Latest news with #SafeStreetsforAllImplementationGrant
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kalispell residents invited to weigh in on Main Street road diet
May 19—Kalispell residents can weigh in on City Hall's plan to slim down Main Street on Monday night. City Council will hold a public hearing on the revitalization project at 7 p.m., May 19 in City Hall. The Main Street Safety Action Plan, adopted by Council last summer, identified high-risk intersections and streets downtown. Main Street, First Avenue East and First Avenue West were prioritized by Council to receive an array of traffic safety upgrades. The three thoroughfares saw a combined 379 crashes between 2018 and 2022. But a proposal to slim down Main Street, reducing it to one lane in either direction along with a dedicated left turn lane, has drawn criticism. The change would see the thoroughfare fitted with sidewalks up to 10 feet wide to accommodate benches and restaurant furniture. Parallel parking would remain available on both sides of the street. While some downtown business owners invited the changes believing they will bring more commerce to an area lacking foot traffic, others worry shops won't survive the shuttering of Main Street for construction. Residents have also expressed concern over traffic delays that could come with shedding a lane on either side, but city planners have said congestion will not be an issue. Development Services Director Jarod Nygren said traffic is projected to be delayed an extra minute and a half by 2045. Lane reduction, also known as a road diet, is a widely used, low-cost practice meant to enhance safety for road users, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Road diets have been found to reduce crashes up to 47%. The city is looking to tap into a federal grant program to fund the $27 million project, but language in the program's notice for funding opportunity issued under President Donald Trump's administration says lane reductions would be "viewed less favorably" by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Council is looking to tap into the Safe Streets for All Implementation Grant program, which historically doles out $25 million, requiring a 20% match. The program was established under former President Joe Biden and the deadline to apply is June 26. First Avenue East and First Avenue West would be equipped with pedestrian safety measures including flashing beacons, high visibility crosswalks and sidewalk-level bike lanes between Fifth Street and Center Street. St. Matthew's Catholic School would get a designated parking area along the school's frontage for pick-ups and drop-offs along with flashing crosswalks. Roundabouts would be installed on Main Street's intersection with 11th Street West and its intersection with 13th Street East and Airport Road. Reporter Jack Underhill may be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kalispell City Council to schedule public hearing on Main Street overhaul
May 5—Kalispell City Council on Monday is expected to schedule an upcoming public hearing for its Main Street reconstruction project. Council meets at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E. If approved, a hearing will be held on May 19 at 7 p.m. in City Hall, where residents can voice opinions on the long-planned project. Following the hearing, Council will decide whether to apply for a federal grant to cover the majority of the project. The Main Street Safety Action Plan was adopted by Council in August and identified high-risk, high-crash intersections and streets in downtown Kalispell. Council prioritized Main Street, First Avenue East and First Avenue West for upgrades to the tune of $27 million. Changes include widening sidewalks and installing pedestrian safety measures on all three roads. Roundabouts would also be built at the intersection of Main Street and 11th Street West and the intersection of Main Street with 13th Street East and Airport Road. But the most notable transformation is the reduction of Main Street to two lanes of traffic, with a dedicated left turn lane. Lane reduction, also known as a road diet, is a widely used, low-cost practice meant to enhance safety and access for road users, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Road diets have been found to reduce crashes by 19% to 47%. Councilors held a work session on the project on April 28, with all seemingly in favor of moving forward with the upgrades despite some public comment from Kalispell residents criticizing the plan as unnecessary. The federal dollars that Council is looking to tap into come from the Safe Streets for All Implementation Grant program, which historically doles out $25 million, requiring a 20% match. The discretionary grant program was established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by former President Joe Biden and has since been challenged by the Trump administration. AS CITY Hall heads into budget season, the Parks and Recreation Department is requesting approval to make across-the-board fee increases to youth programs and park reservations. Rising operational costs, including wages and supplies, are precipitating the price hikes, according to a memo from Parks and Recreation Director Chad Fincher. If adopted, it would mean a roughly 8% to 20% increase in program fees for activities like the Harry Potter and Outdoor Adventure camps. The price hikes also take into account Kalispell Public School District 5 considering charging for the use of its facilities. The two entities have historically relied on an informal agreement where each use the other's facilities for free. The move would affect after-school programs, camps and indoor sports, according to Fincher's memo. Asking for fee increases is not unusual, though. The Department typically comes before Council every two to three years. COUNCIL WILL also decide on hiring Strods Contracting to build a sidewalk on Four Mile Drive connecting the KidSports Complex with the existing shared-use path. The city was awarded a federal grant for the project back in 2023, but the Montana Department of Transportation just recently allocated funds and authorized construction. Council is expected to hire the contracting firm for slightly over $1 million. The federal grant is expected to cover about 86% of the cost. Around $28,000 would be drawn from the city's general fund, according to a city memo. The state Department of Transportation, meanwhile, is aiming to get the green light from Council on a new multi-use building in North Kalispell. The agency is requesting annexation of the 9-acre plot of land into the city, initial zoning of P-1 (public) and a conditional use permit to allow for the facility located at 2905 U.S. 93 N., which is currently being used as a maintenance yard. The proposal was recommended to Council by the Planning Commission after an April 8 public hearing. The proposed 28,400-square-foot building would be used to store equipment and be fitted with mechanics and welding shops under one roof. The state transpiration agency has a welding and mechanics shop on Fifth Avenue East North, which will be relocated to the new building. The Kalispell Ford dealership and firearms manufacturing company, Falkor Defense sit across the street from the property along with the new Stillwater Bend subdivision nearby. The conditional use permit calls for a road connection from Rose Crossing north to Quail Lane. The private road that runs along the north side of the property and onto the highway will see southbound turns restricted. COUNCIL WILL also vote on a request to extend the preliminary plat of a 60-lot residential subdivision on Three Mile Drive. Called Aspen Creek West, the subdivision is planned to include 31 single-family homes and 29 townhomes on about 20 acres. The preliminary plat was originally approved in July 2022, but will expire this July, prompting the request for the two-year extension. Construction was originally planned to finish in Fall 2024, but contractor availability and procurement of construction materials pushed completion into 2025, according to a letter from developer 520 Three Mill Drive Associates to the city. Reporter Jack Underhill may be reached at 758-4407 or junderhill@
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Revising downtown: Kalispell seeks federal funding to upgrade Main Street
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@ 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.
