Follow Us On Twitter/ Like Us On Facebook!

If you're reading this, you're obviously one of the many people who get their news and information online. Well, when it comes to transportation, you now have a couple new sources to get that news.

In an effort to reach members of the public who may not attend public meetings or respond to traditional media such as the newspaper or television news, SRTC now has Facebook and Twitter pages.

To receive transportation updates, please ‘Like’ SRTC on Facebook at this link. Or you can follow us on Twitter by clicking here.

SRTC is continually searching for new ways to involve citizens in the public process. I've found though found that reaching everyday people is becoming increasingly difficult in these busy times and these social media websites are another way to expand our public outreach.

Fish lake Trail Clean Up Day

You're invited to join the Inland Northwest Trails Coalition and REI at the Fish Lake Trail to celebrate National Trails Day this Saturday, June 4! Come pick up your Kids Adventure Journal and clean up Fish Lake Trail for summer users. Bring your family, your bikes, your leashed pets, some work gloves, large push brooms and water bottles and be prepared for fun! Once the trail is free of trash and pine needles, you'll have an opportunity to hike or bike some of the most beautiful and scenic paved trail in Eastern Washington. The 'work' part of the day is from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Meet at the trail head at 800 S. Milton in Spokane.

Officers Assigned To Bike Patrols

The Spokane Police Department has dedicated two patrol officers to work bike patrols for the next few months. Officers Marie Rosenthal and Deanna Schmidt will be riding their police bicycles throughout downtown, Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm. Their primary goal is to provide a visible police presence within the retail zone of the downtown area.

The officers will enforce both criminal and non-criminal violations. During the summer months police see an increased population downtown and would like to ensure that every visitor has a safe and enjoyable experience.

Forefathers Right AND Wrong When Predicting The Future Of Transportation

This is fun and interesting. Click here to read an article from an issue of the Ladies Home Journal in the year 1900. The article is a prediction of what the author thought at that time would happen in the next 100 years, and it includes some predictions on transportation. For instance, the article predicts that there will be no street cars in big cities, trains will be able to go 150 miles, automobiles will be cheaper than horses, and everyone will be able to walk ten miles at a time. Very facinating stuff.

So what are your predictions for the next 100 years, since we're on the topic? I'm still waiting for my personal jet pack, so I'm going to throw that out there. What other changes to transportation do you expect in the next century?

New Airport Director Has Big Plans

The newest member of SRTC's Board is Larry Krauter, the new director of Spokane International Airport and Felts Field. We're still getting to know him, and here's a way you can too; in this interview in today's Spokesman-Review, Krauter talks about his vision for the airport, how he'd like to 'humanize' the airport experience for travellers and how to better utilize Felts Field.

Fish Lake Trail Mural Vandalized

The Spokesman-Review is reporting that someone vandalized a mural in the Fish Lake Trail tunnel less than two weeks after volunteers created it.

Apparently on Friday night, someone wrote graffiti on every panel on both sides of the tunnel near Marshall, said Dan Schaffer, who heads the friends group that stewards the trail.

Eastern Washington University art students had spent weeks designing and outlining the farm and railroad themed mural. Volunteers showed up on May 14 and 15 to add color to the outline.

We can expect a paradigm shift in federal transportation spending habits

A lot of my (jeff, not staci) job at SRTC is tracking legislation -- especially budgetary legislation -- at the local, state and federal levels. Those who know me have probably heard me a say this thousand times over the past couple of years, and now you are going to hear it again:

The way our federal government funds transportation is going to change dramatically over the next few years. Priorities will change, programs will be redesigned to reflect those priorities and ultimately the states will be put in the driver's seat when it comes to spending the ever-dwindling federal dollars we do receive.

Larry Ehl, from the Transportation Issues Daily blog, has EXCELLENT analysis on the subject here.

How this next 6-year transportation authorization bill shakes out is any one's guess at this point, but one thing appears to be certain: the transportation funding system as we know it today is not going to survive much longer. But you can rest assured that we will try and keep you informed of it here at the SRTC Transportation Blog!

Have a great holiday weekend,

Jeff

Meeting For Nevada St. Project

I know, you may not even want to think about more construction projects, but in 2012, the City of Spokane is planning a project to rehabilitate Nevada St. from Broad to Francis avenues. In the meantime, the folks there would like to tell you about it so you know what to expect. A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 1, at the Garry Middle School Cafeteria, 725 E. Joseph Ave. Come learn about the project and the expected business and traffic impacts.

More Construction Projects Starting

There are new construction projects starting and traffic alerts for the weekend and next week posted at www.SpokaneRoadFix.net. Check it out or get stuck in traffic.

Holiday Closures

If you're travelling for the Memorial Day weekend, you'll be glad to know that most construction work shuts down by noon on Friday in anticipation of incrased holiday traffic.

While no work will be going on, I-90 just west of downtown Spokane will continue to be reduced to two narrow lanes in each direction and I-90 about 10 miles east of downtown Spokane has narrow lanes on temporary pavement. US 395 just north of Spokane will remain reduced to one lane in each direction for about a half mile. Southbound US 2 just north of Spokane in the vicinity of the North Spokane corridor freeway interchange is reduced to one lane.

If you're heading to the west side of the state, I90 east of Snoqualmie Pass will have two lanes open in both directions.

Locally, all government offices and services will be closed on Monday for the holiday. In the City of Spokane, parking meters don't have to be plugged that day either.

Tomorrow is my 'flex' day off, so there will be a long blogging holiday unless it rains all weekend and I get bored and blog from home. Otherwise blogging resumes Tuesday, along with all other government work.

Senators Hash Out Transportation Spending Bill Outline

A bipartisan group of senators have finally agreed to a long-term transportation spending bill.

The bill would spend about $56 billion a year on highway and transit construction, roughly the same amount per year, adjusted for inflation, as the last long-term transportation bill that expired in 2009. A lot of details are still up in the air though. KGW TV out of Portland tells us what has and hasn't been agreed upon.

Safe & Complete Streets Act of 2011 Passed

U.S. Senate members yesterday introduced the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011, designed to create safer streets with every project built. Led by Senator Tom Harkin (IA), the measure would direct states and regions to adopt policies to provide for the needs of all users of the transportation system, including people of all ages and abilities who are walking, bicycling, and taking the bus.

In Spokane, a group including representatives from the City of Spokane, SRTC, Spokane Regional Health District, Spokane Valley, Spokane County, Futurewise, the Lands Council and many more, have been working toward a Complete Streets policy. The Spokane City Council passed a Complete Streets resolution a while back and work is ongoing behind the scenes to move toward adopting a CS policy.

The Down to Earth Blog has more on the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011.

Washington Most Bike Friendly State

Congratulations Washington! For the fourth year running, our has earned the title of “Most Bicycle Friendly State” from the League of American Bicyclists. That's for the efforts of our leaders to improve conditions for bicycling through programs, policies and places to ride.

Here's the announcement from the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Spotted Downtown Minutes Ago- The 'Eliptigo'

Eve in our office is SRTC's unofficial bike and pedestrian coordinator/expert. She was really excited when she got here this morning because she saw a guy on a bike like this outside our building and had never seen one before. She looked it up and found out it's an 'Eliptigo.' She said she was too busy watching the rider to think of taking a picture or asking him about it until he was too far away to catch. Because apparently the bike was fast.

Anyone own one of these bikes or know someone who does? Got the scoop- how they compare to a regular bike, how much they cost, the advantages over a regular or recumbent bike, etc.?

I know some of you are train watchers like me, so did anyone see this train go by about 8:00 last night? It was a REALLY long train and was just car after car of these and other military vehicles as far as the eye could see. The picture doesn't do it justice becaus it was almost dark, I was taking it with my phone and I couldn't get a good angle where I was standing. In person though it was really impressive but at the same time kind of somber because its a reminder of our folks overseas that are often out of sight, out of mind.

Two City Construction Projects Start Next Week

- Second Ave. from Howard St. to Sunset Blvd. is set to resume on Tuesday, May 31. Work began last year on the project to rehabilitate Second Ave. from Sunset Hwy. to Howard St. and replace a water main and catch basins. Beginning Tuesday, May 31, Second Ave. from Howard St. to Sunset Blvd. will be reduced to one lane of traffic while crews adjust the utilities. This work is expected to last about two weeks. Once utility adjustments are made, the street will be completely closed for two nights while crews pave the street. Paving will take place in the evening/overnight hours to minimize traffic impacts. Once paved, the project will be complete and the street will reopen to traffic.

Additionally, Second Ave. from Arthur to Browne streets is progressing and expected to reopen to traffic by Wednesday, June 1.

- Work on Mission Ave. from Hamilton to Greene streets begins Tuesday, May 31. The project will rehabilitate Mission Ave. from Napa to Greene streets and replace a water transmission main from Hamilton to Greene streets.

Beginning Tuesday, May 31, Mission Ave. from Hamilton to Napa streets will be closed. Drivers north of the Spokane river will be detoured to Indiana Ave. and drivers south of the river will be detoured to Trent Ave. Work on the project is expected to be complete in late September.

Pasadena Park Pathway Project Receives Federal Funding

I blogged yesterday about some local bike and pedestrian safety projects that were just notified that they received state and federal funding. Well, Spokane County has an additional one that I just found out about.

The Pasadena Park Elemtary School Pathway Project received $451,992. It will construct a six foot wide path from the school to the adjacent church for a safe student pickup location, flashing crossing beacons and a six foot wide sidewalk along both sides of Upriver Drive. The sidewalk will stretch from the school crosswalk to west Dick Road on the north side of Upriver Drive and west to Maringo Drive on the south side of Upriver Drive. These improvements wil allow 34 students to walk to school that couldn't before.

Airport Master Plan Open House Tonight

The Spokane International Airport is updating its Master Plan and wants your input.

The airport has completed all the action items from the previous Master Plan and is ready to create a new list. The new plan will help the airport serve the growing population and the expanding regional economy over the next thirty years.

You can get involved by attending an open house from 4-7 p.m. today at the Double Tree Hotel, 322 North Spokane Falls Court. The open house invitation is below, click on it to see it full size.

Meeting info includes forecast information and conceptual project ideas. Airport staff and the project team will be present to answer questions and take comments.

For more information, check out the Spokane International Airport Master Plan website.

Spokane Valley Bike & Pedestrian Master Program Meeting Thursday

Do you want to get the latest updates on the plans for enhancing Spokane Valley’s bike and pedestrian facilities? Then come to a community meeting this Thursday, May 26 from 6-7:30pm for an update on the Bike and Pedestrian Master Program (BPMP). The meeting is at the Central Valley School District Administrative Offices at 19307 E. Cataldo Avenue

Staff from the Spokane Valley Community Development Department will be on hand to share results of an inventory of existing facilities and unmet needs. You’ll have the opportunity to review them and share your input, get information on the next steps in the process, and find out how you can stay involved and informed.

The BPMP will guide planning, development and management of existing and future bicycle, pedestrian and multi-modal connections throughout Spokane Valley.

Group Of Young Folk Support Complete Streets

Want to get involved in Complete Streets for Spokane at a grassroots level? NextUp Spokane is holding a strategic planning session tonight at 6pm in the 2nd floor conference room of the Saranac Building. They're looking for 'artists, thinkers, bikers, drivers, walkers, and people that breathe oxygen' to help advance their campaign.

Not familiar with NextUp Spokane? I wasn't either. According to their website, they're a new grassroots network of civic-minded young people who are coming together to take on generational apathy. The site says the group is made up of teens, twenty-somethings and 'even people in their early thirties' (so that's why I wasn't informed) forming a loose-knit organization to help each other become the most effective community leaders they can be.

They officially approved Complete Streets Spokane as their first issue campaign, but plan to promote it in their own unique way: with I ♥ Complete Streets Spokane t-shirts, a Complete Streets Spokane Ride to highlight the need for safe streets and a 'summer-long guerrilla art escapade through downtown Spokane.' Well this should be fun. I'll keep you updated.