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Resident urges city to improve PATH lighting and north-side evacuation routes after growth and wildfire concerns
Summary
A Whitefish resident raised safety concerns during public comment about limited lighting on the Riverside Park segment of the PATH system and narrow evacuation access on the north side of the viaduct; the resident urged council to prioritize lighting upgrades and to consider emergency-access constraints before approving further north-side growth.
Pat LaTorell, a resident of Whitefish, told council the town’s PATH system is attractive but unevenly lit and said Riverside Park, a key conexion for schoolchildren and pedestrians, has only two lights. LaTorell asked the council to make lighting a priority to improve safety on icy paths and at night. He also warned about limited evacuation access from the north side of the viaduct and said traffic bottlenecks on Wisconsin and Baker streets would become dangerous during a wildfire or earthquake. “As the scientists predict, it is not if, it is when,” LaTorell said of seismic risk, and he urged the council to address evacuation access before approving more north-side development. The comments were made during the public comment period and were recorded on the meeting record; council did not take immediate action in response but accepted the comments for consideration in planning and parks priorities.
