State urges transportation planning for Whitefish
The message from state highway officials to the Whitefish City Council on Monday was clear: Start planning now.
Even though a Whitefish bypass is still years away from happening, there are steps the city should take now to make sure there is one day an alternate route around Whitefish, said Dwane Kailey, acting district administrator of the state Department of Transportation Missoula District.
"What we can do is a planning project that doesn't violate the EIS [environmental impact statement] but can narrow down corridors," Kailey said. "The county and city can then hold that corridor open."
The Federal Highway Administration mapped out five bypass options for Whitefish in a 1994 environmental impact statement. None of the potential routes was recommended as an alternative to U.S. 93, however.
Bypass alternatives included Karrow Avenue and a new north/south road east of U.S. 93.
A couple of the alternatives are routes through the Blanchard Lake area.
Federal highway officials felt none of the routes studied were feasible because of environmental and neighborhood impacts and lack of traffic volume to warrant the investment in road improvements.
"However, there is general concurrence that an alternative route is needed to encourage large through-traffic to bypass travel through Whitefish," the 1994 report stated.
Because there was no consensus 11 years ago, the bypass issue was put on the back burner. In the meantime, traffic has increased to the point of near gridlock at some downtown intersections during peak tourist months.
Wisconsin Avenue, the road that crosses the railroad tracks and funnels traffic to Big Mountain, is a key corridor that needs further planning, state officials said.
"It doesn't take long to see you're looking at four lanes on Wisconsin" at some point, Kailey said.
The city has two more easements to complete for the planned bike path, but the project is still on track for next summer, according to Public Works Director John Wilson.
The bike path will run along the west side of Wisconsin from the viaduct to Cougar Ridge subdivision, then crosses to the east and continues past the Big Mountain road turnoff.
If a four-lane is in Wisconsin Avenue's future, council member Tom Muri wondered if it's wise to proceed with bike paths if more road space is needed.
That's where a study is helpful, said Lynn Zanto, statewide and urban planning supervisor of the state's Rail, Transit and Planning Division.
Since Whitefish's population exceeds 5,000, the city qualifies for planning money through the Urban Highway System Program. The program provides $80,000 to
$175,000 to cities that qualify, but it comes with a mandated city match of at least 50 percent.
A transportation study for roads such as Wisconsin Avenue would help the city prioritize what level of service it wants to provide on primary collector streets, Kailey said.
By determining the length of traffic gridlock during peak hours, the city can weigh that information against the investment in upgrading roads.
"You're struggling with growth and there's not enough money to build all the roads," Kailey observed. "Dropping the level of service may be an option, getting used to the congestion."
Mayor Andy Feury said he could see the benefit of that approach, especially since the worst traffic problems in Whitefish are confined largely to the Christmas holiday week and the summer tourist season.
Does it make sense for the city to invest heavily in road upgrades if the end result is "getting to the store three minutes faster in July?" Feury wondered.
However the city decides to proceed with transportation planning, time is of the essence, Kailey said.
"Bozeman has been in front of the curve and Missoula is trying to play catch-up," he said. "It's time right now [for Whitefish] to jump on the wagon rather than play catch-up later."
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com