Pictured: Bozeman Mayor Terry Cunningham stands with Gloria Zimmer, Ralph Zimmer's wife.

Bozeman’s Mayor Terry Cunningham is posthumously recognizing local resident Ralph Zimmer with the City’s highest honor, a key to the city. Zimmer served the city, county, and state in citizen leadership roles in the area of bike and pedestrian safety.

“Ralph was a tireless advocate for safety throughout his more than 40 years of service,” says Mayor Cunningham. “He embodied the concepts of citizen service, gracious leadership, public engagement and practical problem-solving throughout his volunteer service to the City of Bozeman. I will never forget his contributions and how he pushed the City towards improving safety for all.”

Zimmer grew up in Colorado and earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Traffic Engineering from Purdue University. He worked at the Federal Highway Administration and Montana State University before retiring early due to an eye disease that caused him to go blind in 1999.

His disability did not stop his passion for safety. Zimmer chaired the Bozeman Area Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee, a group created by interlocal agreement between the Bozeman School District, Gallatin County and the City of Bozeman in 1976. Zimmer was an early joiner, starting his service in 1977. He continued on the board until it was consolidated into the Transportation Board in 2021.

Zimmer also spent time on the Galla10 Alliance for Pathways, a group that advocates for multimodal facilities throughout the Gallatin Valley. He was also a member of the Bozeman Transportation Coordinator Committee for over four decades and was a member of the Triangle Planning Coordinating Committee.

In addition to his board service, he spent decades testifying at City Commission, County Commission, State Transportation Commission, and State Legislature Committees, advocating for bike and pedestrian safety.

Zimmer was well-known in traffic safety circles and earned recognition throughout his life. He was the first ever recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals. He also received the James L. Pline Award from the Intermountain Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers. He was recognized by MSU’s College of Engineering with a Distinguished Faculty Award in 2019.

“The Key to the City is the highest award the City of Bozeman can bestow upon a citizen. We are grateful for Ralph Zimmer’s passionate advocacy for safer streets, sidewalks, and pathways,” says Cunningham.