I'm Available To Take Over- I Mean Contribute To- Your Blog Too

John Speare over at the 'Cycling Spokane' blog was looking for guest bloggers so I jumped at the chance to spread my word somewhere else. I just posted my first thread over there, although it's not nearly as rivetting as John would have liked. Check it out if you have time, it's a very interesting blog.

LaHood Wants To Raise Federal Gas Tax

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says Congress should consider raising the federal gas tax for the first time since 1993.

LaHood pledged to work with Congress on passing a five-year transportation bill in 2010. The current problem is that although about $500 billion in highway, bridge and transit needs have been identified, the federal gas tax — 18.4 cents a gallon for gasoline — can't generate that much revenue.

Here's the story from the Olympian.

Drinking Boxed Wine, It's The New Way To Reduce Vehicle Emissions (Or Something Like That)

John Tesh annoys the heck out of me. I just wanted to get that on the record before I pass on something I heard on his radio show. Why was I listening to his show if I don't like him? Well, I was flipping through the stations the other night when I heard something about switching to boxed wine that caught my attention.

So I just got on John's website and found this intereting factoid, and just in time for your holiday consumption too: "These days a lot of respected wineries are doing away with the glass bottle because manufacturing and shipping them is expensive and wasteful. According to the Wine Group, the largest wine company in the world, using boxes instead of glass bottles is equivalent to taking 25,000 cars off the road every year!"

So thank you Mr. Tesh. I can overlook your smarminess for one day to pass that on. Now go out and get yourself some boxed wine (or boxed sparkling cider for you non-drinkers).

Pedestrian Hit By Hit & Run Driver Dies

A second pedestrian has died this year after being hit by a vehicle in downtown Spokane. In the latest incident, A woman struck by a suspected drunken driver who then fled the scene has died. The accident happened on Nov. 20. The victim died this past Saturday. Here's the story from the Spokesman-Review.

Church Coalition To Pay Parking Tickets

Some Boise drivers may be getting their parking tickets taken care of. A Christian coalition will pay off up to $10,000 in tickets as a way to apparently show 'God's grace.'

Yeah, I'm not really seeing the connection to grace and parking tickets either but I'm betting a lot of people with parking tickets won't even care if there is a connection.

The money to pay the tickets comes from anonymous donors and area churches.Here's the story.

Train-Car Accident Leaves Driver Injured

A woman who had just dropped her child off at an elementary school was broadsided by a train as she drove her mini-van in Spokane Valley today. According to the Spokesman-Review (whom I stole the picture above from), Maria L. Walsh, 44, is in critical condition after being airlifted from the crash scene at Arden Road south of Wellesley Avenue.

The intersection is closed while emergency personnel investigate. A detective said visibility around the crossing, which is marked only by stop signs, was good, and drugs and alcohol don’t appear to be a factor.

So how many train-versus-car or train-versus-pedestrian accidents has there been this year? Off the top of my head, I can think of at least three or four, and I'm sure there's more.

The construction of proposed 'Bridging the Valley' (BTV) projects would help to prevent these kinds of accidents, by seperating cars and people from trains at crossings. BTV is a series of projects in the 42 mile corridor between Spokane and Athol, Idaho. Here's more info on Bridging the Valley. Now the main hangup in getting these projects built is the usual one- lack of funding. We're working on that though and will keep you updated.

By the way, the Havana Street Bridge project that is already underway is the first BTV project to be constructed.

What Unusual Sight Have You Seen On The Bus?

My sister-in-law rides the East Sprague #90 bus and frequently tells me about some of the more unusual passengers on that route. She says a man got off the bus one day last week wearing an entire bee keeper's suit.

I ride the Liberty Lake route, a commuter route, so it's usually pretty quiet on there. What have you seen on your route that's entertaining?

This Hello Kitty Bike Is Calling My Name

Here is blogger Holly's response to this thread yesterday: You're acting like a little kid who sees a pretty pink bike she wants and is dreaming of Christmas Day. My advice is... Get a bike on Craigslist that is actually not a POS then paint it pink and have Hello Kitty decals added to it. If you spent that much on a used bike you'd have yourself a super sweet ride.

Besides that, you're used to riding Giant Cooter (our Commute Trip Reduction bike), so this bike will not even begin to ride that nicely. Bottom Line... Friends don't let friends buy bikes from Target (or any other variety store for that matter, including Costco.) :)

Okay, she's got a point there; I'm like a crow with shiny objects. Sigh...

The back wheel on the Huffy is bent and since it's a 15-year-old bike and a Huffy it's not really worth paying to have it replaced. However, I do need something to ride, so I was thinking I should start looking around for a bike. And I was going to ask for opinions on what to get on this blog. That is, until I saw that beauty above.

That's right folks, that's a 1 speed women's cruiser Hello Kitty bike. Only $369 at Target. It's got alloy rims, a padded spring set, front and rear fenders, comes 85% assembled (how the &^%$# do they determine 85%???), and the best part; it's hideously pink and has Hello Kitty all over it.

Being government employees, we don't get Christmas bonuses, but if someone wanted to drop a hint to the boss about how I need a new ride to get to meetings it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all. I'll see if I can return the favor at some point.

Mountainside Gets New Flashing Signs

Drivers near Mountainside Middle School will see something new in the area- flashing school zone signs. The signs are part of overall traffic safety requirements that protect more than 630,000 elementary school age children in Washington State. They were funded by Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Winfield Park and Pinewood Hills Neighborhood Associations, and the Mountainside Middle School PTO and just installed.

Flashing yellow beacon lighting is one of the most effective ways to reduce speeds of vehicles in school zones. On average, drivers travel five to seven miles per hour slower when the flashing yellow school zone lights are present.

STA/City Of Spokane Looking For Volunteers

The City of Spokane and Spokane Transit Authority are teaming up to launch an analysis of transit opportunities in the downtown area- and they need your help.

The Downtown Transit Alternatives Analysis (DTAA) will assess existing downtown corridors for their potential for future transit investment and identify ways to enhance connectivity between key destinations. The result will be a recommended network of streets where enhanced transit service could be provided, the kind of service it could be--streetcar, electric trolleybus, bus or a combination of modes--and the costs.

And here's where you come in: volunteers are needed to join the project’s 'Sounding Board.' This group will advise partners in this study on alternative route proposals, vehicle technologies, and economic development opportunities.

If you're interested in being a member of the 'Sounding Board,' you have to complete an application by Dec. 10. You can get more information on this study, and an application, by clicking here.

Five Mile Open Again- But Only Until Spring

If you drive Five Mile Rd. (or used to, before the construction anyway), you've probably noticed that it's open to traffic again. Don't get too excited though, the paving is only temporary. The street will be open to traffic until the spring of 2010 when it will be shut down again so a top coat of asphalt and final detail work can be completed.

Five Mile was widened and rebuilt from Austin to Lincoln roads as a City of Spokane project.

IPH Public Meetings Start Tomorrow

With everything else going on, I've somewhat neglected the latest project we're partnering on, the Inland Pacific Hub (IPH) Transportation Study. The IPH is a project to establish the Inland Pacific Region as a multi-modal global gateway in order to increase international commerce.

Your ideas and strategies are needed to reach that goal, so we (all the agencies involved in this study including the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Idaho Transportation Department, SRTC, and Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization are hosting three public meetings this week to introduce area business leaders and the public to the IPH. The forums will gather input on transportation infrastructure necessary to drive economic growth. The meetings are at these dates and locations:

Tuesday Dec. 1, 2009, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) Event Center
1825 Schweitzer Drive, Pullman, WA

Wednesday Dec. 2, 2009, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Sandpoint Community Hall
204 S. First Ave., Sandpoint, ID

Thursday Dec. 3, 2009, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
CenterPlace
2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, WA

For more information on the IPH study click here. Or you can read an article about the study in the Bonner County Daily Bee by clicking here.

Gas & Weather Expected To Stay Stable Through Weekend

So what gives? I've been buying gas for about $2.82 at several places around Spokane for the past week or so. I had to go to Coeur d'Alene over the weekend though, and saw that it's $2.49 at most stations over there. That's a big difference. I know Washington has a gas tax that Idaho doesn't, but it's not big enough to make a 33-cent a gallon difference!

Besides the difference between states, AAA says gas prices will stay stable throughout the holiday weekend. The weather is supposed to be pretty mild too, which means more people will be taking to the roads. Here's the story from the Coeur d'Alene Press.

It's A Blogging Holiday

Just some advance notice to let you know there's probably going to be a lapse in blogging for at least a few days. Being government workers, we have Thursday and Friday off as holidays. Because I'm on a 'flex' schedule though, I also get Wednesday off. Whoo hoo, five days off in a row! I may get a wild hair and blog from home but it depends on how I feel. That picture of Mr. Potato Head usually sums up how I feel after a holiday spent with the extended family, so I'd hate to commit to anything right now. Talk amongst yourselves in my absence.

Lewiston Police Take Hard Stance On DUIs

This story is in Lewiston but I still feel it's relevant as this could be the trend. Lewiston Police say they're ramping up their stance against drunk driving from now on and may even forcibly take blood samples in some suspected drunk driving cases! Here's the story.

I know blood will only be taken forcibly in extreme cases, and I'm just as against drunken driving as anyone else, but the whole taking blood by force thing kind of creeps me out. My understanding is that people who refuse a breath test automatically have their license suspended. I would think that's punishment enough. I worry that this could be abused and eventually the guy who had one beer after work and drives home with a blood alcohol level below .08 will be harrassed and have his blood 'stolen.' Am I paranoid? Probably, but I like my blood. Am I overreacting? What do you think?

Davenport Recommends Buses, Not Limos

Rumor has it that the Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane has been recommending to their travelling clientele that they use the bus to get to the airport. I thought that's pretty cool, considering most hotels recommend taxi or shuttle services. Thanks Davenport!

Slow Down On SR 27

Spokane County just sent out a news release saying you're going to see some changes on SR 27 from the town of Rockford to Trent Avenue in the City of Spokane Valley as a result of the SR 27 Traffic Safety Project.

The project is a partnership of the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and engineering, enforcement, and education agencies. Its goal is to reduce the number of injuries and collisions on the roadway. 185 collisions occurred on this section of State Route 27 last year.

The changes include more law enforcement patrols, signage improvements and a public information/education campaign. The first item you'll probably notice is new flashing beacon signs installed near Jackson Road to alert drivers they're approaching the Freeman school area.

And while you're zipping through that area at 50 miles per hour, the next thing you'll probably notice is the Washington State trooper, the Spokane County Sheriff, or the Spokane Valley officer pulling you over. They're increasing patrols to target drivers who disregard traffic lights, speed, and follow too close. So slow it down a little.

Two New Area Trails Open

Phase 2 of the Fish Lake Trail is complete and open to walkers and bicyclists... and they're using it despite the cold weather. And the town of Wilbur has a new trail as well. Here's what's happening in transportation this week from the Spokesman-Review's 'Getting There' column.

SRTC Looking For 'Visioning' Consultant

SRTC is looking for qualified firms or individuals to undertake a 'Community Visioning and Improvement Strategy for a Unified Regional Transportation System' process. The end goal is to develop a unified vision for transportation for where the entire community wants to be in 20 to 50 years.

There are already several individual plans developed that address bike and pedestrian transportation, public transportation, air travel, train travel, etc. but this 'visioning' process will look at all of the above, and more, with the intent of dovetailing it all together and coming up with a plan that addresses all of those topics.

This is the first time in it's long history that SRTC has conducted any kind of exercise, study, or project of this size, so we're excited to see what comes of the effort. The first step is to hire a consultant, so if you are interested, follow this link to the SRTC website to read more about the visioning process.

Plan Accordingly- Holiday Closures Are Coming

A reminder to get your government business done early this week, as all government offices are closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

That includes SRTC, Spokane City Hall, Spokane Valley City Hall, Washington State Department of Transportation, Liberty Lake City Hall, Spokane County, etc., etc. The County's Building and Planning Department will be closed Wednesday, November 25th through Friday, November 27th (Wednesday will be the department’s weekly furlough day). Everything opens again Monday morning, Nov. 30, at 8 a.m.

Downtown parking meters do not have to be plugged on Thursday, but it's back to normal for Black Friday. Most construction projects still underway will be put on hold from Wednesday early afternoon until Monday morning in anticipation of heavy holiday traffic.

Since I don't go in for the shopping on the most crazy day of the year, the four days off gives me time to deal with the flock of 30 turkeys that have taken up residence in my neighborhood. This is the view out my front window every morning, only usually there's a lot more of them. Don't they know they're supposed to be laying low this time of year?