Author Archives: Mark Egge

About Mark Egge

Transportation planner-adjacent data scientist by day. YIMBY Shoupista on a bicycle by night. Bozeman, MT. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Fayetteville: An Inspiring Sister City?

Posted on July 13, 2024 by Mark Egge

Bozeman could learn a lot from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Fayetteville is a university town in the Ozarks that’s become an amenity destination for many of the same reasons as Bozeman (vibrant city, recreational opportunities, strong economy). In its recent rankings, People For Bikes identified Fayetteville … Continue reading →

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Bozeman’s Draft Development Code is Less Scary Than It Seems

Posted on September 21, 2023 by Mark Egge

Bozeman’s new draft development code uses a form-based approach to residential zoning. According to the Form-Based Codes Institute, A form-based code is a land development regulation that fosters predictable built results and a high-quality public realm by using physical form (rather than separation of uses) … Continue reading →

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Big Housing Wins in the 2023 Montana Legislature

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Mark Egge

While headlines concerning the 2023 Montana Legislative session were dominated by efforts of the Republican supermajority to dismember Montana’s constitution and strip the rights of women and trans Montanans, there was at least one vibrantly bipartisan issue in Helena this … Continue reading →

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If widening Kagy ever made sense, it certainly doesn’t now

Posted on December 12, 2021 by Mark Egge

The City of Bozeman’s Capital Improvement Plan item SIF009 allocates nearly a year’s worth of transportation budget to widening Kagy, justified by doomsday forecasts of apocalyptic traffic and delay. Not only has this traffic failed to materialize—the trend is actually going … Continue reading →

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Yes In My Backyard Act

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Mark Egge

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i) introduced the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act to shed light on discriminatory land use policies and encourage localities to cut burdensome regulations. Instead of adopting inclusive land use policies that … Continue reading →

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Can’t do Infill – Lot Width Minimums

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Mark Egge

I’m highly interested in building some sort of infill project in the northeast neighborhood. My primary intention is add additional units of housing (in part to offset my own guilt about being “part of the problem”). I also just think … Continue reading →

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New Bicycle Crossing at Peach and Rouse Completely Unacceptable

Posted on November 29, 2020 by Mark Egge

The Montana Department of Transportation has recently reconstructed the Rouse Avenue corridor. At the intersection of Peach Street and Rouse, MDT has taken away the existing bike lanes on Peach Street to install two additional vehicle lanes. Strava’s Global Heatmap … Continue reading →

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Summer Reading List

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Mark Egge

Interested in some light summer reading? Consider picking up a copy of Bozeman’s Unified Development Code! Carve out some time, though—it’s longer than Kafka’s The Trial and The Castle combined. Critics are calling Bozeman’s little book of rules: “A haunting … Continue reading →

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Is Bozeman serious about affordability and sustainability—or not?

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Mark Egge

Bozeman will never achieve its climate or affordability goals without updating its zoning code to allow small lots, small floor plans, and more shared walls. Bozeman’s development code bans small lots. A ban on small lots is, effectively, a ban … Continue reading →

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Running for Bozeman City Commission!

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Mark Egge

After years of screed-ing here about Bozeman growth, development and politics, I’m excited to announce that I’m finally taking the plunge and stepping up to try to take a more active role in defining Bozeman’s growth trajectory. As of last … Continue reading →

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