BILLINGS — Findings from a traffic study looking at changing some downtown one-way streets to two ways will be shared at a Billings City Council work session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
The downtown traffic study conducted by Kittelson & Associates started in May 2018. The Portland, Ore.-based traffic research company analyzed intersections in downtown Billings from First Avenue South northward to Sixth Avenue North.
The study looked at about 170 intersections in downtown Billings.
The City Council work session agenda states the goal of the study was to "ascertain the impact to traffic, both vehicular and multi-modal, and parking ... The study analyzed seven alternatives to various streets through the downtown, primarily the one way to two way conversion but also lane reductions."
A slide from the Kittelson and Associates PowerPoint presentation reminds council members and Billings residents that the process of determining traffic changes is, "what can work? Not, what will we build?"
Next the city will have to determine the scope of what it wants to change and select a consultant in the months of October and November 2019.
Before the final draft of the plan is presented with an estimated date of March 2020, officials will have to perform public outreach, narrow down the options for traffic changes, find a funding source, and schedule the money to be spent from the city budget.
Q2 will be covering the work session Tuesday and will have more information at ktvq.com and on air on the Q2 10 p.m. News.
A link to the Tuesday work session can be found here.
The slides that Kittelson and Associates will present at the meeting can be found here.
