Rapid City MPO

The Rapid City Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (RCMPO) is soliciting proposals from qualified consultants to revise/update the Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan. The previously adopted 2019 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan can be viewed or downloaded at https://mail.rapidcityareampo.org/application/files/2715/5804/4045/RAPID_CITY_CHSTP_Final_Report_03-28-2019.pdf The update will be prepared with the active involvement of, and consultation with, public, private, and non-profit transportation providers, transportation users, and stakeholders throughout the Rapid City Metropolitan Planning Area. Federal transit law requires that projects selected for funding under the Enhanced Mobility for Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities (Section 5310) Program be “included in a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan.” The plan identifies transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, older adults, and people with low incomes, provides strategies for meeting those local needs, prioritizes funding, and identifies strategies to improve coordination between transportation providers.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT), in collaboration with the City of Rapid City, Pennington County, and the Rapid City Area MPO, will hold a public open house at 5:30 pm on Thursday, December 14th at the Event Center at Black Hills Energy, (7001 Mount Rushmore Road) in Rapid City to obtain comment from area residents of the options for the segment of US16 from east of Rockerville to west of Neck Yoke Road. The open house will be informal allowing for one on one discussion with the study team. The purpose of this public meeting open house is to present the alternative refinements made as a result of the November 2nd public meeting and obtain further public feedback. This feedback will help the study team further refine alternatives and finalize recommendations. Area residents, business owners, and daily commuters are encouraged to attend and participate in the corridor study. The opportunity to present written comments will be provided. Written comments on the public meeting will be accepted until December 29, 2023. For those who cannot attend the open house or desire additional information on the overall study, information will be available online at www.us16corridor.com beginning on December 14th. The presentations and displays shown at the open house will be available online within a few days after the open house meeting. The website also allows for online comments to be submitted. The study team would appreciate hearing from the area commuters, concerned citizens, and adjacent landowners and business owners throughout the study period. Notice is further given to individuals with disabilities that this open house is being held in a physically accessible place. Any individuals with disabilities who will require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the open house should submit a request to the department’s ADA Coordinator at 605-773-3540 or 1-800-877-1113 (Telecommunication Relay Services for the Deaf). Please request the accommodations no later than 2 business days prior to the meeting in order to ensure accommodations are available. For more information, contact Steve Gramm, Planning Squad Leader, at (605) 773-3281 or by email at steve.gramm@state.sd.us.

The Rapid City Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in conjunction with Pennington County, the City of Box Elder, and the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) will hold an open house and public meeting to discuss and receive public comment on the corridor study. The purpose of this meeting is to present alternatives to improve operations and safety within the corridors and to receive publics feedback on their viability or other alternatives that should be considered. This open house will be held on September 19, 2023 from 5:30-7:00pm at the Box Elder Community Center. Written comments should be sent to Attn: Hwy 1416 and Radar Hill Road Study, 330 Knollwood Drive, Rapid City, SD 57701, or by email to steve.grabill@kljeng.com. Written comments will be accepted through October 8, 2023.

South Dakota Department of Transportation will be hosting an Open House/Public Meeting for Proposed Project to Reconstruct Intersection of US HWY 16 & Neck Yoke Road on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at Black Hills Energy, 7001 Mount Rushmore Road, Rapid City. The public is encouraged to attend. For more information or comments please contact the SDDOT project manager Mark Malone, who can be reached below or by phone at (605) 773-5409.

PIERRE, S.D. - The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) is seeking public input into the development of the State’s Freight Plan. The Plan identifies freight contributions to the State’s economy, provides recommendations for strategic improvements, guides freight-related investments, and supports the vision and goals of the National Freight Network. The public is encouraged to participate in the State Freight Plan virtual public meeting located on the SDDOT website at https://dot.sd.gov/projects-studies/planning/draft-freight-plan. This website provides a copy of the State Draft Freight Plan, maps, and presentation materials for review. Through the virtual public meeting, the public may also actively engage by completing the Draft Freight Plan Survey and provide written comment. Written comments will be accepted until Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, the Draft Freight Plan Survey will also close on this date. Questions and comments may also be submitted to Sarah Gilkerson, MPO Coordinator, 700 East Broadway Ave., Pierre, South Dakota 57501 or via email sarah.gilkerson@state.sd.us. Any individuals with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation to access the information on the Department’s website may submit an accommodation request to the ADA coordinator by calling 605-773-3540 or 1-800-877-1113 (Telecommunications Relay Services for the Deaf). For further information regarding the State Draft Freight Plan, contact Sarah Gilkerson, MPO Coordinator, at 605-773-3093.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) will host in-person open house public meetings and a virtual, on-demand meeting to discuss and receive public input on the South Dakota Electric Vehicle (EV) Fast Charging Plan. June 21st 5:00-6:30pm Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City

CITY PROMOTING BENEFITS OF BIKING WITH SATURDAY BIKE TOUR RAPID CITY, SD—May is National Bike Month and the City of Rapid City is celebrating by hosting a bike tour this Saturday. The bike tour is open to the public and is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with a route heading west from Founders’ Park and using a combination of the Leonard ‘Swanny’ Swanson Memorial Pathway and on-street bicycle facilities. The ride will cover approximately seven miles and will include participation from City officials and staff. “National Bike Month is a celebration of biking as transportation, as recreation, as essential to our well-being and everyday lives,” said Kip Harrington, City long-range planner and bike tour organizer. “We’re encouraging to join us for a fun and enjoyable biking experience.” May features a number of national recognitions focused on the importance of biking. The National Bike Challenge kicks off this month and continues through September. This week – May 16-22 – is designed at National Bike to Work Week and Friday is National Bike to Work Day with the public encouraged to bike to work and recognize the health benefits, cost savings and overall efficiency of biking. For more information, contact Harrington at 605-394-4120 or kip.harrington@rcgov.org .

As a department of the City of Rapid City, Rapid Transit System (RTS) offers fixed route bus service and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complementary paratransit within city limits. Fixed-route service has been branded as Rapid Ride and paratransit as Dial-a-Ride. In 2019, Rapid Ride provided more than 400,000 passenger trips and Dial-a-Ride approximately 78,000 trips, using a fleet of 37 buses. Since the initiation of the Youth Ride Free Campaign in 2016, a substantial number of trips have served youth under 18 – amounting to more than 340,000 in total. RTS and the Rapid City Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (RCAMPO) developed this Transit Development Plan (TDP) to provide strategic guidance for a sustainable transit system to serve the community. The TDP will also serve as the basis for the transit element of the regional transportation plan.