on Proposal Set for Jan. 31

 

Gallatin County Commissioners at their Jan. 17 weekly public meeting will accept a petition calling for the creation of an Urban Transportation District (UTD) in the Gallatin Valley.

At the meeting, commissioners also will vote to schedule a Jan. 31 public hearing on the formation of the district.

HRDC Streamline and public transportation advocates collected 26,000 voter signatures, more than twice the number needed, in support of creating the UTD. The Gallatin County Elections Office has confirmed that more than enough qualified voter signatures were gathered in order to place the UTD on the May 2 election ballot.

The Jan. 31 public hearing is to hear public comment only. The success of the petition drive means that the measure must be placed on the ballot.

Forming a UTD will enable Streamline to continue receiving federal transportation funding now that our community has transitioned from being designated “rural” by the U.S. Federal Transportation Administration and is now categorized as a “small urbanized area.”

The UTD will enable Streamline to maintain its current level of service and position it for the future as our valley’s public transportation needs grow. The proposed UTD will include all of Bozeman and Belgrade and areas between.

The County Commission meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Gallatin County Courthouse, 311 W. Main St., in Bozeman. Meeting agenda.