Public Hearing-Flathead Transportation Plan_Public Comment from Citizens for a Better FlatheadPO Box 2198 • Kalispell, MT 59903
CITIZENS FOR A
BETTER FLATHEAD
www.flatheadcitizens.org
406.756.8993 • citizens@flatheadcitizens.org
August 16;2021
To: The Kalispell City Council
For. Public Hearing on the Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan
e
Background
The Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan (Move 2040) is the first comprehensive
update to the City's transportation plan since 2008. A lot has changed in Kalispell since that
time. The city's population has boomed, new businesses have sprung up along Main Street, and
our roads and highways have become more congested. Additionally, the City Council adopted
several important documents designed to direct growth in and around the city. In 2017, the City
Council adopted the City Growth Policy and the Downtown Plan. Then in 2018, it adopted the
Kalispell City Urban Renewal Plan. These documents were adopted after extensive public input
and excitement and must be explicitly taken into account when discussing the future of Kalispell
transportation sector. Move 2040 in its current form carries many strong merits. It is a well
researched proposal that provides vital information about the future demands on
Kalispell's transportation network. However, the plan also has short falls that need to be
addressed before the City Council moves forward with the adoption of some key
recommended policies.
Move 2040 was guided by a Study Review Committee composed of city staff, area
transportation agency representatives, and a few fast paced public hearings. It is important to
note that the recommendation and framework laid out in this plan is, "designed to be long-range
and comprehensive."' Thus, it is just as important to look at recommendations that are not
explicitly mentioned (like on page 227 and on page 229 where the text calls on the city to revisit
its vision for Downtown Kalispell, suggesting it is not compatible with the goals of the state or
federal transportation agencies),2 as it is to examine recommendations that are written down.
As drafted this Move 2040 plan relies on questionable model assumptions, discussed below,
which pump -out technical data that suggest the Kalispell Downtown plan is no longer viable.
This is in contrast to the findings of the engineering firm of Robert Peccia and Associates, who
MDOT hired in 2017 to analyze lane configurations and traffic impacts around the Flathead
County Courthouse where Highway 93 divides and wraps around the courthouse, constricting
Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan .55
2 "It will be important for the City to balance local desires and its vision for Highway 93/Main Street with
the expectations for the corridor as a part of the NHS. As part of the NHS, MDT will be focused on
maximizing vehicular mobility and reducing congestion on Highway 93/Main Street."p.227 "Additional
detailed corridor -level analysis is recommended to fully understand the specific viability of Highway 93/
Main Street with less than current capacity. Future analysis needs to consider more detailed operational
factors, issues related to the NHS and involve intimate coordination with MDT 11p.229
from five -lanes to two -lanes. The Peccia study shows that Main Street can function as a 2-lane
road with a center turn lane now and into the near future (with the support of traffic diversions
elsewhere in the Kalispell area such as the extension of Willow Glen). The study also shows the
significant negative impacts that would come if the Courthouse Couplet and Main Street were
committed to a long term four lane design.'
Of critical importance to the City of Kalispell in moving forward with applying for grants and
state and federal funding opportunities to implement the Downtown Plan, are the conclusory
statements throughout this 2040 Plan that assert the Downtown Plan is not supported by Move
2040. Instead Move 2040 emphasises that additional costly studies are needed to justify the
legitimacy of the vision, goals, and specific standards set forth in the 2017 Downtown Plan.
Goals
Move 2040 is guided by a list of six goals; three of these goals should be revised to bring the
plan inline with the vision of the Downtown Plan and Urban Renewal plan, and to better guide
Move 2040 in the coming months.
Currently Reads
Recommended Revision
Goal 2: Congestion Reduction: Create a
Goal 2: Congestion Reduction: Create a
transportation system that optimizes
transportation system that optimizes a network
mobility and connectivity, allowing users to
of road and multi -modal' options to reduce
move from one place to another in a direct
congestion and per capita vehicle miles
route with minimal travel times and delays
5
traveled (VMT) in the plan area while ensuring
the goals of the 2017 Kalispell Downtown Plan
can be achieved.
Adding more capacity on our roadways will only encourage people to drive more. As the valley
continues to develop we will be caught in a cycle of expanded capacity on roadways leading to
expanded use of automobiles. A report published by Transportation for America explains that
adding capacity to roadways faster than population growth has not been shown to prevent
congestion and actually increased congestion related travel delays in many cities across the
country. A case study of Boise, ID between 1993 and 2017 shows how adding capacity does not
3 Downtown Plan Appendix page 56-58.
4 Multi -modal planning refers to transportation and land use planning that considers diverse transportation
options, typically including walking, cycling, public transit and automobiles, and accounts for land use
factors that affect accessibility.
5 "VMT reduction targets provide a framework for policy and planning reforms that help create more
accessible, multi -modal communities where less driving is needed to meet people's needs."
Are Vehicle Travel Reduction Targets Justified? - Victoria ...https-//www.vtpi.org ) vmt red
2
benefit efficiency. During the study period Boise's population grew by 117 percent while
lane -miles in and around the city grew by 141 percent. Counter to policy makers desires,
congestion, measured by delay times, grew by 446 percent.6 This phenomenon is accredited to
the concept of induced demand. Adding more capacity increases the number of cars on the road
and decreases overall travel conditions in the long term. Furthermore, a study by the Victoria
Transportation Institutes analyzed the effects of an automobile -dependent transportation system.
It found that automobile -dependency can impose significant economic, social and environmental
costs, and can cost an average household thousands of dollars per year. It can also increase
problems such as congestion, road and parking facility costs, crash damages and environmental
degradation. The study found it critical for a community to have varied and viable alternative
forms of transportation as a way to reduce automobile use and thus reduce congestion on
roadways.' Move 2040 therefore needs to take into consideration the need to discourage driving
in certain zones of the plan area.
Currently Reads
Recommended Revision
Goal 4: Environmental Sustainabilitv:
Goal 4: Environmental Sustainabilitv:
Prioritize environmental stewardship in the
Prioritize environmental stewardship in the
development, maintenance, and operation of
development, maintenance, and operation of
the transportation system.
the transportation system by encouraging
residents and visitors to utilize multi -modal
environmentally ftiendly modes of
transportation.
While this, on its face, is a fantastic goal to include, recommendations in Move 2040 do not
follow through on the commitment to environmental sustainability. A joint study between Smart
Growth America and Transportation for America noted that transportation accounts for the
largest share of carbon emissions in the United States, and those emissions are rising even as
emissions have decreased in other sectors. When policies and funding at all levels of government
(based on what should be seen today as outdated and faulty assumptions given abundant new
research) simply encourage more and wider highways and sprawling development, people live
farther away from the things they need and the places they go, causing most people to drive more
every year and generate more emissions to accomplish daily needs.' Current development
policies can favor automobile -oriented sprawl, instead of creating more compact, multimodal
neighborhoods where travel distances are shorter. Given better options, many people would shift
from driving to slower modes, and from automobile -dependent sprawled areas to more compact,
6 The Congestion Con: How more lanes and more money equals more traffic p. 10
7 Victoria Transportation Institute: Automobile Dependency and Economic Development p.17
$ Driving Down Emissions: transposition, land use, and climate change p5
3
multimodal communities.' Move 2040 should be revised before it moves forward to include clear
goals for other modes of transportation.
Currently Reads
Recommended Revision
Goal 5: System Reliability for Freight
Goal 5: System Support for Kalispell's
Movement and Economic Vitalily:Create a
Economic Vitality and the Reliability of
transportation system that supports economic
Freight Movement: Provide a safe, efficient,
competitiveness, vitality, and prosperity by
accessible, and cost effective transportation
providing for the efficient movement of people
and goods.
system for freight delivery that supports all
Kalispell area businesses, while also
sustaining downtown businesses by creating a
pedestrian friendly transportation network at
the city center.
This current goal discredits the economic revival tactics laid out in the Urban Renewal Plan and
the Downtown Plan. The Urban Renewal Plan noted that, "there is currently a 90' wide sea of
asphalt and concrete providing little in the way of culture, charm, or aesthetics, placing emphasis
upon vehicles and detracting from the perspective or experience of the pedestrian.... The traffic
generally discourages walking in the area of the city where walking should be encouraged.""
The Downtown Plan then lays out a vision for how the transportation sector could be reworked
to promote Main Street businesses. This plan said that by 2035 Kalispell will be, "A
pedestrian -friendly environment that encourages visitors and residents to utilize downtown
business."11 Furthermore, the Downtown Plan clearly states its desire to turn Highway 93/Main
Street into a two-lane corridor with landscaped medians and intermediate turn lanes.12 These two
documents show a long-time vision held by the City Council which notes the importance of
cutting down on automobile traffic downtown in favor of pedestrians downtown. In its current
form, goal five ignores this aspect of economic growth in favor of simply making people and
goods move faster through the community.
Methodoloffv and Modelin
The methodology of the report is partially discussed in Chapter 3 and begins by reporting current
conditions and trends of the Kalispell transportation grid. The report found a five and a half
percent increase from 2010 to 2017 in the number of people using personal automobiles to travel
to work, increasing to include 83 percent of all commuters. Carpooling, biking, and walking all
9 https-//www.planetizen.com/blocs/113740-not-so-fast-slower-often-better
10 Downtown Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan p3
11 City of Kalispell Downtown Plan p.11
12 City of Kalispell Downtown Plan p.16
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declined by around two and half percent during the same period." Projections in Move 2040
predict that if none of the recommendations later discussed are implemented, Kalispell will see
an 80 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and a 42 percent increase in vehicle
hours traveled (VHT) by 2040.'a
Despite noting a decline in other modes of transportation in favor of using a personal vehicle,
and predicting a significant increase in vehicle use if current trends continue, the model used by
the Move 2040 Plan only analyses the impacts of various changes to the transportation grid
based on changes made to vehicle roadways. It does not take into account how encouraging
alternative forms of transportation may improve transportation grid conditions. As noted earlier,
a case study of Boise, ID between 1993 and 2017 show how adding capacity does not benefit
efficanct. This phenomenon is accredited to the concept of induced demand. Adding more
capacity increases the number of cars on the road and decreases overall travel conditions in the
long term.
A report from the Federal Highway Administration provides additional rationale for favoring
alternative methods of transportation over road construction in order to reduce congestion. The
report uses the term transportation demand management (TDM) strategies to describe such
policies. "Regions considering mitigating their urban mobility challenges need to include a
multi -pronged approach involving activities in all three factors including: improvements to
sustainable travel options that build the capacity and quality of transportation infrastructure and
services; more supportive land use practices that reduce the distances between origins and
destinations and make transit, walking, and cycling more practical; the use of TDM to shape
other key factors that influence personal travel decisions, such as attitudes and prices."15
Policy and infrastructure do influence public behavior and Move 2040 should attempt to reduce
the number of cars on the road in favor of other modes of transportation. Therefore, the City
Council should request that the consultant incorporate the bike paths, walking paths, park ride
facilities, and public transportation into the model predicting VMT, VHT, and percent of
congested roadways. A good example of this is the major bike and walking trail now underway
in the downtown area as part of the 2012 Kalispell Core Area Plan" and is a reality that needs to
be fully considered in Move 2040.
Current Travel Demand Model Recommended Change
When analysing results of different The model should be reworked to
13 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan p.26
14 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan p.97
15 Intearatina Demand Manaaement into the Transportation Plannina Process: ChaDter 3. ADalication of
TDM to Policy Issues - FHWA Office of Operations
16 https://www. kalispell.com/165/Core-Area-Plan
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alternatives, the Move 2040 report only shows
the effect to VMT, VHT, and percent of
congested roadways when changes to road
capacity are made. The analysis fails to show
the corresponding impacts on VMT, VHT,
and percent of congested roadways when the
capacity for walking, biking, or other shared
transportation options are added."
simultaneously analyze the effect changes to
roadways, changes to bike and walking paths,
and changes to public transportation has on
VMT, VHT, and percent of congested
roadways.
Alternatives
Kalispells transportation plan needs to work smarter, not harder. The city should not pour money
into building multiple new bridges or bulldozing farm land and wetland to make way for new
roads before it explores, and exhausts, alternative ways to reduce VMT, VHT, and the percent of
congested roadways.
Discouraged Alternatives
Alternative 3 : New 8th Ave and 3rd Ave Connections
We highly discourage the council from following through on Alternative 3, connecting both
8th Avenue WN and 3rd Avenue WN between Highway 2/Idaho Street and West Center Street.
This alternative calls for the construction of a new road where the Kalispell Center Mall
currently sits. It also extends a section of 8th Avenue to intersect with Highway 2. Despite
these new developments, this alternative is predicted to only marginally decrease VMT,
actually increase VHT, and have no effect on the percentage of congested roadways."
Alternative 5: LaSalle Extension
We also discourage the use of Alternative 5. This plan calls for the extension of LaSalle to
connect with Conrad Rd. This recommendation calls for the construction of a new bridge
across the Stillwater River and a significant new stretch of highway through what is currently
undeveloped farm land and wetland. Despite pouring money into the creation of a new bridge,
this alternative fails to significantly reduce VMT and actually increases VHT and the
percentage of congested roadways.19
Alternative 7: Three -lane corridor alon2 Evergreen/Four Mile Drive from Whitefish State to
its junction with Farm -to -Market Road
Alternative 7 assumes the development of a new crossing of the Stillwater River and the
development of a three -lane corridor along Evergreen/Four Mile Drive from Whitefish Stage
17 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan (Chapter 6�
18 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan p.119
19 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Planp 127
to its junction with Farm to Market Road. Constructing a new bridge over the Stillwater River
and connecting Evergreen Dr with Four Mile Dr (estimated to attract 12,200 vehicles per day)
places a major transportation artery directly through a quiet neighborhood and a pristine
section of the college campus. While this plan does decrease VMT, it only marginally reduces
VHT and percent of congested roadways.20
Citizens for a Better Flathead Recommended Alternative (Alternative 10, Amended)
• Completion of the Kalispell Bypass (Alternative 1)
• Two Lanes Plus a Center Turning Lane on Highway 93/Main Street —Couplet to West
Center (including 16' sidewalks and landscaped center median from 8th Street to 6th
Street and then judiciously used from 6th Street to Center Street while allowing for a
left turn lane)21
• Whitefish Stage/7th Avenue Extension (Alternative 6)
• Rose Crossing Corridor Improvements (Alternative 8)
• West Reserve Corridor Improvements (West Reserve was modeled as a five -lane
principal arterial from Highway 93 to Highway 2/LaSalle and consideration of sections
of landscaped medians, and complete street standards should be included)
• Bike lanes and pedestrian friendly intersections on all new and remodeled roads within
the urban core of the city.
• Expansion of the Mountain Climber bus system to provide reliable transportation to
urban hubs for all communities.
• Pedestrian infrastructure on major arteries should utilize buffered shared use pathways
as described in Move 2040.22
Move 2040 recommends Alternative 10 as its preferred alternative. This alternative recommends
completing the Highway 93A (Kalispell bypass), making Highway 93/Main Street three lanes,
adding a connection between 7th Ave/Whitefish stage and East Center Street/ Woodland Avenue,
developing three -lane corridor along Evergreen/Four Mile Drive from Whitefish Stage to its
junction with Farm to Market Road by creating a new crossing of the Stillwater River, improving
Rose Crossing, and making West Reserve a five lane artery.
Alternative 10 reduces vehicle use on Main Street. The alternative recommends athree-lane
section of Highway 93 on Main Street and predicts that average daily traffic (ADT) will decline
between 25 and 40 percent on this section. To compensate for the reduction to capacity on Main
Street, this alternative calls for significant expansion to existing roads and the construction of
two new sections for roads. First, this plan recommends completing Highway 93A (Kalispell
21 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan p.139
21 This description of Main Street is explicitly laid out in the Downtown plan: City of Kalispell Downtown
Plan p.16
22 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan p 210
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bypass). Additionally, expanding Rose Crossing and making West Reserve a five lane artery are
two large endeavors that this alternative takes on a way to increase East West mobility on the
North side of town. In addition to these expansions this recommendation calls for the
construction of two new roads. Connecting 7th Ave to Center St/ Woodland Ave pushes a new
road through one of the few sections of the bike path that is not roadside. It also calls for the
development of a new crossing of the Stillwater River and the development of a three -lane
corridor along Evergreen/Four Mile Drive from Whitefish Stage to its junction with Farm to
Market Road. Alternative 10 reduces the percent of congested roadways to 7.9 percent, the
lowest out of any alternative.
While Alternative 10 is the best proposal put forth by Move 2040, it still needs to be reworked to
comply with the Downtown plan, utilize TDM strategies, and incorporate the use of bike paths,
walking paths, shared use roadways, and public transportation into its model. Furthermore, it
should be noted that the Downtown Plan clearly stated the need to expand Willow Glen to a three
lane road as a way to balance traffic east and west in the greater Kalispell Area. Downtown Plan
went so far to say that, "It is imperative that this traffic route be nominated for funding in an
expeditious manner to ensure long-term relief to the Kalispell Downtown."23 Alternative 10 does
not include expansion to Willow Glen, but it does allow for more traffic on the east side of town
through the construction of extension of 7th Ave to East Center Street/ Woodland. The Council
should confirm that this extension serves the same purpose as the expansion of Willow Glen.
Bike and Sidewalk
Non -motorized forms of transportation (also referred to as multi -modal options)24 seem to be an
afterthought of this daft. However, Move 2040 does note that where improvements to the
transportation network are prioritized, related bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure should also be
prioritized for construction, regardless of whether it has been identified and recommended as a
project priority according to this analysis. Any opportunity to close network gaps should be
encouraged.25 Improving the infrastructure and experience for bikes and pedestrians is key to
creating a walkable environment and making successful connections throughout Kalispell's
non -motorized network. Viewing vehicle use separately from bike and pedestrian traffic
undervalues the impact that expanded bike and walking paths can have on reducing automobile
dependency.
Current Bike and Sidewalk Recommended Change
23 City f Kalispell Downtown Plan p.19
24 Multi -modal planning refers to planning that considers various modes (walking, cycling, automobile,
public transit, etc.) and connections among modes. For more background on the importance of
multi -modal planning see https-//www.vtpi.org ) multimodal planning
25 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan (chapter 9)
E'?
Bicycle and pedestrian system analysis and
recommendations is housed in a separate
chapter from roadway improvement
recommendations.
Bike routes and bike lanes identified will not
be implemented until roadways are updated.
No additional symbols will be placed in the
roadway to identify bike routes at this time.
These projects serve as a recommendation
only and are not prioritized for
implementation.26
The report should be revised to incorporate
changes to the bike lane and sidewalk
network into each recommended plan for
roadway construction. Instead of treating
congestion as a foregone conclusion and
focusing solely on increasing capacity we
should be building infrastructure to help
mitigate demand for driving.
Multi -modal infrastructure should be
budgeted for and constructed in conjunction
with roadway improvements.
Making the Case for the Kalispell Downtown Plan to MDOT and FHA
Going forward, implementing recommendations from this plan to upgrade roads, add or improve
bike and pedestrian facilities, bus services, etc. will all likely require funding and approval from
Montana Department of Transportation (MDOT), and for highways like US 93 and US 2, the
Federal Highway Administration (FHA). In evaluating funding for future projects and the
rationale for these projects this Move 2040 will be where these transportation agencies will turn
for making vital decisions about funding. This plan will also be where the City of Kalispell turns
to for data and goals they cite for support in writing grant applications for funding these projects.
Therefore it is imperative that this plan be revised throughout to clearly demonstrate support for
the Kalispell Downtown Plan and the road, traffic reduction, and pedestrian and bike facilities it
calls for as a key strategy for the economic revitalization of Downtown Kalispell.
Current plan statement
Recommended Change
"It will be important for the City to balance
It is a central goal of this Move 2040
local desires and its vision for Highway
Transportation Plan to model and provide
93/Main Street with the expectations
data -based recommendations for system
for the corridor as a part of the NHS [National
improvements and goals that support the
Highway System] . As part of the NHS, MDT
implementation of the Kalispell Downtown
will be focused on maximizing vehicular
Plan adopted in 2017 as a key strategy for the
mobility and reducing congestion on Highway
revitalization of downtown Kalispell and the
economic benefits this represents to the City
y
26 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Planp 213
93/Main Street. The City and MDT should
of Kalispell. 28
work collaboratively on future discussions and
studies involving multimodal mobility of
Highway 93 /Main Street. "27
"Through a series of model runs it was
Reevaluate model assumptions as previously
possible to observe how the Highway 93/Main
noted to address model failures to consider
Street corridor may function
improvements gained from increasing
with different system improvements. Key
multi -model options and revise
takeaways from the analysis are summarized
recommended system improvements to
below and Table 11.1 compares model outputs
support the goals and recommendations of
for these alternatives along Highway
the Kalispell Downtown Plan.
93 /Main Street/Highway 93 S and U.S.
Highway 93A."29
Conclusion and Final Recommendation:
Recommended changes to Move 2040 boil down into three categories: goals, modeling, and
compliance with the Downtown Plan. First, the goal of Move 2040 should be revisited and
revised to guide the plan toward more equitable, sustainable, and innovative recommendations.
Second, each alternative policy path should include a portion discussing the expansion of
multi -modal transportation and TDM strategies in the affected area. The model used to predict
the outcome from proposed alternatives should then include the effects all involved activities will
have on VMT, VHT, and percent of congested roadways. Finally, although references are made
to a three -lane portion of Highway 93 in certain alternative's, Move 2040 does not commit to the
vision for Main Street (two-lane corridor with landscaped medians and intermediate turn lanes)
laid out in the Downtown Plan in any of its alternatives. In fact, the plan recommends additional
studies and negotiations with MDOT and FHA to implement this aspect of the plan. Move 2040
should make an explicit commitment to fulfill the vision of the Downtown Plan as it pertains to
Main Street and other aspects of the transportation grid in all of its policy recommendations.
27 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan p.227
28 The Move 2040 Plan currently classifies the downtown core section of US Hwy 93 as a Major Arterial.
This classification may need to be revisited to be compatible with the implementation of the Kalispell
Downtown Plan. For example the street cross sections in the Move 2040 Plan for a Principal Arterial do
not support the goals of the Downtown Kalispell Plan.
29 Move 2040 Kalispell Area Transportation Plan p 229
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