Local Road Construction Update

WSDOT

US 2/Espanola Road to Interstate 90- On Monday, Aug. 18, beginning at 7 p.m. until as late as 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, Hayford Road will be closed to the north and south of US 2 in order to resurface the highway and install a signal system. Detours will be available. In general, between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., Monday through Friday, expect intermittent lane closures in the vicinity of Flint Rd. Be alert for flaggers directing traffic and trucks entering and exiting the roadway. Flint Road is closed from US 2 to the south and closed to the north between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. Grinding and paving will continue between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. from FAFB through Airway Heights towards I-90.  

I-90/Liberty Park to Havana Street- During evening and overnight hours, from about 9 p.m. until the following morning at 5 a.m., be alert for on and off ramp closures as crews replacing light poles. Also watch for outside lane closures from 7 p.m. to the following morning at 6 a.m. 

I-90/Barker Road to Idaho Border- Crews are resurfacing the freeway during evenings and overnight hours, from about 7 p.m. until as late as 6 a.m. the following morning and on some weekends. 

SR 290-Trent Avenue/Pines to Sullivan Road- Be alert for lane restrictions as crews patch the asphalt.

NSC/BNSF Railway Structures/Realignment & Ped/Bike Trail Extension- Today, Aug. 14, possible short delays on Freya when girders are delivered as crews construct two bridges over the BNSF tracks and two pedestrian bridges.

SPOKANE CITY

Garland Street Between Monroe and Howard- Garland will be closed between Monroe and Howard and Wall, Post and Lincoln closed between Providence and Walton from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16.

Riverside Closure- Riverside will be closed between Washington and Bernard Street from 6 p.m. - Midnight on Friday, Aug. 16.

Division Street Sidewalk Closure- There will be a continuing sidewalk closure Wednesday, July 23 - Sunday, August 31 for demolition work at  1120 N. Division.

TBD Residential Grind and Overlay Project- The project will complete a grind and overlay repair on the following streets:

o   Pittsburg Street from Heroy Avenue to Wellesley Avenue and Heroy Avenue from Helena Street to Pittsburg Street and Arthur Street from 13^th Avenue to Newark Avenue (excluding 9^th Avenue west to 9^th Avenue east)

o   Downriver Drive from Aubrey L White Parkway to Columbia Circle

o   Excell Avenue from G Street to Audubon Drive

Hamblen School Sidewalk Project-Intermittent road work next week on Thurston in the area of Napa and Crestline. This project will construct various width sidewalks on various streets around Hamblen Elementary School, including ADA compliant curb ramps on all corners where new sidewalk is constructed. 

Lincoln/Monroe Resurfacing- Reconstruction of the street by replacing the asphalt surfacing, including ADA ramps as needed. Lincoln/Monroe street will be closed from 7^th-17^th Avenues through mid-October.

High Drive from 29th Avenue to Bernard- This project includes pavement reconstruction, CSO storage facilities, storm, sewer, swales, and water main replacement. 

North Division Sidewalk Project- This project will construct missing sidewalk in gaps adjacent to Division between Empire and Lyons. There will be a right lane closure from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Francis Avenue from Division to Crestline- This project will rehabilitate Francis Avenue from Division to Crestline Streets.  The work is curb to curb and includes installation of ADA curb ramps, where needed.

SPOKANE VALLEY
Appleway Boulevard from Thierman to Park- Reduced to two lanes eastbound through early September for resurfacing, stormwater drainage improvements, and sidewalk work.

Sprague Avenue from Vista to Herald- Reduced to two lanes westbound through early September for resurfacing, stormwater drainage improvements, and sidewalk work.


8^th Avenue from McKinnon to Fancher- Closed to all but local traffic beginning August 19 through mid-September for resurfacing and stormwater drainage improvements. 

SPOKANE COUNTY

Country Homes Restoration Project - The southbound lane of Country Homes Blvd. from Cedar Rd. to Wall St., southbound lane is closed to thru traffic.  Northbound lane is open with occasional restrictions.

Bruce Rd. Bridge Replacement/Road Work - The bridge is closed for replacement and will not reopen until October or November. A detour is in place.

Farwell Rd. (Market St. to North Spokane Corridor) - Under construction, watch for lane restrictions.  

Temporary Protected Bike Lanes Pop Up Around The Country

The latest trend in transportation this summer? "Pop-up" temporary protected bike lanes. Communities are using cones, flower planters, benches and barricades to create protected bike lanes to be used for one day to give citizens an idea of how nice it would be to have them all the time.

Streetsblog USA has a look at some of these demonstrations. Time to do one in our community perhaps?

County Commissioners Explain Vote On Urban Growth Area

Spokane County commissioners yesterday reaffirmed their rationale for adding about a big chunk of land to the county’s urban growth area.The expansion increases the area where subdivisions, businesses and industry can locate. Commissioners approved the 3,600 acre expansion in 2013, but the changes were sent back to them by the state Growth Management Hearings Board on an appeal by a coalition of neighborhood groups.

Here's why many citizens weren't happy about the annexation and why Commissioners defend it.

So here's why its' a concern to us at SRTC- while much of the area to be annexed has homes and businesses on it already, every time a new development is built on the fringes of the urban area, roads have to be built to reach them. Then they have to be maintained. We already have thousands of miles of roads we can't maintain. In many cases, developers are required to pay impact fees for road maintenance but it doesn't always work out with all infrastructure. 

WA Going To 6-Year Driver's License

You'll soon be able to go another year without renewing your driver's license in Washington. The Washington Department of Licensing is starting to transition from a 5-year to a 6-year driver's license

During the five-year transition, some people will receive a 5-year license and some a 6-year.

The cost of the license remains $9 per year, so the cost will be $45 or $54, depending on the term.
cycle.

New Drivers Will Be Obvious In Ireland

It's not exactly a scarlet letter but a new law in Ireland will make it very clear, and visible, as to who is an inexperienced driver. New drivers will have special plates with an 'N' on them, for "novice" for two years after getting their license. New drivers will also be subject to lower alcohol limits. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/motorists-face-more-penalty-points-for-speeding-from-friday-1.1882534

RIP Robin Williams; Actor, Director and Bicyclist

Following his death yesterday, Robin Williams is being remembered as a great actor and director. But those who knew him personally are remembering him for all the other things he was, including an avid bicyclist. In this clip from the Daily Show, he talks about cycling in New York and Los Angeles.

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

Council Votes To Support Transit Resolutions

At last night's Spokane City Council meeting, councilmembers approved two resolutions supporting the Spokane Transit Authority. The first pertained to the downtown STA Plaza and supported the location and its integral part of STA’s past and future operations. The second supported 

 two possible changes to the proposed Central City Line, including consideration of a more cost-effective electric-induction propulsion technology and the possible extension of the line through the Chief Garry Park Neighborhood to Spokane Community College. 

Councilmember Jon Snyder writes about these resolutions and the predicted impact on his blog today.

City Council Candidate Interviews Tomorrow

A special meeting of the Spokane City Council will be held at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) to interview candidates to fill the Councilmember position recently vacated by Steve Salvatori. The meeting is in the City Council Briefing Center at City Hall and will be open to the public. The candidates include Adrian Dominguez, Julie Griffith, Karen Stratton, Eric (EJ) Ianelli and Kitty Klitzke. Kitty is a current member of SRTC's Transportation Advisory Committee.

Because the City Council makes transportation decisions for the city and always has representatives on the SRTC Board, we are very interested to see who the appointed candidate will be. The final decision will be made at the August 18 Council meeting by a vote of the entire Council.

Council to Consider Restarting Work on Pedestrian Master Plan

Spokane City Council members tonight will consider a proposal by Councilman Jon Snyder to produce a Pedestrian Master Plan, which would guide how money is spent to improve sidewalks and make roads safer for walkers. The plan was first started in 2011 but was never finished due to staff changes at City Hall.


And Snyder isn't just suggesting the plan be finished, he's threatening to dissolve the city’s Transportation Benefit District if it isn't.

The Spokesman-Review has the story.

Local Construction Update

WSDOT

US 2/Espanola Road to Interstate 90-Intermittent lane closures in the vicinity of Flint Rd. between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. Flint is closed from US 2 to the south and to the north between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday.  Grinding and paving continues between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Fairchild Air Force Base through Airway Heights and towards I-90. Crews in the area are resurfacing the highway and installing a signal system at the Flint Road Intersection plus some improvements at the Espanola intersection.

I-90/Liberty Park to Havana Street- During evening and overnight hours, from about 9 p.m. until the following morning at 5 a.m., be alert for on and off ramp closures so that crews can replace lighting poles and wiring. Also watch for outside lane closures from 7 p.m. to the following morning at 6 a.m. 

I-90/Barker Road to Idaho Border- Work is underway to resurface the freeway evenings and overnight hours, from about 7 p.m. until as late as 6 a.m. the following morning. Be alert for lane restrictions and abrupt lane edges. Also pay close attention to speed limit signage. The legal speed limit is reduced to 60 mph in some areas of the project when grooved pavement is present. Speed limit signage may change depending on the work underway and location.

SR 290-Trent Avenue/Hamilton Street to Sullivan Road- Be alert for lane restrictions as crews patch the asphalt.

SPOKANE VALLEY

Appleway Boulevard from Thierman to Park- Reduced to two lanes eastbound through early September for resurfacing, stormwater drainage improvements, and sidewalk work.

Sprague Ave from Vista to Herald - Reduced to two lanes westbound around the clock beginning Monday, August 11 through early September for resurfacing, stormwater drainage improvements, and sidewalk work.

SPOKANE CITY
Hamblen School Sidewalk Project- Intermittent work next week on east Thurston in the area of Napa and Crestline. This project will construct various width sidewalks on streets around Hamblen
Elementary School, including ADA compliant curb ramps on all corners where new sidewalk is constructed.

Division Street Sidewalk Closure- Sidewalk closed at 1120 N. Division through August 31 for demolition work.

Division Street Sidewalk Project- This project will construct missing sidewalk in gaps adjacent to Division between Empire and Lyons. The right lane is closed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

High Drive Construction- Reconstructing the pavement, adding a combined storm overflow storage facility, swales and replacing a water main from 29th Avenue to Bernard Street. Expected to last until mid-October.

Lincoln/Monroe Construction- Lincoln/Monroe is closed from 7th to 17th through mid-October to reconstruct the street and add ADA ramps as needed.

Division Lane Closures- Two southbound lanes of Division will be closed intermittently through August between Ruby and Cleveland so Avista crews can perform maintenance duties.

Grand Boulevard Construction- Traffic is restricted to two lanes on Grand Blvd. between 14th and 22nd avenues. McClellan Street between 8th and 9th avenues has one lane southbound. Northbound is detoured onto 9th Avenue over to Cowley. 9th Avenue/Rockwood Boulevard between Grand Boulevard and the hospital is closed. Southbound on Stevens has access to the medical building on 9th Avenue. Traffic is impacted both north and south bound mainly between 8th and McClellan.
Cedar Road/Country Homes Boulevard Intersection Signalization- Signals are expected to be activated by the end of this week or middle of next week. 

Francis from Division to Crestline- Crews are paving from Nevada to Crestline on the south half of Francis and continuing curb, sidewalk and driveway installations.

SPOKANE COUNTY

Bruce Road Bridge and approach- Bridge closed to be replaced until further notice.

Country Homes Boulevard- The Southbound lanes of Country Homes Blvd. between Cedar and Wall are closed.

Liberty Lake Outfall Elimination- Shoreline Drive, from Alpine to Liberty, in Liberty Lake, is closed for this project.

Plan Says Funding Shortfall Straining State Transportation System

Washington state’s transportation system will fall into a long-term decline under the current funding scheme that relies on motor vehicle fuel tax, according to a draft report by the Washington State Transportation Commission.The commission released a draft of it's 20-year transportation plan last week and is asking members of the public to weigh in on it.

The Spokesman-Review's "Getting There" column looks at the plan.

Trail Paving Project Delayed to 2015

An email from the City of Spokane sent out Friday says construction on the Ben Burr Trail will most likely not happen this year. The project to restore and pave Ben Burr Trail was originally planned in two phases, with the Liberty park to Underhill Park phase to be constructed this year. The City email says the timeline for the bidding and award process, however, means workers would not be able to get the project fully paved before the end of the construction season  

New Section of Centennial Trail Open

The Centennial Trail through Spokane is celebrating two milestones- it's 25th anniversary and a new portion of trail. The new section connects Bridge Avenue to Boone Avenue along an abandoned railroad bed paralleling Summit Boulevard and extends north from the Kendall Yards gap, a piece of the trail built last year. The Spokesman-Review has all the details.

Transportation Secretary Says He's Disappointed In Transportation Fund Extension

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx

An email our office received yesterday from the Federal Transit Administration and Anthony Foxx, U.S. Transportation Secretary, says that Foxx is pleased that Congress took action to avoid letting the Highway Trust Fund go broke, but is disappointed that they merely put off the inevitable. 

This is the tenth extension of the surface transportation fund, on top of eighteen short term budget measures, in the last 6 years. The bottom line, Foxx says, is that this extension doesn't provide any sense of security to us in the long term; it's merely a band-aid.

Worse yet according to Foxx is that the extension expires right as the next construction season begins, setting up another crisis next spring. So in the coming months, the U.S. Department of Transportation will again be required to prepare cash management procedures in anticipation of repeating the same Highway Trust Fund insolvency crisis in 2015.

The email goes on to say that Americans deserve a multi-year transportation bill that provides the certainty businesses and communities deserve, creates jobs, and makes policy updates to lay the foundation for lasting economic growth. He says the Senate demonstrated with its bipartisan vote on July 29, that there is no reason Congress can't act on a long-term solution this year and he hopes Congress uses this opportunity productively. Thoughts?

Appleway Construction Starts Today

A big project gets underway in Spokane Valley today that will stretch all the way into October. Works starts to resurface Appleway from Thierman to Park. Improvements include ADA upgrades and relocation of sidewalks and swales along the east end of the project area. Of course this means there will be some lane closures and other possible delays. The Spokane Valley Herald has the details.

August Board Meeting Cancelled

I suspect this is what our Board
members look like when they're out
of their suits and ties! 

The regularly-scheduled August 14 meeting of the SRTC Board has been cancelled to give Board members a short summer break. Meetings resume as usual on September 11.

Beacon System Could Help Blind Travellers

San Francisco Airport is trying out some new technology to help visually-impaired people navigate its terminals.

Location-aware beacons have been installed throughout the terminal. Each beacon connects to a smartphone app to pop up with information when a user gets within range. For the visually impaired, the system uses Apple's Voiceover technology to read out points of interest as the person approaches them and gives visual cues for how to navigate to locations such as power outlets, coffee shops and security checkpoints.

The Verge has more on what this technology can do.

Local Road Construction Update

SPOKANE VALLEY
Appleway Boulevard from Thierman to Park - Reduced to two lanes eastbound from Monday, August 4 at 6 a.m. until Labor Day for resurfacing and sidewalk work.

Progress Road from Wellesley to Forker - Closed to traffic through Saturday, August 9 for reconstruction. Use Evergreen as an alternative.

WSDOT

US 2/Espanola Road to Interstate 90 Resurfacing- Intermittent lane closures between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., Monday through Friday, in the vicinity of Flint Rd. Flint is closed from US 2 to the south. A detour is available. Flint Road is closed to the north between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., Monday through Friday. Grinding and paving will continue between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. from FAFB through Airway Heights.  

I-90/Liberty Park to Havana Street- During evening and overnight hours, from about 9 p.m. until the following morning at 5 a.m., be alert for on and off ramp closures. Also watch for outside lane closures from 7 p.m. to the following morning at 6 a.m. for replacement of existing illumination lighting, poles, and wiring.

I-90/Barker Road to Idaho Border resurfacing- Work on this project is underway evenings and overnight hours, from about 7 p.m. until as late as 6 a.m. the following morning.  Work may be underway on weekends. Be alert for lane restrictions, possible slow traffic, and rough pavement. The legal speed limit is reduced to 60 mph in some areas of the project when grooved pavement is present.  

SPOKANE CITY

Market Street Closure- Northbound Market St. will be closed from Wellesley to Fancis from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2 and southbound Market St. from Fancis to Wellesley from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the annual Hillyard Hijinx Parade.

Downtown Street Closures- The following streets will be closed Sunday, Aug. 3 for the Color Run 5k: Spokane Falls from Stevens to Post, Howard and Wall between Main and Spokane Falls closed from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Riverside westbound from Monroe to Madison from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., westbound Riverside Maple Bridge onramp; Riverside eastbound from Maple to Walnut; Main from Post to Wall. At 7:45 a.m. to 11 a.m. the full full course will be closed- Monroe and Lincoln from Riverside; Bridge and Main from Monroe to Stevens; Spokane Falls from Stevens to Monroe; Riverside from Lincoln to Hemlock; Hemlock to 2nd; 2nd to Oak; Oak from 2nd to 1st; and 1st from Oak to Maple.

Wall Street Closure- Wall St. will be closed between Main and Spokane Falls from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5 for the annual Night Out Against Crime. 

Washington Street Bridge Closure- The Washington St. Bridge will be closed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7 just north of the tunnel in Riverfront Park for a bridge inspection.

Ruby Street Sidewalks- Sidewalks along Ruby just south of Cataldo will be closed intermittently until Aug. 11 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. 

Ralph Street Closure- The 900 block of Ralph will be closed Friday, Aug. 1 to Wednesday, Aug. 6 for a water line extension.

Spokane Falls Blvd. from Wall to Main- Closed Monday, Aug. 4 for crane work.

Lincoln/Monroe Closure- Work to resurface these streets between 7th and 17th avenues begins Monday, Aug. 4. 

High Drive from 29th Avenue to Bernard Street, Phase 1- This project includes reconstructing the pavement, adding sewer, swales and replacing a water main. 

Grand Boulevard from 14th to 22nd- The Grind and Overlay on Grand Boulevard from 14th to 22nd begins Monday, Aug. 4 with traffic restricted to two lanes. McClellan Street between 8th and 9th Avenue has one lane southbound. Northbound is detoured onto 9th Avenue over to Cowley. 9th Avenue/Rockwood Boulevard between Grand Boulevard and the hospital tower is closed with driveway access. There is local access only at Cowley and 9th to the hospital. Southbound on Stevens has access to the medical building on 9th Avenue. Traffic will be impacted both north and south bound mainly between 8th and McClellan, 9th and Rockwood, to Cliff and Grand. This work will take approximately 3 to 4 weeks. 

Cedar Road/Country Homes Boulevard Intersection- Paving and traffic island reconstruction is progressing in the middle portion of the intersection. Installation of signal pole bases, curb, sidewalk and asphalt pavement are underway on the west half of the intersection. This project is for installation of a traffic signal at the Cedar Road/Country Homes Boulevard intersection.

Westview Elementary Sidewalks- Asphalt pavement patching near completion. This project will remove existing curb/gutter, relocate drainage structures, and cut and remove asphalt needed to install new curb/gutter on the north-northwest side of Bismark and create a 35’ road width from Assembly to Driscoll and 32’ from Driscoll to Moore. In addition, the project will install 5’ sidewalk with 5’ planter strip on Fotheringham from the alley one half block south of Bismark to Bismark and on Bismark from Fotheringham to the alley one half block south of Bismark to Bismark. ADA ramps will be installed on all new sidewalk corners, and on connecting corners where needed.

Francis from Division to Crestline- Curb, sidewalk and driveway construction continues along the south side of Francis. Grading preparation for asphalt paving on the south side between Crestline and Nevada continues. Paving is anticipated next week. This will be base lifts, not finish grade. This project will rehabilitate Francis Avenue from Division to Crestline Streets. The work is curb to curb and includes installation of ADA curb ramps, where needed.

Francis and Freya Intersection- A signal removal and replacement is underway at the Francis/Freya intersection. The dedicated right turn lane will be closed for southbound traffic on Freya to construct the new roadway at the northwest corner. The right turn onto westbound Francis Avenue will be routed from the through lane. Additional traffic congestion is anticipated. This traffic configuration will remain in place until HMA paving is complete. 

WSDOT

US 2/Espanola Road to Interstate 90 Resurfacing- Intermittent lane closures between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., Monday through Friday, in the vicinity of Flint Rd. Flint is closed from US 2 to the south. A detour is available. Flint Road is closed to the north between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., Monday through Friday. Grinding and paving will continue between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. from FAFB through Airway Heights.  

I-90/Liberty Park to Havana Street- During evening and overnight hours, from about 9 p.m. until the following morning at 5 a.m., be alert for on and off ramp closures. Also watch for outside lane closures from 7 p.m. to the following morning at 6 a.m. for replacement of existing illumination lighting, poles, and wiring.

I-90/Barker Road to Idaho Border resurfacing- Work on this project is underway evenings and overnight hours, from about 7 p.m. until as late as 6 a.m. the following morning.  Work may be underway on weekends. Be alert for lane restrictions, possible slow traffic, and rough pavement. The legal speed limit is reduced to 60 mph in some areas of the project when grooved pavement is present.  

SPOKANE COUNTY

Bruce Rd. Bridge Replacement/Road Work - Bridge is closed until further notice.

Farwell Rd. (Market St to North Spokane Corridor) - Under construction, intermittent lane restrictions.

Could A Bicycle Transit Center Be What Spokane Needs

I was downtown at Boots Bakery for an event this morning and noticed that the bike rack in front of the building was full before 9 a.m. The one across the street was too. With pretty much every area jurisdiction showing a vested interest in decreasing the number of cars on the road and increasing the number of people using alternative transportation such as bicycling, it's important to provide a safe place for all these bikes that we want to see on our streets to be stored.

Introducing an interesting idea by the Spokane Rising Project- a bicycle transit center- an indoor location to park bikes, take showers, and find other bicycling amenities. More details on this idea here.

Senate Takes Action On Highway Trust Fund

The U.S. Senate approved a $10.9 billion bill to fund highway projects through May 2015 late last night, just hours before the U.S. Department of Transportation was supposed to start rationing money in the Highway Trust Fund today.

The bill now heads to President Obama to be signed. While his administration said it would have preferred a $302 billion four-year extension of highway funding, it's commonly believed that he will sign it.

The Hill has more information on the bill.