Kalispell and Whitefish will receive $680,000 in federal Safe Streets for All grants as a part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), according to a Jan. 30 press release from the office of U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.
The IIJA, which was signed into law in November 2021, includes funding for an array of infrastructure improvements in Montana, including enhancements to the state’s roads, bridges and highways, expansions to broadband internet and grants to reduce wildfire risk. Kalispell will receive $520,000 and Whitefish will receive $160,000 from the “Safe Streets for All” grant program to develop comprehensive safety action plans to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
“Safe roads are foundational to every Montana community, and I’m proud to secure this funding so that folks in the Flathead can get to school and work without worrying,” Tester, the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to vote in favor of the IIJA, said in the Jan. 30 press release. “Through my bipartisan infrastructure law, we’re repairing outdated roads and bridges, keeping the state connected with high-speed internet, and making communities safer. These investments are a great start, and I know folks in the Flathead will put these resources to good use keeping people safe.”
Kalispell’s grant funding will go towards making Main Street safer and more pedestrian friendly in accordance with the city’s Downtown Plan and Move 2040 transportation plan, Development Services Director Jarod Nygren said. The city plans on cooperating with an array of stakeholders — local business owners, the Montana Department of Transportation, Flathead County and federal agencies — to create five or six plans for the community to consider. Given that Main Street is a commercial center for Kalispell, a vital part of the local transportation grid and portion of federal Highway 93, city planners will be balancing a number of coinciding priorities as they move forward to create a plan, Nygren said.
The city is focused on “coming up with solutions that will work over the next 20 years,” the development services director added.
In Whitefish, grant funding will be used to develop a safety plan for Highway 93 South and Wisconsin Ave in accordance with the city’s 2022 Transportation Plan, Whitefish City Manager Dana Smith said.
In a staff report submitted to the Whitefish City Council, representatives from the Department of Public Works listed a number of issues that could be addressed by the grant, including applying low-cost safety improvements such as rumble strips and flashing beacons, increasing signage, conducting speed management projects and installing safer crosswalks and sidewalks.
Smith said that the city will use the funding to address “shared use path connections that are missing” and create “a plan that addresses safety in transportation.”
Both Kalispell and Whitefish will be hiring consultants and meeting with various stakeholders as the planning process begins in earnest.