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Whitefish bike/ped committee proposes weekend Central Avenue pedestrian pilot; council to consider work session and hearing
Summary
The Bike/Ped Committee recommended a pilot closing one block of Central Avenue to vehicles on weekends for seven consecutive weekends next summer to test pedestrian amenity and business impacts; councilmembers asked for public hearings, staff analysis and a possible work session before scheduling the pilot.
Members of Whitefish’s Bike/Ped Committee presented a proposal at the Nov. 3 City Council meeting to pilot a weekend pedestrian closure on Central Avenue to test outdoor dining and pedestrian activation.
Giuseppe, speaking for the committee, said the pilot would close the northern block of Central Avenue (Railway to 1st Avenue) from Friday at 5 p.m. to Sunday at 5 p.m. for seven consecutive weekends next summer, with the adjacent block kept open as a control to compare traffic and business volume. The committee voted unanimously to advance the pilot recommendation to the council.
Councilmembers and staff discussed process and logistics. City staff advised that a public hearing and business outreach should be part of any decision, noted staff time and barricade costs associated with recurring closures, and said the item could be scheduled for a work session (the next available calendar slot is in January) or placed on a future council agenda. Councilmember Rebecca said she was not supportive at this time and emphasized the need for wider public conversation.
Council members emphasized measurable criteria for the pilot — for example, business year‑over‑year revenue changes during pilot weekends, pedestrian counts and traffic impacts — and said they preferred data-driven evaluation with a defined timeline and post‑pilot analysis. No formal council vote to launch the pilot was taken at the meeting; councilmembers requested additional outreach and a public hearing before any decision.
Next steps: staff indicated they could add the pilot to a future work session or council agenda pending four council members’ support and completion of public-notice steps.
