The Yellowstone County Planning Board is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and oversees transportation planning for the Billings Urban Area. The area encompasses the City of Billings as well as a planning area extending approximately 4.5 miles outside the City limits. The MPO prepares a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) each year that contains:

• Discussion of projects to undertake during the upcoming program year
• Funding information
• Staffing information
• Schedule for each project

The UPWP is supplemented by a five-year Transportation Improvements Plan (TIP). The TIP is a fiscal planning program for federally assisted highway and transit improvements for the Billings Urban Area. Every five to 10 years, the MPO prepares an Urban Area Transportation Plan that assesses the transportation needs and recommends actions to address those needs.

The Billings Montana Trail Asset Management Plan. Development of this Trail Asset Management Plan has been a collaborative effort between Sanderson Stewart; the City of Billings Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Department; City Public Works Department; the Chamber of Commerce Trails Committee; and the City-County Planning Division. The purpose of the plan is to provide guidance and implementation strategies for the City and County to maintain trails across the community.

The Planning Division provides staff support to the MPO as well as two advisory committees that support MPO activities, the Policy Coordinating Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee.

Scott Walker is the Transportation Planner for the City and County. Transportation planning within the Billings Urban Area has been an ongoing process since the first official transportation plan was prepared in 1961. The plan has been updated in 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, 2000, 2005 and most recently, 2009. In addition, the Transportation Planners work to organize alternative modes of transportation through the development of bike and pedestrian trails throughout the City and County.