Apr. 13—Reducing the thoroughfare to three lanes of traffic, allowing for widened sidewalks to accommodate strolling shoppers and tables for dinners outside of restaurants, is part of Kalispell’s future vision for Main Street.
With that concept in hand after the City Council adopted the Main Street Safety Action Plan in August, Kalispell is now considering a federal grant to fund a redesign of the road, along with First Avenue East and First Avenue West.
Concept designs were created for the three streets that were designated as the top priority in need of improvements, and Development Services Director Jarod Nygren said some minor design tweaks are still being worked out after public input.
“Our goal is not for these things just to sit on the shelf, it is to get them implemented whether that’s this year, next year or a couple years down the road,” Nygren said.
The need for improved safety is set out in the city’s Main Street Safety Action Plan, which identified several downtown roads and intersections as having a high crash and injury risk. The plan lays out a framework with the goal of eliminating fatal and serious injury crashes downtown.
The study showed that between 2018 and 2022, Main Street saw 258 crashes, First Avenue East saw 73 and First Avenue West saw 48. During that same time frame, there were 45 pedestrian and bicycle crashes downtown, eight of which occurred on Main Street.
To help alleviate these high-risk areas, design concepts for Main Street and First Avenue East and West Street show pedestrian safety features including flashing beacons, curb extensions and high visibility crosswalks. The designs aim to promote walkability, bike access and storefront activity.
Main Street would become one lane of traffic both north and southbound, along with a dedicated left turn lane. Wider sidewalks up to 10 feet in size would allow for benches and space for restaurants to put out amenities like tables, according to renderings. Parallel parking would still exist on both sides of the street.
At the southern end of the Main Street corridor, the design shows roundabouts at 11th Street West and the 13th Street East/Airport Road intersection.
First Avenue East and West would be modified to include sidewalk-level bike lanes between Fifth Street and Center Street and raised intersections to slow traffic. Curb extensions would also shorten crossing distances with the goal of improving pedestrian visibility. The street would include dedicated left-turn lanes and parallel parking on both sides.
TO FUND construction, the city is looking for funding to the tune of $25 million, which is the amount historically doled out through the Safe Streets for All Implementation Grant program. There was some uncertainty whether the grant application would open in March due to a new presidential administration, but Nygren said that it was released.
“The program is not scrapped,” he said.
The discretionary grant program was established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by former President Joe Biden. Donald Trump’s administration vied to place a freeze on funding through the mammoth spending bill, but the effort was upheld by federal judges.
Nygren expects Council to hold a work session this month or next to decide whether to move forward with submitting a grant application, which is due at the end of June. The grant requires an up to 20% match, which Council will have to consider.
But while the grant would get the ball rolling on construction, it would not cover the costs to improve each street, according to Nygren.
“Costs today are pretty high, so we likely won’t be able to fund everything, at least not in this grant cycle,” said Nygren. “But these planning documents don’t go away.”
TEN ROADS were studied in the downtown area as part of the Main Street Safety Action Plan developed for the city by Kittleson & Associates Inc.
During the study period, there were 2,234 crashes in the plan area, which is roughly south of Four Mile Drive and north of 18th Street East. Seven of those crashes were fatal and 38 resulted in serious injury.
By looking at crash history, severity, frequency and risk, the plan found East and West Idaho Street, Sunset Boulevard, Whitefish Stage, Conrad Drive, North Meridian and Main Street as high-risk roads. This means they were more likely to have fatal or serious injury crashes compared to the rest of downtown.
High crash intersections were also identified at various points along U.S. 93 and U.S. 2, including intersections with Four Mile Drive, Northridge Drive and Meridian Road. The crossings were determined as high risk after being screened for speed, traffic volume, number of lanes, and pedestrian and bicycle generators.
Several intersections also receive more traffic than they can handle, especially during the morning and evening peak periods, according to city data.
All of downtown is considered transportation disadvantaged, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. This means the community is historically underserved by the transportation system based on access, safety, environment, socioeconomic and health data.
In January, the city hosted a series of pop-up events for feedback on the concept designs. The city also hosted corridor-specific meetings for business and property owners. Similar events were also held in March.
THROUGH THE same federal funding program, the city was awarded a $2.4 million grant in November 2024 to improve Oregon Street, which Nygren said has been subject to speeding and safety concerns. The grant also requires matching funds.
Oregon Street will get high visibility crosswalks and curb extensions along with two mini roundabouts to help slow down drivers in the residential neighborhood. The surrounding area will also receive sidewalk and curb ramp repairs.
Nygren said that the city is still waiting for an agreement with the Federal Highways Administration to finalize the funding, so he does not know when construction would start. He expects the Oregon Street project to be completed well before upgrades to downtown.
Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.
A photo rendering shows what Main Street, looking north toward First Street, could look like as part of Kalispell’s Main Street Safety Action Plan developed by Kittleson & Associates Inc.