The need for better crosswalks and more SNOW bus stops on Wisconsin Avenue topped the discussion among business leaders at a Whitefish Chamber of Commerce neighborhood meeting Wednesday.

The Chamber has hosted similar neighborhood meetings for three years to talk about business challenges. This meeting was geared to provide feedback for the Wisconsin Avenue corridor study that is underway.

Applied Communications was awarded the planning contract for the corridor study in March for up to $50,000. Whitefish Planning Director Dave Taylor said a steering committee for the corridor project is meeting regularly. He expects a draft to be ready within six months.

Providing an adequate number of stops for the SNOW shuttle bus service along Wisconsin Avenue is an ongoing challenge, said Dan Graves, chief executive officer of Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Some Wisconsin Avenue businesses have been reluctant to offer their parking lots for a bus stop largely because of maintenance and safety issues.

Northside shuttle stops include Stumptown Ice Den, Good Medicine Lodge and The Lodge at Whitefish Lake.

Families living on the north side of Whitefish have to drive into downtown to the library or Mountain Mall for their children to catch the earliest shuttles to Whitefish Mountain Resort, a couple of business leaders pointed out.

Big Mountain Commercial Association provides the free SNOW bus service, and while the schedule and number of stops is “not perfect,” Chamber Director Kevin Gartland said the nonprofit association nevertheless does a good job of providing transportation.

Crosswalk safety is a paramount concern for many businesses that operate along the corridor that is the lone “funnel” between neighborhoods and businesses north of the railroad tracks and downtown Whitefish.

It’s a challenge, Taylor said, because the state Department of Transportation is reluctant to create crosswalks in areas other than intersections. The city can partner with the state in providing solar-powered flashing lights at crosswalks, but the maintenance of the lights is another obstacle. Lighted pedestrian signs on Baker Avenue are “constantly destroyed by cars,” he said.

An increase in development pressure was a key reason the city moved ahead with the Wisconsin Avenue corridor study. Business leaders said they hope to continue to have a mix of commercial and residential offerings along the corridor. There is open land along the corridor that is zoned for multifamily housing, and workforce housing continues to be a crucial need for Whitefish, several people noted.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.