Public Hearing and County Commission Vote Set for Gallatin County Urban Transportation District Proposal

Public transit and HRDC Streamline advocates are set to testify in support of a proposed Urban Transportation District and the Jan. 31 meeting of the Gallatin County Commission.

Commissioners will listen to the public comments on the UTD proposal before voting to place it on the May 3 special election ballot.

The hearing is required by Montana law. The commissioners must vote to place the measure on the ballot, but hearing public comment is a required part of the process.

Those set to testify in support of the UTD include:

• Ellie Staley, executive director, Downtown Bozeman

• Scott Birkenbuel, CEO, Ability Montana

• Jason Karp, planning director, City of Belgrade

• Darren Brugmann, Big Sky Transportation District

• Mitch Bradley, retired Bozeman businessman

  HRDC Streamline and public transportation advocates collected more than 28,000 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.

  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. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at the Gallatin County Courthouse, 311 W. Main St., in Bozeman.