Whitefish council hears proposal for one-block Central Avenue pedestrian pilot; staff and council seek more analysis

The Whitefish City Council on Nov. 3 received a proposal from the Bike & Pedestrian Committee to pilot pedestrian-only use of a block of Central Avenue next summer and asked staff to return with logistics and a plan for public input.

Giuseppe, speaking for the Bike & Pedestrian Committee, described a pilot that would close the block between Railway and First Avenue to motor vehicles from Friday at 5 p.m. through Sunday at 5 p.m. for seven consecutive weekends. The south block immediately adjacent would remain open as a ‘‘control block’’ for comparison. Committee members recommended collecting predefined metrics such as business sales and pedestrian counts so council and staff could evaluate whether the change affects local commerce or traffic.

Councilmembers and staff discussed several operational considerations. City staff noted the closure affects a public right-of-way rather than park property and that barricade setup and teardown during non-business hours would require staff time and budget. Councilmember Rebecca and others highlighted the need for a public hearing and business outreach; Deputy Mayor Frank Sweeney and others recommended a work session to set evaluation criteria and the scope for measurement before authorizing any pilot. No formal council vote to implement the pilot occurred at the Nov. 3 meeting.

Giuseppe said the committee hopes to test the concept without permanently changing street design and emphasized using a short, limited pilot period and a control block to gather data rather than making decisions based on anecdote.