Transportation Alternatives Program

Eligible Applicants: City of Helena, City of East Helena, Lewis and Clark County, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, school districts, tribal governments, and nonprofits.

* All applications must be endorsed by City of Helena, City of East Helena or Lewis and Clark County. Please contact the MPO Manager for more information.

Federal law identifies the following broad descriptions for eligible projects:

1. on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
2. infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility.
3. community improvement activities
4. environmental mitigation.
5. recreational trail program projects.
6. safe routes to school projects.
7. projects for the planning, design or construction of boulevards and other roadways largely in the right-of-way of former Interstate System routes or other divided highways; and,
8. activities in furtherance of a vulnerable road user safety assessment.

In Montana, the types of eligible projects have typically been for construction of new and preservation of existing bicycle and/or pedestrian facilities. Examples include new accessible ramps for people with disabilities; new sidewalks, bike trails or shared-use paths along existing streets or roads; and, resurfacing existing but deteriorated asphalt paths.

*MPO Planning Boundary is the dotted line
** MPO Urbanized Area is colored green