The City of Billings and Yellowstone County are embarking on an update to the 2011 Bikeway and Trails Master Plan. The objective of this plan is to identify opportunities to make active transportation and recreation in-and-around Billings safer and more viable. The plan will help to better connect the community, and take advantage of great community assets, such as the Rimrocks, Yellowstone River and the historic downtown, as well as numerous neighborhood schools, parks, shopping destinations, and more. The Update will focus on making improvements to the trail network and where feasible introducing innovative bicycle facilities, such as separated bike lanes and bicycle boulevards, facilities that have proven to be comfortable for a wide range of bicyclists.
Community engagement in this update process starts with an interactive public workshop scheduled for Thursday, June 30th at the Library Community Room at 510 N. Broadway. The meeting will run from 5:00 to 7:00pm, with a kick-off presentation at 5:30pm. At the workshop, the public is welcome to aid the planning process by providing feedback about the existing bicycle and trail system. Input gathered will directly inform the recommendations developed later in the planning process.
In addition to the workshop, Billings residents are encouraged to provide insight about our bikeways and needs through their wikimap, at https://wikimapping.com/wikimap/Billings-Bikewway-Trails-Master-Plan-Update.html#.V2HSBZMrJ_R.
Since 2004, when Billings developed its first bikeway and trails plan, the trail and on-street bikeway networks in the city have both grown substantially; the miles of paved trail increased from approximately 10 miles to over 50 miles, and over the same period, the miles of bike lanes has risen from less than 2 to more 24 miles today. The city continues to be recognized as a Bronze ‘Bicycle Friendly Community’ rating by the League of American Bicyclists, and this Update will put Billings on a path to achieving an even higher rating.
Alta Planning + Design’s Bozeman office was selected to lead the Billings Area Bikeway and Trail Master Plan Update. Alta Planning + Design is one of North America’s leading firms specializing in bicycle, pedestrian, and trail planning, design, and implementation. A project website can be accessed at www.billingstrails.com, where a wealth of additional information can be found, including links to an online map, which enables the public to comment on bicycling and trail conditions in Billings, and a project newsletter signup.