Cyclists, pedestrians often confused by shared paths

Making sure bicyclists and pedestrians know which paths they can use and where those routes go is a concern for some people who use Whitefish’s non-vehicle transportation routes.

Some point to wide concrete shared paths along Highway 93 West as a prime example of where bicyclists end up riding on the road because they assume the concrete path is for pedestrians. Even some bicyclists using that route say pedestrians can be unfriendly with them thinking the route is only for those walking.

Others note that bicyclists along Wisconsin Avenue often travel the narrow road rather than on the multi-use path. Drivers express concerns over bike riders who switch between the road and the sidewalks making it a challenge to keep an eye out for them.

These were just some of the issues expressed during a meeting last week on Whitefish’s draft bike and pedestrian master plan. The Connect Whitefish Plan is designed to be a guide for the city in creating, maintaining and improving the city’s bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure over the next 20 years.

The city’s consultant WGM released the draft plan ahead of the meeting after months spent meeting with the community and city staff, conducting a survey and holding a group ride through town to look first-hand at paths, sidewalks, and bike lanes.

“We asked where does the community want to be in 20 years,” said BJ Grieve, senior planner with WGM group. “The vision we created is based on those things that kept coming up — the key concepts.”

The vision statement for the Connect Whitefish Plan says Whitefish, “Will have a connected and continuous network of well-maintained bicycle and pedestrian facilities. These facilities will link key destinations inside and outside of town and will be safe, convenient and comfortable for both recreation and active transportation.”

Creating wayfinding signs for the city paths is one of the tenants of the draft bicycle and pedestrian path. The city lacks consistent and coordinated wayfinding signs to comfortably guide locals and visitors, the plan states. It recommends creating a committee that would develop a sign design plan.

One suggestion at the meeting was to create an interactive online map that would show the different bike and pedestrian routes in town.

Grieve, who said he is a frequent bike rider in Whitefish, said even he wasn’t aware of some of the paths in town and many who participated in the process weren’t either.

“The amount of infrastructure for a town the size of Whitefish is incredible and I wasn’t aware of it,” he said. “It wasn’t uncommon in our planning session to show people maps or photos, and for them to say they never knew that trail was there.”

In addition, adding signs can be a way to let users know that bicycles and pedestrians are both allowed on multi-use concrete paths or remind drivers to watch for bicyclists on the road.

City Engineer Karin Hilding says the city has been aware for some time of the confusion over multi-use concrete paths that appear to just be wide sidewalks.

“We use concrete because it’s better for maintenance than asphalt,” she said. “We’ve known for a long time that we’ve had an issue with signs.”

In addition to wayfinding signs, the plan also suggests a number of potential programming options that could promote trails, help maintain trails and help alleviate safety concerns through education.

Theresa Majeski, of the Flathead City-County Health Department, helped create the plan. She said a program that helps with education and awareness can focus on traffic safety issues and promotion of the non-motorized routes in town.

“There can be education for bikers about the proper ways to ride while also promoting biking,” she said. “There can be education to make sure drivers have the proper training to know how to share the road with bikers.”

During outreach and engagement sessions key themes emerged of connectivity, comfort and maintenance.

Connectivity of pedestrian and bike facilities is a major component of the plan. Namely that sidewalks are common throughout downtown commercial and residential areas and newer subdivisions, but there are many areas without sidewalks or where sidewalks don’t connect. Shared paths face the same issues with path segments beginning and ending with no connection to other facilities, the plan notes.

Grieve said Whitefish isn’t unique in some of the challenges in its bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

“Often in communities the construction of facilities is opportunistic when funding is available,” he said. “It might be slapping down two miles of trail in a spot and then later looking for the opportunity to connect that with more trail.”

What does make Whitefish unique is its level of commitment from those wanting to improve the city’s bike and pedestrian routes, Grieve notes.

“I was surprised at the high level of volunteers and commitment to this topic,” he said. “There really is a cross section of those interested — we had some show up for the group bike ride who could barely ride a bike, but they wanted to be involved.”

That level of participation will be key when it comes to programming in the future, Grieve said.

“This plan was not made to sit on a shelf,” he said.

The city is accepting comments on the plan through the end of this week. The Park Board is expected to review the plan late this fall and it should go before City Council by the end of the year for final approval.

For more information or to view the plan, visit www.cityofwhitefish.org/public-works/projects.php