For immediate release: June 17, 2025 

Media contact:
Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
406-595-8963 (cell)
whitney.bermes@gallatin.mt.gov 

Gallatin County Adopts Safe Streets for All Action Plan to Reduce Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries 

After more than a year of collaboration, research, and community engagement, the Gallatin County Commission has officially adopted the Gallatin County Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Action Plan. This milestone marks a major step toward reducing fatalities and serious injuries on county roadways. 

Gallatin County developed the Action Plan after being awarded a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All planning grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation. The county partnered with consulting firm Robert Peccia & Associates (RPA) to develop the plan. Adoption of this plan makes Gallatin County eligible to apply for future federal funding to implement the recommended safety projects and programs. 

“This is an important roadmap and requirement for accessing future grant dollars and an integral part of how we advance some of these big infrastructure projects that are ridiculously expensive,” said Gallatin County Commissioner Jennifer Boyer. 

The planning area for the SS4A Action Plan includes all of Gallatin County except the city limits of Bozeman and Belgrade, which are conducting their own SS4A planning efforts. The plan’s focus is on addressing serious crashes and working toward a goal of reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries by 50% by 2034. 

Based on an in-depth review of five years of crash data, the plan identifies four key focus areas: 

• Run-off-the-road crashes 

• Intersection crashes 

• Driver age (younger and older drivers) 

• High-risk behaviors (speeding, impairment, distraction, lack of seatbelt use) 

To address these focus areas, the Action Plan recommends: 

• Several strategies that can be used to assist in the future identification, development, and implementation of specific projects in the county 

• 19 projects – infrastructure improvements to make roadways safer 

• 8 programs – ongoing initiatives such as crash data analysis and education campaigns 

• 4 policies – to improve operations and safety standards 

Throughout the planning process, Gallatin County engaged the public through surveys, interactive commenting maps, virtual open houses, and a Safety Summit with community leaders. This input helped shape the plan’s recommendations to reflect local priorities. 

Now that the plan is adopted, Gallatin County will pursue funding to begin implementing priority projects and programs, with the ultimate goal of achieving zero roadway fatalities in the future. 

Learn more and view the full plan here.

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