Flathead lawmaker wants to see more sidewalks in Evergreen

A bill that would fund construction of sidewalks along U.S. 2 in Evergreen has its first hearing Wednesday in the House Transportation Committee.

House Bill 472, sponsored by Rep. Tony Brockmen, R-Kalispell, would pull $1 million from the general fund for a two year project overseen by the state Department of Transportation to add sidewalks past Meadowlark Drive on U.S. 2. Brockman described the project as addressing an outstanding safety concern.

"Born and raised in Evergreen, I know the cow trails students use to get to and from school well. Now that I represent those students and their families in our state Legislature, I will not forget where I came from,” Brockman said in a statement. “House Bill 472 prioritizes safety and reassures parents that their children have safe routes to schools."

As outlined in the legislation, the sidewalks would run along U.S. 2 from the intersection with Meadowlark Drive to the intersection at Reserve Drive.

Creating safer streets, especially for pedestrians, has long been a priority in Evergreen. According to Darla Harmon, president of Evergreen Community Partners, the group has been working on initiatives like this since 2005.

The organization, in cooperation with the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce, earned a $1 million grant from the Department of Transportation in September 2021 to create sidewalks from the old Kmart to Evergreen Junior High School.

While construction has not started, the chamber expects that project to be completed in the spring or summer of 2024, if not sooner.

Harmon said that Brockman’s bill is bringing attention to Evergreen’s unique situation. An unincorporated community home to more than 700 students, they miss out on state funding for a bus system because the district is too small to qualify. Children unable to find a ride to school must walk or bike.

“A lot of kids can’t be dropped off by their parents,” Harmon said. “There are very young children walking along the four-lane highway. It’s very scary.”

U.S. 2 routinely sees nearly 20,000 vehicles traveling one way in front of the junior high school a day, according to the Department of Transportation’s 2021 Annual Average Daily Traffic data.

Laurie Barron, superintendent of Evergreen School District, said the stretch of highway poses a danger to the children in her care.

“Until every route getting to and from school has a sidewalk, our community is not as safe as it could be,” Barron said.

She added that the community also is using crossing guards, looking at traffic studies and reviewing speed limit signs to see how else to improve safety. Sidewalks, Barron said, will bolster those efforts. They would also prove beneficial for pedestrians with disabilities.

Daren Engellant, president of Evergreen Chamber of Commerce, said Brockman’s bill builds upon what the business group and Evergreen Community Partners previously accomplished on sidewalks. Engellant said that Brockman was on the committee that fought for the prior $1 million grant.

“It only makes sense that if we are making [the kids] walk, we give them a safe surface to walk on,” Engellant said.

One outstanding concern is future maintenance. Supporters note that Evergreen lacks the money or infrastructure to keep up with repair work. Still, they believe that the community could secure a special tax district to help cover upkeep. One already has been created to care for the as-yet unbuilt stretch of sidewalk starting at the old Kmart.

The House Transportation Committee is scheduled to hold its first hearing on the bill at 3 p.m., Feb. 15. It can be viewed at https://leg.mt.gov under the “Watch and Listen” tab.

Citizens are also invited to register to testify on the bill remotely by going to https://leg.mt.gov/session/have-your-say. Those interested in doing so must register by 5 p.m., Feb. 14.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com and at 758-4459.