Staff from the City of Kalispell Planning, Police, and Public Works as well as representatives from the Business Improvement District (BID) and a representative from the Montana Department of Transportation conducted a field review of the current parking space configurations within the BID. The goal of the review was to exchange ideas and identify potential locations to improve parking within the BID. The additional parking would potentially provide spaces for visitors, as well as business employees within the BID. One idea discussed was converting some locations, where street widths would allow, from parallel parking to diagonal parking. Potential locations were analyzed by Public Works Engineering Staff and two locations were recommended as viable projects for the conversion from parallel parking to diagonal parking.
* Area 1 - 5th Street West (1st Ave West to Main Street); and 
* Area 2 - 3rd Street East (2nd Ave East to 3rd Ave East).
Adding diagonal parking in Area 1 would increase on-street parking by four parking stalls. In Area 2, diagonal parking would add six parking stalls.
The Kalispell City Council is considering converting these on-street parking locations within the Kalispell Business Improvement District (BID) from parallel parking to diagonal parking to increase available public parking spaces in the downtown district. Members of the public are invited to provide testimony on this matter during a public hearing to be held by the City Council during their regular meeting on Monday, October 1, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall at 201 First Avenue East. Anyone may appear to provide comment regarding the proposal. Public comment on this proposal can also be emailed to citycouncil@kalispell.com.
