Residents burned out on cruise nights thankful for patrols

Late last fall, many Kalispell residents and local business owners spoke at a City Council meeting about noise and safety issues created by Friday cruise nights — speeding on adjacent streets, burnouts, rolling coal and disabled mufflers — that make living in downtown neighborhoods like living on a speedway.

The Main Street Safety Action Plan shows that Main Street and First Avenues East and West already pose a high crash and injury risk with a total of 379 crashes between 2018-2022.

Though several Council members at that meeting said they would vote a “hard no” to monitoring cruise nights — before residents and business owners even had a chance to speak — and then refused to address citizens’ concerns, it seems the Kalispell Police Department heard us and has started to respond. 

Last week an electronic speed sign was placed on First Avenue East and Kalispell Police officers used radar in town to apply existing speed laws. We are grateful to the Kalispell Police Department for this show of enforcement, even if it is not a long-term solution. 

Though no action was taken at last fall’s meeting, Council members noted then that laws were already on the books regulating speed and noise and prohibiting actions that disturb the peace, and that it is up to the Police Department to enforce these laws. 

Thank you, Kalispell Police Department, for taking the first step. We appreciate your enforcement of the existing laws and hope you will actively enforce city traffic and noise ordinances on Friday nights so we can enjoy our summer in safety and peace. 

Tery Solomon, Guy Kent, Sara Menssen and Catie Larsen are residents of the downtown Kalispell area.