Transportation Alternatives Program

Greater Helena Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's Transportation Alternatives Program Purpose

The Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside from the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Program provides funding for a variety of generally smaller-scale transportation projects such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities; construction of turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas; community improvements such as historic preservation and vegetation management; environmental mitigation related to stormwater and habitat connectivity; recreational trails; safe routes to school projects; and vulnerable road user safety assessments.

_______________________________________________________________

Greater Helena MPO Call for TA Applications.

TA Application Form

TA Form Instructions(PDF, 204KB)

Schedule
Call for Applications Released May 19, 2025
Application Deadline August 1, 2025
Tentative Award of Projects August/September 2025
Funding, Construction & Maintenance Agreements are Executed for each Project November/December 2025
Project Development Begins January 2026
Project Bidding and Construction 2027-2029

 

Eligible Entities

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.

 

 

Eligible Projects

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.

 

GHAMPO Urbanized Area (Location Requirement)

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

Helena-MPO-Urban-Boundary-2020.png