210 E. Center Street
  P.O. Box 6129
  Pocatello, Idaho 83205
      (208) 233-9322
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Plans and
Programs


Portneuf Greenway Master Plan

        Maintenance Plan
        The purpose of this Maintenance Plan is to set a maintenance schedule for the Portneuf Greenway Trail System.
        The plan outlines responsibilities and recommends when and how to meet those responsibilities.

        Design Criteria
        The purpose of these Design Guidelines is to establish a consistent pattern to the development of the
        Portneuf Greenway Trail System. The plan outlines design treatment and recommendations for various
        components including trail construction.

        Section maps outline the plan for each of the seven Class I corridors section by section.
        These maps are available by contacting Mori Byington at Bannock Transportation Planning Organization.

In 1992, The National Park Service funded The Portneuf Greenway Implementation Plan, which was the first plan to guide the development of the Portneuf Greenway Trail System. The Implementation Plan envisioned a series of multi-use trails along the Portneuf River providing connection to river front parks, Idaho State University, and Old Town Pocatello. Over the last sixteen years the vision of the Portneuf Greenway Trail System has grown from a focus on just the river to the entire valley.

The Portneuf Greenway Master Plan expands the Portneuf Greenway Trail System to one where the community is connected to the river and public open spaces located on the hills surrounding the community. The trail system also expands from multi-use trails to include other bicycle and pedestrian facilities to ensure connectivity throughout the valley. In addition, design standards and a maintenance plan for the Portneuf Greenway Trail System were developed.

The vision of the Portneuf Greenway Master Plan is to create a trail system. These corridors will link the Portneuf River to Old Town Pocatello, Idaho State University, public lands, and the hills which surround the valley. The primary goal of this plan is to link the community to the river and public lands.

The heart of the master plan is multi use corridors which are separated from the roadway and follow open spaces like the Portneuf River. Existing open space locations, geography of the valley, and proximity to public lands do not allow the system to be entirely connected by Class I Trails. Other types of non-motorized facilities such as sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and low volume streets must serve as connectors from Class I Trails to other Class I Trails and to public lands. Figure 1-1 demonstrates how the entire system is connected to achieve the goal of connecting the community.

To assist further development of the trail system, the Portneuf Greenway Master Plan s policies, recommendations, and maps should be incorporated into City of Pocatello, City of Chubbuck and Bannock County s comprehensive plans and land use ordinances.

The Portneuf Greenway Trail System has three complementary parts: Class I Trails (paved and separated from roadway), Class II Trails (non-paved trails), On-Street Connections (consisting of bicycle lanes and sidewalks, low volume streets). Each of these components are critical for a connected system.

Pedestrian Plan

The 2006 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) identified issues with the current pedestrian system and questioned whether it was meeting the needs of the community. Coordinated, well designed, usable, and safe pedestrian facilities were identified as needs for the area. The LRTP noted that while most streets within the community have pedestrian facilities, the perceived usage of the system was very low. The LRTP also noted that the pedestrian facilities are not completely integrated into the transportation system. This lack of integration may be contributing to the overall usability of the pedestrian system.

Transportation planning, for the most part, is focused on the automobile. Street function, capacity, and design are all centered on the auto. Business sites are planned to ensure adequate parking and convenient access at the exclusion of other modes, like walking. Auto oriented development has forty years of infrastructure and tradition, which due to its relative success, makes change to another paradigm very challenging. Nationally, there have been many different movements trying to change these existing conditions. New Urbanism, Transit Oriented Development (TOD), Complete Streets, and urban villages to name a few, all recommend changes in land use patterns and transportation improvements to remake the fabric of our communities into one where non-automobile modes are preferred or at least a choice of travel. Both Pocatello and Chubbuck have adopted comprehensive plans which encourage this type of development and are encouraging changes to the pedestrian system. Local neighborhoods, such as the College Neighborhood Association, are also encouraging changes to the pedestrian system by improving the feel, safety and usability of sidewalks in their area.

This Pedestrian Plan will not specifically discuss land use changes; rather the focus is on providing recommendations to create a more connected, safe, and integrated pedestrian system.

Draft Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) 2010

Change 1 Approved BTPO Policy Board February 1, 2010

The TIP is a four-year prioritized listing of all federally funded transportation projects planned to be built within the MPO boundaries. The TIP is also an implementation tool of the Long Range Transportation Program (LRTP), therefore all local projects listed must either come from the LRTP or be found to be consistent with the LRTP.
 
Statewide Transportation Improvement Program

Travel Demand Model

Bannock Planning Organization's planning area encompasses the communities of Pocatello and Chubbuck, Idaho. These communities, along with parts of Bannock County comprise a small-sized urban region of 77,000 people. TransCAD is the software used for the region's travel demand modeling. The initial model was developed in 1997 by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Three major updates have taken place since 1997 including: the 1998 update which included demographic changes and modification to gamma function; and the 2002 update by BWR which replaced existing center line files with geographically correct centerlines, and automated the modeling process.

This update's primary purposes are: 1) To update the demographic data for 2035; 2) Modify the Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) structure; and 3) Continue development of peak hour model.
 
 

Conformity Determination

United States Department of Transportation's Transportation Conformity Reference Guide May 2000 provides the best explanation of transportation conformity. It states "Transportation conformity is a way to ensure the Federal funding and approval are given to those transportation activities that are consistent with air quality goals." It ensures that these transportation activities do not worsen air quality or interfere with the State Implementation Plan for the non-attainment area.
 
 

2006 Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

ITD initiated the development of Regional ITS Architectures throughout the State of Idaho. The Bannock Planning Organization is representing District 5 of Idaho in the development of the District 5 Regional ITS Architecture. In addition to meeting the federal requirements for ITS funding through the Highway Trust Fund, the development of regional ITS architectures provides a framework for implementing ITS on a regional level, encourages interoperability and resource sharing between districts and states, and allows for cohesive long range planning among stakeholders in the District. The development of Regional ITS Architectures follows the federal guidelines of conforming to National ITS Architecute and applicable standards as provided by the USDOT Final Rule.

A key goal in the development of the District 5 Regional ITS Architecture was to develop a consensus-based architecture with as many stakeholders as possible involved. Each stakeholder had an equal voice in determining the direction of the architecture for the District. Stakeholders included representatives from ITD, ISU, cities, counties, and the transit agency. A series of interviews were held with each of the ITS stakeholders to discuss existing and planned ITS infrastructure.

The result is an ITS architecture that establishes a vision and direction for the District. ITS needs of District 5 were established early in the project. Existing and planned elements of the architecture have been identified and the key agencies required to develop the ITS services, or market packages as they are referred to in the National ITS Architecture, for District 5 have been identified. An operational concept has been developed that focuses on the roles and responsibilities of the various agencies involved in District 5. The project sequencing section offers a guide fo the implementation of ITS services both planned and future. Types of agency agreements based on planned and future projects within District 5 have been determined for District 5 as the ITS Architecture gorws and is updated in accordance with the maintenance agrement. Applicable standards to support information exhanges and interoperability also have been identified.
 
 

Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

        Long Range Transportation Amendment (2009)
 

Long Range Transportation Planning - a vision of the transportation system's future conditions, needs and opportunities guides decision-making today. Long range plans project the transportation system needs and requirements twenty or more years into the future and helps shape local and regional strategies for addressing mobility.

Through a process of intergovernmental cooperation and coordination at the state and local level, as well as citizen involvement, long range transportation planning helps bring all affected parties to the table in order to address the unique transporation needs of the area. Since the transportation system is dynamic in nature, these plans are continuously updated every four years in order to provide a comprehensive and accurate strategy for addressing the ever changing needs of the Pocatello urbanized area. The 2006 - 2030 LRTP was approved by the BTPO Policy Board on September 18, 2006.
 
 

Yellowstone Corridor
      Introduction and Section 1
      Section 2
      Section 3
      Section 4
      Section 5
      Section 6
      Section 7
      Section 8
      Appendix A (first half)
      Appendix A (second half)
      Appendix B
      Appendix C
      Appendix D
      Appendix E
      Appendix F
      Appendix G
      Appendix H
      Appendix I

Yellowstone is the most important street in the urban area, with the exception of the interstate highways. Yellowstone is the backbone of the region's transportation system, serving to connect neighborhoods, business districts, residents and their jobs, and Pocatello and Chubbuck. Few people drive it from end to end or use it to pass through the area. It is a regional highway. Yellowstone Highway services the urban area rather than connecting rural parts of the state. Trips are much shorter, with origins and destinations occurring wholly within the urban area.

BTPO, ITD, Bannock County, Pocatello Regional Transit and the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck undertook the corridor planning process. In initiating the plan, the agencies acknowledged that the region's economic health and the quality of life of the region's residents are intertwined with the facility's function. The Plan will help improve the corridor in the future and ennsure it continued viability and utility.
 
 

Safety and Security

An Addendum to the 2006 Long Range Transportation Plan - Safety and security are two topics which have risen to the forefront of our collective consciences in recent years. Natural disasters and acts of terrorism seem to be more frequent and severe. These changes have resulted in a greater focus on what is being done to ensure communities are prepared for unpredictable events. Isolation between emergency service providers and other government and non-government providers of public services can no longer exist if we are to prepare for these potential emergency situations.
 
 

Idaho Local Mobility Management - Network 5D Mobility Plan

Mobility Defined
In the context of IMAP, I-way, and this planning document, mobility is an umbrella term that defines choices to Single Occupant Vehicles. Mobility services can include public and human services transportation, bicycle/pedestrian services, vanpool, rideshare, and Park and Ride lots.

 
 

Bicycle Plan

The main goal of the bike plan is to develop a connective and destinational system for all types of users including recreation and commuter travel. This plan supports and creates this system which integrates bike lanes and routes into the roadway system for everyone interested in cycling in the community.
 
 

School Zone

In 2004, Bannock Transportation Planning Organization and the Cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck contracted with Rocky Mountain Engineering & Surveying to conduct a school zone study in the Pocatello/Chubbuck area. Implementing a standard for all school zones in Pocatello and Chubbuck will create a safer environment for both the wlaking students and the traveling motorists.
 
 

Demographic Data

Demographic data is critical in planning the future transportation system. Demographic data is composed of employmnet, housing units, and population. Each of these components serves different aspects in the transportation planning process. Employment and housing units are used int ravel demand modeling. Population has lots of uses including economic projectison, demand managment, and comparisons between communities.

BTPO contracted Intermountain Demographics to update the 2002 demographic data. The 2006 base numbers were determined by tracking the number of household building permits and annual average employment form the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor.
 
 

Traffic Impact Study

The functionality of the existing roadway systems are influenced by many factors including: current use; land use bordering the facility; type and amount of access to the facility; and traffic control used along the facility. New developments or redevelopments can often change the existing conditions of a roadway requiring agencies and local property owners to make improvements to regain reasonable levels of service. To assist the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck and Bannock County, Bannock Transportation Planning Organization (BTPO) developed the Traffic Impact Study (TIS) Developer Guidelines. The primary purposes of these guidelines are (a) to assist in the short and long range planning of site access, off-site improvements, and street systems; (b) assist developers and property owners in making critical land use site planning decisions regarding traffic.
 
 

Arterial Delay Study Report

How long does it take to get there? This is a common question but an important one for transportation planning and the average driver. This Arterial Delay Study will determine the Level of Service (LOS) and delay for each of ten arterial corridors within the Pocatello/Chubbuck urbanized area. The ten corridors represent those with the highest volumes, over a mile in length, and have at least one signalized intersection or multiple all-way stop controls.
 
 

Master Street Plan

The Purpose of the Master Street Plan is to provide an engineering-based, legally defensible document which outlines the future collector and arterial placement and right-of-way requirements, and classifies the existing collectors and arterials by a street classification which can be used to develop a future acquisitions map.

Over the past few years Bannock Transportation Planning Organization (BTPO) and its member communities have been working toward a MSP. the MSP is the final step in a planning process which started in 1992 with BTPO assisting in the development of the first coordinated comprehensive plans for BTPO's member communities of Pocatello, Chubbuck and Bannock County. With the completion of this plan, land use and transportation will be working closer than ever to implementing the goals and policies of the regional Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and local comprehensive plans.
 
 

Unsignalized Intersection Report

This plan reviews twenty-four (24) intersections of roads classified as collectors and above with other roads classified as collectors and above. These higher classed roadways have a greater likelihood of requiring a traffic control device above a two-way or four-way stop control. Each intersection was analyzed for signal warrants as per the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and LOS using the Highway Capacity Manual procedures. Although this study uses warrant analysis procedures it is not to be considered engineering study as required by the MUTCD.
 
 

Visualization Techniques for Transportation Planning

With the passage of Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) in 2005, came an increased focus on improving public involvement. Public involvement in transportation planning and project development moved to a point where agencies were doing a good job of bringing the public and interested parties into the planning and projects development process, but some felt there was a lack of understanding of what planning was recommending and how projects would actually look. The purpose of this document is to provide a review on how BTPO currently conducts public involvement, document preparation, and website design and determine if visualization techniques can improve the understanding of the information being presented.

 

Administrative Plans

Public Involvement Plan (PIP)

This is a revised copy of the original plan adopted in 1999.
 
 

FY 2010 Unified Planning and Work Program (UPWP)

The UPWP is designed to outline the planning priorities and describe the planning activities over the next year.
 
 

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Plan establishes the required policies and procedures for addressing Title VI requirements.
 
 

Limited English Proficiency Plan

BTPO policy states that no person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subject to discrimination under any BTPO service, program, or activity.
 
 

BTPO Financial Statements