Proposed Main Street Redesign Set for Public Hearing Monday
The Kalispell City Council will take public comment on the designs and whether city staff should take the next step in applying for a federal grant
By Zoë Buhrmaster
Community members will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposed redesign of downtown Kalispell streets during Monday’s council meeting.
The redesign is part of the Main Street Safety Action Plan adopted by the council last summer to eliminate crashes by reshaping Kalispell streets as part of the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All Program. The proposed redesign would transform Main Street, First Avenue East and First Avenue West.
The centerpiece of the plan involves reducing Main Street from four lanes to three, with a single lane in each direction and a center lane for left turns. The extra space would be reallocated to additional sidewalk and boulevard space that businesses could use for amenities like outdoor seating.
Other proposed infrastructure changes include rapid flashing beacons at marked crosswalks, leading pedestrian intervals at crosswalks that give pedestrians a head start ahead of vehicles, and roundabouts.
Kalispell has partnered with Flathead County and the Montana Department of Transportation, hiring Boston-based consulting firm Kittelson & Associates for the project.
According to traffic data, there were 2,234 crashes that occurred between 2018 and 2022 within the project’s planning area, of which 258 occurred on Main Street. Of those, seven resulted in fatalities and 38 in serious injuries.
The project is in the second part of the two-phase plan, with this phase focused on gathering community input, which included a January open house.
The next step in the city’s plan is to pursue grant funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s safe streets program.
The hearing will take place during Kalispell’s city council meeting at 7 p.m. inside the council chambers at 201 First Ave. E. Those unable to attend in-person can attend online through Zoom.
The agenda for the council meeting, including the memorandum up for discussion, can be found here. More about what the safety action plan entails can also be found on the website.