As Kalispell City Council prepares to expand Parkline Trail, users praise the multi-use path

On a beautiful day last week, walkers and local business owners praised Kalispell’s multi-use Parkline Trail as City Council eyes expansion of the repurposed rail corridor.

The Parkline Trail runs for a 1.6-mile stretch connecting Meridian Road to Woodland Park. Revitalizing the retired railway and surrounding land had been a priority for the city since about 2010, and marked a milestone toward the city’s goal of improving the downtown area’s walking and cycling accessibility.

Now, almost a year since its unveiling, Council has indicated interest in purchasing more rail corridor property to lengthen the trail. At an April 17 meeting, councilors voted unanimously to move forward with the purchase of an additional 14.4 acres running from Meridian Road to Fenn Way and then south to Foys Lake Road, at an as-is price of $50,000.

The brownfield site still has railroad tracks, and runs along a paved, though weathered, portion of the existing Rails to Trails system.

The city would then need to survey and perform an environmental assessment of the property before moving forward with developing the plot, according to City Manager Doug Russell.

Purchasing the parcel from BNSF Railway was discussed as part of the initial Parkline project, but officials decided to complete the first section before moving forward with the acquisition.

To some Kalispell residents, the path offers a way to get around downtown without a car, letting them commute or run important errands on foot or bicycle. For veteran Ron Shively, who made his way along the trail on April 26, the path is a safe and convenient way to get to the grocery store.

Shively has had two strokes, and said he was paralyzed for a time. For him, any day he can spend walking is a blessing.

He said he travels the trail regularly, and sees families and others using it, especially on weekends.

He praised the city’s maintenance of Kalispell’s newest public amenity, saying he appreciates that it’s plowed in the winter and kept mostly clean.

When asked how he felt about potential trail expansion to the west of Meridian Road, Shively kept it simple.

“Hell yeah!” he said.

Carol Goodwater and Darin Zick were pulling a trailer with groceries along the trail. They said they use the Parkline Trail at least once a week for errands such as going to the Flathead Food Bank, the recycling center, or sometimes just to get outside and go for a walk.

Zick said construction of the walkway was an important step towards creating a more accessible city for disabled people, and said it was a good main artery for foot traffic in and around downtown.

Zick’s only critique was that the automatic pedestrian detectors that activate crosswalk signals are occasionally too sensitive, triggering when they shouldn’t.

BUSINESSES LOCATED along the walkway have also seen benefits from the trail, including increased traffic.

“I love it because of the visibility,” said Jordan Smith, co-owner of the Atomic Tacos food cart along the trail in downtown Kalispell. “It’s created a sense of people finally getting out to walk.”

Smith plans on putting umbrellas and flower planters around the food cart this summer to create a welcoming environment for patrons to sit and enjoy the tacos.

After this year, however, he is planning on moving into a brick and mortar location down the street. He cited drug use and violence along the trail as a contributing factor to the relocation.

“I don’t want to deal with [it] anymore,” he said.

For neighboring Sunrift Beer Company, which has its restaurant and brewery just off of the Parkline Trail, the redevelopment of the rail corridor played a part in their decision to open their downtown location, according to manager Luther Manasco.

The building was originally a warehouse for petroleum distribution along the railway, so Manasco thinks the new synergy with the corridor makes good sense.

He thinks the project has brought in customers who discovered their location while using the trail. He also said it has provided another way for existing customers to get to and from the brewery.

“It’s got really nice access to us and other places downtown,” he said.

Manasco is also happy that the trail has provided the brewery with opportunities to organize events such as their St. Patrick’s Day 5K race, which was held on the Parkline this year.

The trail was a natural venue, and allowed the brewery to use their building as a staging location and place for participants to refuel when the event was complete.

He also thinks the trail provides a few more safe options to get home for some customers who may have had a few drinks.

Manasco hopes to see more redevelopment along the downtown core area and additions to the trail system.

“Any expansion would be a net positive,” he said.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at 758-4407 or aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.