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Government

Kalispell Officials Review Bike and Pedestrian Infrastructure Options

The council began preliminary discussions on the transportation plan and possible funding sources

By Maggie Dresser
Crews work on the Kalispell Parkline Trail on Aug. 19, 2021. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

The Kalispell City Council at a Jan. 9 work session reviewed bicycle path and sidewalk options to potentially be implemented in the coming years as part of the Kalispell Transportation Plan update, along with the possible funding sources.

Recommendations in the transportation plan include installing shared-use paths, sidewalks, bike routes and bike lanes throughout Kalispell to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian traffic, especially near schools.

“The emphasis was on the connecting system of the already-built community and how do you go back and make it more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly, and then looking out into the future with some of those major connections and how do we go about the funding components?” City Manager Doug Russell said.

City officials hope to add bike routes, complete sidewalks and connect areas from around Glacier High School to the southern end of the potential project area near Rankin Elementary School.

According to the transportation plan, shared-use path infrastructure and street network improvements for the U.S. Highway 93 North and bypass terminus and on West Reserve Drive were areas identified as high priorities.

Other options in the plan include adding bike lanes to streets on the west side of the city near Flathead High School and neighboring elementary schools and installing sidewalks and shared-use paths in residential neighborhoods, with some stretching west across the Kalispell bypass.

The installation of bike routes connecting Four Mile Drive to Hilltop Drive, continuing the bike route from Flathead Valley Community College to Logan Health and additional east side and west side connections are also potential options in the plan.

Several Kalispell residents spoke during public comment to share their concerns about the lack of sidewalks in the neighborhoods east and west of downtown.

“I would like you to help us – the people that walk on the sidewalks,” Richard Hall said. “I walk regularly to the post office, I walk regularly to the bank. I try to walk when I can … We go on bike rides – we can ride out to Costco and we would like some of those connections to be better taken care of and more logical.”

City officials reviewed the potential funding sources for the pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, which include allocating funds from a special district that could go toward matching grants.

“It could create potential matching funds for grants in the federal transportation system,” Russell said. “That could potentially go a long way. We want to be aware of what does this mean for a property owner?”

Funding could also come from an increase in property taxes, which would be decided by voters if a levy was passed on a future ballot.

Discussions on the transportation plan and the budget will continue.