On-street parking considered for Jennings, Geddes

Residents along Jennings, Geddes and Good avenues may soon have access to on-street parking.

Whitefish City Council has directed the city to look into adding on-street parking on one side of the recently reconstructed route between West Sixth Street and West Second Street.

Public Works director John Wilson originally proposed a no parking zone along the entire route. He said keeping vehicles off the street would ensure safe traffic flow and allow emergency vehicles to maneuver through the curves. It would also make snow removal more efficient, he said.

“After watching what happened this winter, we found it’s a significant problem to allow parking on both sides,” Wilson said.

Whitefish resident Michael Jamison suggested keeping sections of the route open to on-street parking. He is building a house on Geddes and has noticed more traffic using the route as a bypass to get around the West Second Street construction.

“The wide street can become a bit of a race track,” Jamison said. “When cars are parked on one side traffic becomes safer.”

Police Chief Bill Dial supports on-street parking as a way to control speeds.

“It does slow traffic,” he said. “It makes them slow down and makes them more cautious.”

Councilor Andy Feury said he’s familiar with the parking situation in the area.

“We do need to provide some parking,” he said. “It’s a good idea to look at parking in pods and in areas we know are safe and necessary.”