Transportation Planning Process

MDT staff engage in a number of different planning processes, including the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The Transportation Commission selects and prioritizes projects for construction and maintenance, based on information, research and recommendations provided by MDT staff and local governments (Mont. Code Ann. §60-2-110).

Legislative Role in Transportation Planning

No formal legislative role. Legislators may testify at commission meetings like any member of the public. Rarely, the Legislature will require or address an individual highway or project in statute (for example, Mont. Code Ann. §60-2-133). This kind of special legislation is generally discouraged. The Legislature approves the MDT budget at the program, not project-specific, level.