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Update: Project Idea Map Now Closed
Thank you to everyone who shared ideas and helped shape this work. It has been meaningful to connect with the community and see your input reflected on the map.
We are now moving into Alternatives Analysis, where community input will help guide how we explore future transportation choices and investment approaches. More information will be shared as we continue this work toward adopting the LRTP by the end of the year.
Stay connected as the plan takes shape. Sign up for e-notifications at the bottom of this page to receive updates and future opportunities to stay involved.
Public Mapping Open for LRTP Project Concepts
Help Shape the Future of Transportation in the Gallatin Valley.
We are collecting ideas for transportation improvements across the Gallatin Valley Metropolitan Planning Area as part of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).
We launched an interactive map where you can share project concepts for us to consider in the plan. Whether you live here, work here, or travel through the region, your ideas help us understand where the transportation system can work better.
Using the map, you can drop a comment and tell us what improvement could make travel safer, easier, or more connected. Ideas may include roadway improvements, safety upgrades, sidewalks or pathways, pedestrian crossings, bicycle infrastructure, trail connections, Safe Routes to School projects, or other transportation investments.
The interactive map is now open. You can add comments and upvote ideas through April 17th.
We will combine what we hear from you with technical analysis and coordination with local jurisdictions to help shape the LRTP. Early ideas like these help us identify patterns across the region and see where improvements could have the greatest impact.
Add Your Ideas to the Map
Access the interactive mapping tool:
View the Dashboard in a separate window.
What you share will help guide the next stages of the LRTP, including project evaluation and the development of regional transportation priorities. Sharing an idea does not commit the MPO or any jurisdiction to fund or build a project, but it helps us identify needs and understand community priorities.
If you experience difficulties using the interactive map, you can provide your comment using our comment form.
March 2026 - Agency Call for Projects Now Open
The Gallatin Valley MPO is accepting transportation project concepts from partner agencies and technical staff for evaluation in the Long Range Transportation Plan.
This solicitation is for agencies. A public project idea submission process will open March 16.
Share Your Input Online
Your voice matters as we plan for the Gallatin Valley’s transportation future. The Gallatin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization is developing a Long Range Transportation Plan to guide future transportation investments.
Update: Online input is now closed
Thank you to everyone who participated. The interactive poll and online survey are now closed.
The input we received will be used to evaluate potential transportation projects and inform the next phase of the Long Range Transportation Plan.
Watch the Webinar?
If you would like to learn more about the Long Range Transportation Plan, you can still watch the recorded webinar below. The webinar provides an overview of the planning process and explains how public input will be used to evaluate potential projects.
What Happens Next?
We are reviewing community input and using it to assess potential transportation projects. This information will help shape the alternatives that move forward. We will return in the spring with additional engagement opportunities focused on reviewing community-preferred options and alternatives.
Thank you for your time and interest in the future of transportation in the Gallatin Valley.
LRTP Goals and Objectives
Guiding How We Choose Future Transportation ProjectsAs part of the Gallatin Valley MPO’s first Long Range Transportation Plan, the goals and objectives below help define what we are working toward as a region. The Transportation Policy Coordinating Committee (TPCC), which serves as the MPO policy board, adopted these goals and objectives to establish the policy direction for the LRTP.
These goals will help us turn community input into action. They will guide how we compare potential projects, decide which ones should move forward, and help direct limited transportation dollars toward projects that improve safety, access, daily travel, and quality of life across the Gallatin Valley.
Goal 1: Support Safe Travel Across All Modes
We heard that safe travel matters for every trip, no matter how people move through the region.
- Eliminate all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries across all transportation modes.
- Improve safety outcomes and reduce barriers for non-motorized travel.
- Improve safety performance on high-injury corridors and intersections.
- Improve accessibility and safety by reducing existing facility gaps and ADA deficiencies.
- Reduce conflicts and barriers that undermine safety, comfort, and personal security.
- Maintain safe and secure connections for transit riders and operators.
- Strengthen partnerships to support consistent speed limits and Vision Zero goals.
Goal 2: Ensure a Well-Maintained Transportation System
We need to take care of the transportation system we already have while planning for future needs.
- Maintain a state of good repair for roadway, bridge, and transit assets.
- Maintain reliable travel times across the transportation system.
- Improve pedestrian conditions to and within pre-1980s neighborhoods, activity centers, and transit stops.
- Improve long-term system performance through preservation-focused investments.
Goal 3: Expand Mobility Choices Throughout the Region
We are planning for a region where people have more safe, practical, and connected ways to get where they need to go.
- Improve access between schools, jobs, services, and key destinations.
- Improve street and pathway connectivity to support more direct multimodal travel.
- Expand transportation infrastructure to support trips made by not driving alone.
- Improve access, comfort, and safety to and at transit stops and transfer locations.
- Expand access to everyday non-driving travel options that lower household costs.
- Improve continuity and comfort by filling missing gaps in the pedestrian network.
Goal 4: Enhance Health, Quality of Life, and Preserve Regional Character
Transportation decisions shape how people experience the Gallatin Valley. Future investments should support active living, access to recreation, environmental stewardship, and the character of the region.
- Improve access to non-motorized facilities that support active travel options.
- Improve transportation access to parks, trails, and recreation areas.
- Reduce wildlife-vehicle conflicts and improve safe wildlife movement across corridors.
- Reduce transportation-related impacts on environmentally sensitive areas.
- Reduce per capita air emissions from the transportation system.
Goal 5: Enhance Transportation and Land Use Planning Coordination
We heard transportation and land use decisions should work together so growth is supported by safe, connected, and human-centered transportation choices.
- Align transportation system and network decisions with adopted growth plans.
- Encourage land use decisions consistent with transportation investments and policies.
- Align system design to support walkable, human-centered, and well-connected places.
- Support placemaking, economic vitality, and access in centers.
- Prioritize year-round needs to avoid overbuilding driven by seasonal travel demand.
- Reduce speed-related conflicts through context-sensitive design.
Goal 6: Improve Transportation System Resilience
We are planning for a transportation system that can adapt to changing conditions, support emergency response, and keep people and goods moving.
- Improve the adaptability and flexibility of the transportation network design.
- Maintain and enhance system design for the reliable movement of people and goods.
- Maintain a transportation system that can accommodate emerging technologies.
- Strengthen coordination, cooperation, and preparedness among transportation partners to support mobility, access, and logistics during emergency response and recovery.
How These Goals Will Be Used
The adopted goals and objectives provide the foundation for the next stages of the LRTP. They will help the MPO and its partners compare potential projects, evaluate tradeoffs, and develop a fiscally constrained list of regional transportation priorities that best support the Gallatin Valley’s long-term needs.
Virtual Public Meeting Invite - December 18th, 2025
We invite you to join us for a public meeting and help shape the future of how the Valley moves, lives, and thrives. The region’s first Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is an opportunity to take a thoughtful and coordinated approach to growth that supports mobility, affordability, sustainability, and a high quality of life.
This work reflects local expertise, national best practices, and close collaboration with the Cities of Bozeman and Belgrade, Gallatin County, Montana Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Streamline Bus, and community members across the planning area.
Meeting Details
Date: Thursday, December 18, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual (Teams)
Join the Meeting: Teams Webinar link
During the meeting, staff will share early planning insights and invite participants to join an activity that helps define the LRTP’s goals and priorities. Your input will directly shape future investments in streets, trails, transit, and community connections throughout the Valley.
Please register for the Teams Webinar link to receive access information.
We welcome your participation and look forward to working together to build a transportation system that reflects the needs and values of the Gallatin Valley.
The GVMPO Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
Southwestern Montana is growing quickly. The Bozeman area is one of the fastest growing regions of its size in the country. With a thriving economy, a vibrant community, the presence of Montana State University, and access to world-class outdoor destinations, the region is experiencing exciting opportunities alongside big challenges.
In 2020, Bozeman's population passed 50,000 residents, officially earning the designation of a Metropolitan Area. This milestone triggered the creation of the Gallatin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), a regional partnership of local governments to plan and invest in a connected, safe, and efficient transportation system for our growing region. As part of this designation, the region is now developing its first ever Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), to be completed by the end of 2026. The LRTP will outline a shared vision for how we move - whether driving, walking, bicycling, or rolling - over the next several decades. It will guide transportation decisions and investments across the City of Bozeman, City of Belgrade, and a portion of Gallatin County within the MPO boundary.
This plan comes at a pivotal time. Between 2010 and 2020, Bozeman’s population grew by over 40%, bringing new jobs and generating revenue for local businesses. That growth has also created new challenges, including rising housing costs, increased traffic, and added pressure on infrastructure.
The LRTP provides an opportunity to take a thoughtful, coordinated approach to growth - balancing mobility, affordability, sustainability, and quality of life. The planning process draws on the expertise of both local professionals and national planning experts, working in close partnership with the Montana Department of Transportation, Gallatin County, and the cities of Bozeman and Belgrade.
We’re building on years of existing planning work to ensure this plan reflects our region’s unique needs, values, and vision for the future.
You are invited to be a part of this process. Together, we’ll create a plan that not only meets federal, state, and local requirements—but also sets us up for future funding opportunities and long-term success.
LRTP Survey
We are creating the GVMPO's first LRTP, a community-driven roadmap for how people will get around over the next 20 years. The plan will guide investments in roads, transit, biking, walking, and safety across the valley. We are in the early stages, and your input now will help set the vision and priorities before alternatives are developed.