RPA was retained to develop the 2024 Great Falls Area Long Range Transportation Plan, a federally required planning document that charts a course for the area’s multimodal transportation system over the next 20 years. The plan was developed in full compliance with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which introduced new federal requirements, updated planning emphasis areas, and expanded funding opportunities for MPOs nationwide.

RPA led plan development through a three-phase process covering existing conditions, visioning, and recommendations, designed to ensure meaningful public input at each stage. Outreach included two public open houses, stakeholder interviews, an online survey that received 575 responses, an interactive commenting map that generated over 160 public comments, and coordination with neighborhood councils and partner agencies. This broad engagement helped ensure the plan reflects the priorities of Great Falls residents, including a strong desire for improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, expanded transit service, and safer streets.

The technical work underlying the plan included a detailed assessment of the existing transportation network covering roadways, non-motorized facilities, transit services, goods movement, and asset conditions, as well as a comprehensive safety analysis of 8,567 reported crashes over a five-year period. RPA used a travel demand model developed for Cascade County to project transportation conditions to 2045 under multiple growth and network scenarios, identifying corridors and intersections likely to experience capacity and operational challenges as the region grows.

The resulting plan includes a prioritized, fiscally constrained menu of improvements spanning committed near-term projects, recommended investments through 2045, and a visionary long-term network. Recommended projects address roadway reconstruction, intersection improvements, bridge rehabilitation, sidewalk infill, and expanded bicycle facilities, totaling approximately $200 million in planned investments. The plan also establishes non-motorized recommendations for nearly 100 miles of new or improved walking and biking facilities, as well as transit goals focused on expanded service coverage, improved reliability, and better rider amenities. The Great Falls LRTP was adopted by the Policy Coordinating Committee in November 2024.