Kalispell City Council appeared willing Monday to pursue a federal grant for pedestrian safety improvements on Main Street but decided against reducing it from four to three lanes.

Instead, funding would go toward other improvements outlined in the Main Street Safety Action Plan, including building two roundabouts south of the Flathead County Justice Center and upgrading crosswalks in front of St. Matthew’s Catholic School.  

Councilors followed city staff’s recommendation to table the Main Street lane reduction proposal, citing public backlash, high costs and the absence of a completed bypass to divert traffic.  Also known as road diets, lane reductions are widely used and found to have reduced crashes up to 47%, according to the Federal Highway Administration. 

In a 5-4 vote last year, Council decided against applying for the same federal grant. Several councilors agreed with opponents in the community that slimming Main Street would cause nightmarish traffic delays.  

A city study estimated the change would create traffic delays of up to 90 seconds by 2045.  

Councilor Jed Fisher opposed the measure last year but believes the abbreviated proposal scrapping the road diet will gain broader support.  

“To pass this up this time, I think would be short-sighted,” Fisher said. “I think the people will support this much better.”  

Mayor Ryan Hunter reiterated his support for narrowing Main Street to reduce traffic volumes and encourage foot traffic, but acknowledged the added cost would not be covered by the federal grant.  

The U.S. Department of Transportation in March announced nearly $690 million available through the competitive Safe Streets and Roads for All Implementation grant program. The city plans to pursue a maximum request of $25 million. 

The grant requires a 20% local match, which the city would cover using tax increment financing funds. While the grant would cover improvements to the south end of Main Street and in front of St. Matthew’s Catholic school, it would not cover the added cost of the road diet.  

Hunter and other councilors also agreed striking the proposal may increase the city’s chances of winning the dollars. The Trump administration last year indicated that it would view applications with lane reductions “less favorably”.  

“I absolutely don’t want this to be seen as giving up on the road diet part, I just see it as a decision to be put at a later date,” Hunter said.  

THE TWO single-lane roundabouts would be placed at the intersection of U.S. 93 and 11th Street East as well as the intersection of U.S. 93, 13th Street East and Airport Road. The traffic circles are intended to slow traffic down and provide easier access to First Avenue East and First Avenue West.  

Councilors supported the reimagined intersections. Councilor Sid Daoud said that the roundabouts might discourage semi-trucks from rumbling down Main Street by diverting them to the bypass.  

Construction of the roundabouts could be coordinated with future work on the south half of the U.S. 93 Bypass so that both don’t happen simultaneously, according to City Manager Jarod Nygren. The city is seeking a federal grant to complete the bypass and expects to get a determination on the funding this summer.  

The grant would also fund pedestrian improvements farther north on Main Street. The section of road in front of the St. Matthew’s Catholic School would receive curb extensions and crosswalks with rapid flashing beacons.  

“That area is lacking crossings and actually lacking a school zone on Main Street, so that would help slow the traffic down,” Nygren said.  

Other improvements include retiming traffic signals to allow pedestrians to traverse a crosswalk before cars can turn left or right.  

Business owners and community stakeholders supported the city’s shifted focus, urging councilors to apply for the grant.  

“I think its wonderful the way that you all have moved sideways and adapted to meet what we’ve heard here in this chamber,” said Jesse Wood, general manager at Blacktail Mountain Ski Area. “I think it would be a darn shame to not take up this opportunity.” 

The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce supported the road diet last year but supports the new plan, according to Chamber President and CEO Lorraine Clarno.  

“It’s an opportunity to put $25 million into our infrastructure, into our roads downtown to improve the safety, slow the traffic so that it will ... mitigate safety issues and really help our businesses. They are struggling downtown,” she told councilors.   

Council must approve a resolution of support for a grant application before the federal government’s May 26 deadline.  

Nygren said the city has a strong chance of receiving the grant because Kalispell previously secured federal funding to develop the Main Street Safety Action Plan in 2022. The plan identified high-risk intersections and streets in downtown Kalispell. Councilors chose to prioritize Main Street, First Avenue East and First Avenue West for safety improvements.  

Councilors briefly discussed redesignating the Main Street segment of U.S. 93, a decision that Nygren said would rest with the Montana Department of Transportation’s Transportation Commission.  

“It’ll always be [U.S.] 93, but it’s whether or not it becomes the business route ... or the [Kalispell] Bypass becomes [U.S.] 93,” Nygren said.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.