County unveils detailed road map for trails
A detailed plan that sets the stage for county trails development over the next couple of decades is the focus of a public hearing Wednesday before the Flathead County Planning Board.
If the trails plan ultimately is approved by the county commissioners, it will become an addendum to the Flathead County Growth Policy.
The comprehensive plan is the culmination of nearly two years of work by the PATHS (People, Athletic, Travel, Health and Safety) advisory committee that gathered public comments, developed goals and policies and wrote the draft plan.
The plan takes a look at the development of nonmotorized trails on a number of levels, including high-priority projects and longer-term recreational trails.
High-priority trails were formulated based on observations, public concern and perceived safety needs for students and pedestrians.
Student safety takes priority over recreationist safety for the high-priority routes, which would be built in the next 10 years, likely with federal Community Transportation Enhancement Program grants and Safe Routes To Schools funding. Those key routes include:
n West Reserve Drive from U.S. 93 to Glacier High School.
n West Evergreen Drive between U.S. 2 and Whitefish Stage Road.
n Conrad Drive between Woodland Park Drive and Willow Glen Drive
n Stillwater/Flathead Valley Community College/Kidsport trail adjacent to FVCC.
n Lake Blaine Road adjacent to Cayuse Prairie School.
The plan also takes a look at shared roadway trail routes.
“Assuming limited funding, certain shared roadway trail routes shall receive priority for striping and/or signage as soon as possible,” the draft report advises. Routes prioritized for improvement because they currently receive substantial nonmotorized use and are unsafe due to narrow width, steep shoulders, and/or high vehicular traffic speeds include:
n Edgewood Road between Whitefish and Columbia Falls.
n Airport Road/Foy’s Lake/Hill loop.
n U.S. 93 between Kalispell and Whitefish.
n U.S. 2 between Kalispell and West Glacier.
n Montana 82 between Montana 35 and U.S. 93.
A SECTION of the plan is devoted to “opportunistic” trail development that would arise as land is developed and road infrastructure is upgraded.
Land undergoing subdivision review is subject to transportation requirements, and proposals may include provisions for nonmotorized pedestrian/bicycle access.
When a new subdivision abuts a route identified in the plan, the county will require the developer to dedicate appropriate pedestrian/bicycle easements along the routes to provide connectivity to the county trail network, and provide for pedestrian safety and public access to common facilities such as schools, parks, playgrounds, streams and lakes.
The plan also addresses the long-standing issue of trail maintenance.
Historically, the responsibility for trails maintenance has not been formally clarified, budgeted and delegated to a specific county department.
The plan advises that for a well-planned and efficient county trails program to be actualized, a reasonable and effective maintenance plan should be developed with maintenance responsibilities delegated to a specific county department or a separately funded committee or organization.
In fact, the plan goes so far as to advise that additional county trail development should not proceed without a reasonable maintenance plan.
To administer the county trails program, the PATHS committee recommends a public/private partnership of county departments and boards and a private-sector nonprofit partner. The PATHS committee should become a standing advisory committee that would report to the county Parks Board to help the board administer the program, the plan advises.
The Planning Board meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the second-floor conference room of the Earl Bennett Building, 1035 First Ave. W. in Kalispell.