Click here to view the October 2005 Public Release Report.

INTRODUCTION

In 1996, The Butte – Silver Bow Transportation Plan developed Transportation Planning Goals that were as follows:

The primary goal of the 1996 Update is to identify the need to develop a sound strategy for allocating scarce resources to produce a transportation system that is:

	Efficient, Affordable and Sustainable
	Friendly to Neighborhoods and Commerce
	Attractive and Enjoyable
	Accessible and Equitable
	User-Friendly
	Safe and Healthy

The following goals were developed based on the first round of public meetings for the 2005 Butte Transportation Update:

Goal #1 – Identify transportation strategies that are reflective of community goals concerning economic and community development.

Goal #2 – Enhance the non-motorized transportation system by constructing missing links and providing trail maps.

Goal #3 – Better utilize the existing transit system and maximize ridership.

Goal #4 – Employ engineering design approaches that provide for ease of maintenance, access, and repair.

Goal #5 – Design transportation routes to assure safe and efficient traffic flow.

What is a Traffic Model? 

Modeling of transportation systems is conceptually divided into two parts: supply side and demand side. The supply side consists of the available transportation infrastructure, while the demand side consists of people using the infrastructure to meet their transportation needs.

Demand models determine the demand for travel based on the socio-economic characteristics and land use patterns of the urban area and the difficulty of moving about the transportation network.  The supply side is modeled by developing a transportation network, which in this case was derived from Butte’s GIS data set. 

For this transportation study, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is completing the travel demand modeling.  MDT develops the model using existing socioeconomic information to generate baseline travel volumes on each route.  HKM “validates” the model by comparing the model output to the existing traffic information that was collected on-the-ground. Modifications are made to the model based on the actual travel data to accurately depict existing conditions.  Then using socioeconomic forecasts, the model is calibrated to predict future travel conditions. 

Utilizing the calibrated model, HKM will identify deficiencies in the current and future transportation system in order to develop a prioritized list of projects for the near and long-term development.