It's Friday so we need a laugh. In the spirit of the new shift toward 'infographics' to explain statistics or data, The Onion released this one a couple months ago about what car buyers are looking for in their next vehicle. Good luck on the less judgemental navigation lady. In my experience, they're all disaproving.

How To Spend Extra Money?

Here's a problem I wish we all had- too much money. Okay, they don't actually have too much money, but the City of Spokane Valley has a big chunk of money in their reserve fund and have decided it may be time to put some of it to use, while still saving for a rainy day of course.

The past two weeks' Council meetings have had a big part of them devoted to debating what projects should benefit from spending almost eight million dollars in reserve money, and it looks like the Sullivan Road Bridge could benefit from the expenditure. The Spokane Valley News Herald has the story.

Countywide Construction Projects Starting, Finishing Up or With New Road Closures Next Week

Spokane Valley
Fancher Rd. between Sprague and Broadway - Construction continues into early October, weather permitting. Expect reductions to one lane in each direction and narrowed lanes during curb and sidewalk work. Closed for paving from 7:00pm on Saturday, Sept 29 through 6:00am on Sunday, Sept 30 for paving.  Use Havana as an alternative route.

Mission Ave. between Union and Pines - Construction is anticipated to begin on or about Tuesday, Oct 2 and is expected to take about one week to finish, weather permitting. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction around the clock.Vehicles must be removed from the roadway. Vehicles not removed will be towed.

Pines Rd. Sidewalk Infill between 16th and 24th Avenue - Project is expected to begin Oct. 1 and take about six weeks to complete. Expect minor delays between 7:00am and 6:00pm

WSDOT US 2-Division Street/Francis to the “Y”- Lane restrictions with possible slow traffic Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 3-4, during evening and overnight hours to as late as 8 a.m. for pavement crack sealing. Division will be reduced to one through lane near the work.
US 2/Farwell Road Intersection Permanent Striping (MP 295)- On Wednesday and Thursday, October 3-5, from about 7 p.m. to as late as 6 a.m. the following morning, flaggers will direct traffic through this intersection. Expect lane restrictions and possible delays. Crews will be installing permanent inlaid plastic lane markings.

I-90/Geiger Blvd. to Downtown Spokane (Just west of downtown Spokane MP 275-280)-
Pavement grinding is under way from about 7 p.m. until as late as 6 a.m. The legal speed limit is reduced to 50 mph. I-90 may be reduced to one travel lane in each direction depending on the location of the work.

North Spokane Corridor/Parksmith Interchange - The Parksmith Road Interchange is scheduled to open for traffic on Tuesday, October 2nd late in the day. However, some lane or ramp restrictions or temporary ramp closures may be possible over the next few weeks as the contractor completes minor finishing items. A brief ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2. No traffic impacts are expected on the NSC.

SR 290-Hamilton Street Bridge (MP 1) - Bridge joint repairs from about 9 a.m. until as late as 3 p.m., with the bridge reduced to one southbound lane On Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday (Oct. 1, 3, 4). Be alert for slow traffic and congestion.

US 395-Division Street/Hawthorne & Hastings Road Intersections Permanent Striping (MP 165 & 166)- On Sunday, September 30 at Hawthorne and on Monday, Oct. 1 at Hastings , from about 7 p.m. to as late as 6 a.m. the following morning, flaggers will direct traffic through this intersection. Expect lane restrictions and possible delays as crews install permanent inlaid plastic lane markings.

Spokane City

29th Ave. from High Dr. to Grand Blvd.- The first phase of the project to rehabilitate 29th Ave. from Bernard St. to Grand Blvd. is expected to be complete and reopen to traffic by Friday, Oct. 5. The overall project includes a full depth curb-to-curb rehabilitation of 29th Ave. from High Dr. to Grand Blvd., replacing a 1water main, restriping existing bike lanes, repairing sidewalks on 29th Ave. from Madison to Howard streets, and installing new sidewalks on the north side of 29th Ave. from High Dr. to Lincoln St. The second phase of the project from Bernard St. to High Dr. will begin in 2013.

Spokane Is Getting A Car-Sharing Program!

Holy cow, this is great! Gonzaga University is partnering with Zipcar, Inc. to offer a campus car-sharing program! And while it's baby steps (The only two cars are located near Sharp and Standard right now but more are expected later), this is an achievement because it means anyone (pending a drivers background check) can use this transportation option.

To mark the occasion, there was an on-campus launch event today and there will be another tomorrow from 10:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. in front of the Crosby Student Center. It will allow Gonzaga students, faculty and staff to learn more about Zipcar and apply for membership. I'll try to swing by one of the days to get some pictures so you can see what your options are.

So here's how it works; you sign up to be a member, then reserve the cars  (A Ford Focus and Nissan Sentra) as you need them online, over the phone or through an app on your wireless device. You can reserve them by the hour or day and reservations can be for as little as an hour or for multiple days.

This transportation option will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is said to be quite cost effective, with the membership being a $25 annual fee for GU students and staff and $60 for non-students, with a $25 application fee. Reservation rates start at $7.50 per hour and $69 per day. Rates include gas, insurance, reserved parking spots, up to 180 miles of driving per day and roadside assistance.

That's pretty good when you compare it to the cost of buying your own vehicle, putting gas in it, paying for oil changes and insurance. Especially for those people who don't drive very often but need a car every now and then.

Studies have shown that each Zipcar takes approximately 15 personally owned cars from the road and that the number of miles driven per member is reduced by 40 percent, helping reduce congestion and carbon dioxide emissions. Zipcar members also report an increase of trips made by public transportation, bicycling and walking.

If you're interested, you can join Zipcar, or just find out more information about it, at zipcar.com/gonzaga.

Doug Clark Takes On The North Spokane Corridor

Because it's transportation-related, I feel that I can't ignore Spokesman-Review columnist Doug Clark's article today on the North Spokane Corridor, although it's not exactly positive and the facts are skewed to fit the tone of the article. He's got some good points; the freeway at this time isn't heavily travelled (although traffic counts have picked up since the most recent stretch was opened) and it is an expensive project, and Division Street does have a lot of traffic lights and slow spots. What he didn't mention though is the potential that's sitting there.

When complete, the North Spokane Corridor (NSC) will take a lot of the truck traffic off Division and Market, which will mean they won't be so slow anymore. He also mentions that the NSC is somewhere north of Hillyard, and so is Canada. Well that's where a lot of those trucks are going. It's called economic development. The thought is that if you put a north south route in that provides easy access to points north, we'll have more businesses move in to utilize it.

There are also points to be made about how north-south streets like Division and Market will be more bike and pedestrian friendly after the freeway opens, as the cars wanting to get quickly through the area will be using it instead of arterials going through the city.

Anyway, here's the article. It's obviously more about being funny than educational so enjoy it for what it is.

Fed Transpo Bill Provision Could Come With Price For Pedestrians

One provision of the new federal transportation bill, MAP-21, that many people are just learning is that it will require all major arterial roads to be included in the national highway system. That will nearly double the number of roads that will be part of the highway system.

Big deal or not? Could be, as it could mean pressure on local jurisdictions to comply with national highway standards, like wide lanes and shoulders.

While added cost is definitely a factor, some people are more worried this move will encourage car capacity at the expense of pedestrian safety. StreetsBlog has both sides to this story.

Public Meeting To Discuss Closing Centennial Trail Gap

Well this is cool. And needed. When talking about local trails with the public, I often hear about gaps in the Centennial Trail. The City of Spokane is hosting an open house to present improvement options for a gap in the Centennial Trail.

The trail runs along the Spokane River beginning at Nine Mile Falls, crossing over the Washington/Idaho state line, and ending at Higgins Point on Lake Coeur d’Alene. There are a number of gaps along the trail. This meeting will address completion of a trail segment from Bridge to Boone avenues adjacent to Summit Blvd. in the West Central area.
The open house will discuss plans for:

• A non-motorized, 12-ft. wide trail.
• Retaining walls.
• Fencing.
• Benches.
• A pavilion.

The open house is Thursday, Oct. 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt St.

Vigilantes Paint Their Own Crosswalk In PA Neighborhood

During a recent round of "Roundtable Discussions" we hosted asking people what they think of our current transportation system, a theme that kept coming up was crosswalks. People are upset that many aren't painted around here, despite some studies that say many pedestrians are struck by vehicles in them because of a false sense of security. They think a crosswalk is an obvious sign that cars need to stop for them, so they step out in it and get hit.

Well apparently we're not the only community struggling with the crosswalk conundrum (did I really just write that?). Vigilantes took street markings into their own hands in a busy Pittsburgh, PA neighborhood intersection and painted four amateur crosswalks. Granted, the crosswalks are all of varying width, but the painter(s) did manage to measure up with the ADA ramps.

Residents of the neighborhood have complained to the city for years that the intersection is dangerous, but are told they can't paint every four way intersection and traffic through the area isn't high enough to warrant a crosswalk. Here's the rest of the story.

Bridge For Sale. You Haul

For sale: one historic bridge, as-is, no refunds.
Hmmmm.... I see a money making opportunity we can learn from here. The Alaska Department of Transportation is putting Juneau's Brotherhood Bridge up for sale. The sale comes with some strings though; the buyer must agree to remove and preserve the historic structure.

So here are my thoughts, scattered and off-the-wall as they are:

1.) We buy the bridge and put it up in place of one of our deteriorating structures. It couldn't be in a whole lot worse shape then one or two of ours right? We're always talking about the state of our bridges and it's common knowledge that we need updates and replacements across the state.

- Or -

2.) My favorite- Let's take a cue from the ADOT and sell some of our older bridges. Who's got room for the Latah Creek Bridge in their backyard? The Greene Street Bridge is slated for improvements but will most likely need to be replaced to increase the weight load it can handle within the next ten years- who wants it as a nice peice of garden art?

Okay, neither are really feasible but here's the Anchorage Daily News article if you want to read it.

Are You Too Drugged To Drive?

The title of this article, Are You Too Drugged To Drive?, grabbed my attention this morning. I don't think so. Am I? I would know if I was, right? Not necessarily, I found out.

Every day, 10,000 Americans turn 65. 80% of drivers 65 and older regularly take medication— two-thirds take five or more daily! Yet only half have talked with a medical professional about the possible safety issues related to driving.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is studying the risks of drug interaction and side effects affecting driving ability and say it's a growing problem not only for older drivers but for anyone who takes medication and needs to drive.

Sponsors Needed For 2013 Spokane Bike Swap

The first annual Spokane Bike Swap was such a huge success that the folks behind the event are already planning for next year's- because they're going to make it even bigger and better.

This year's event was attended by over 2000 adults and a multitude of children. There were 200 bikes in the "bike corrall", most of which sold on the first day, and 27 vendors that took part.

The 2013 Bike Swap is April 13 and 14 at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center and sponsors are needed now to get things rolling. So talk to your boss and see if it's something you can do. There are of course advertising and other advantages in it for you. If you or your company are interested, click here to email the promoters for more information.

Column Says Spokane Doesn't Have the Most Impressive Parallel Parkers

"The Slice" column in today's Spokesman-Review addresses the issue of parallel parkers. According to columnist Paul Turner, we have a lack of drivers who can actually do a decent job of parallel parking. In my experience, it's not actually paralell parking that's hard, it's getting out later when someone parks three inches from your back bumper. Happened to me this morning downtown and then I look like a new driver doing an 18-point turn to get out of the spot. What's your experience with parallel parking?

Iron Bridge Open To Bike/Ped Traffic

The Iron Bridge bike and pedestrian river crossing near Gonzaga University is now open to traffic. Picture stolen from the Shallow Cogitations blog, to give credit where credit is due.

Go check it out. Looks pretty cool.

Some Stuff I Learned Today

Here's a few things I didn't know before that I picked up in a transportation project cost estimation workshop this morning. And yes, it has a tedious name, but no, the workshop wasn't boring. I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting it was.

• Many communities have put their 'mega' projects on hold due to the economy, and the ones that are doing large projects are mostly doing big transit projects such as light rail and bus rapid transit.
• There is speculation that labor costs are going down in many areas.
• Spokane Transit buses aren't 'retired' until they've either had two transmission rebuilds or 750,000 miles put on them.
• Fuel makes up over 50% of Spokane Transit's yearly budget.

Grant Helps With Work Toward Complete Streets

Our Senior Transportation Planner Eve Nelson has made the big time. She was quoted in
this Spokesman-Review article today about a grant that she helped our agency get two years in a row. The grant was an Active Community Environments grant and helped fund the work toward the Complete Streets Policy that our Board just approved. Nice work Eve!

Kettle Falls Bridge To Close Two Nights

If you use the 395 bridge over the Columbia River at Kettle Falls, you should be aware that the bridge will be closed to all traffic overnight twice this week. On September 27 and 28, the bridge will be closed from 7 PM until no later than 5 AM the following morning. All traffic will be required to use a detour route using Northport-Flat Creek Road and SR 25. It's substantially longer, so plan for it.

Road Construction For Next Week

Spokane County

Wall Street- One lane open each direction and narrow lanes from College Road to Waikiki Road.

Pasadena Elementary Pathway- Upriver Drive from Marguerite Road to Dick Road limited to one lane. One way traffic at a time.

City of Spokane

37th Avenue and Grand Boulevard Traffic Signal- A project to install a traffic signal at 37th Ave. and Grand Blvd. will begin on Monday, Sept. 24. Drivers can expect obstructions and are asked to drive with caution in the area.

Jefferson Street from Wellesley to Rowan Avenues- The project to rehabilitate Jefferson St. from Wellesley to Rowan avenues and surrounding residential streets is complete and open to traffic. The project rehabilitated Jefferson St. from Wellesley to Rowan avenues and surrounding streets including Adams St. from Wellesley to Rowan avenues; and Madison St. from Wellesley to Rowan avenues; and Wabash Ave. from Maple to Madison streets. Also, the stormwater system was upgraded to improve performance and maintenance, and ADA curb ramps were installed at intersections where needed.

Limited City Hall Parking- Beginning Monday, Sept. 24, the sidewalk will be closed and on-street parking limited adjacent to City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The City will be re-sealing the sidewalks on Post St. and Spokane Falls Blvd. The closure is expected to last until Friday, Oct. 19.   

Spokane Valley

Valley Fest Parade- Sprague Avenue from University to Pines Road and north/south intersections in between will be closed to all traffic for the ValleyFest Parade on Friday, September 21 as follows:


• Sprague between University to Bowdish, and intersections of Gillis, Moffit and Skipworth at Sprague closed from 5:45pm until parade completion

• Sprague between Pines and Bowdish, and intersections of Fox, Union, Perrine and Robie at Sprague closed from 7:00pm until parade completion.

• Use Broadway Avenue and 4th Avenue as alternative east/west routes.

• Use Pines Road and University Road as alternative north/south routes.

Washington State Department of Transportation

I-90 Geiger Blvd. to Downtown Spokane- Pavement grinding is scheduled to resume on Monday, September 24th on Interstate 90 between Geiger Blvd and the downtown area. Work will be underway from about 7 p.m. until as late as 6 a.m. The speed limit will be reduced to 50 mph. I90 may be reduced to one travel lane in each direction depending on the location of the work.

SR 290-Northbound Hamilton Street Bridge- Monday through Thursday, Sept. 24-27, from about 9 a.m. until as late as 3 p.m., the northbound Hamilton Street Bridge will be reduced to one lane to repair bridge joints. Northbound drivers should be alert for slow traffic and congestion on the bridge. In addition, on Wednesday, Sept. 26, during the same hours, the on ramp from Second Avenue to northbound Hamilton Street will be closed. All I-90 ramps will be open.

Spokane City Traffic Calming Projects Announced

The City of Spokane yesterday announced a list of traffic-calming projects that will be paid for from proceeds from red light camera infractions. Twenty-one projects have been selected for construction, out of 74 applications, totaling around $485,000. The projects are scheduled to be built in 2013.
This past spring, neighborhoods were asked to identify and submit applications for projects intended to encourage drivers to adhere to speed limits to improve safety for pedestrian and bicyclists and improve the walking environment.
A traffic-calming subcommittee, made up of a Council member from each Council District, selected the final projects. City Council will approve the final list and budget.
The traffic-calming project list for 2013, broken down by District, includes:

District 1: Purchase of two small mobile speed feedback signs that will be placed in various areas throughout District 1.

• Chief Garry Park Neighborhood: Installation of a crosswalk at Regal St. and Mission Ave.; and Cook St. and Mission Ave. crossing to Chief Garry Park.

• East Central Neighborhood: Implementation of University District/Sprague Corridor Study traffic calming elements on E. Sprague Ave.

• Bemiss Neighborhood: Permanent speed sign on Cook St. near Shaw Middle School and Northeast Community Center.

• Nevada-Lidgerwood Neighborhood: Install a traffic circle at Lyons Ave. and Cincinnati St.

• Logan Neighborhood: Conduct traffic study on E. Sinto Ave. in conjunction with Gonzaga University.

District 2:

• East Central Neighborhood: Permanent speed feedback sign on Perry St. near its intersection with 12th Ave.

• Cliff/Cannon Neighborhood: Curb bump-outs on Maple St. at Eighth and Ninth avenues.

• Manito/Cannon Hill Neighborhood: Crosswalk striping and signage at 25th Ave. and Bernard St.

• Rockwood Neighborhood: Install solar pedestrian beacons at 18th Ave. and Grand Blvd.

• Comstock Neighborhood: Install sidewalks from 210 to 226 W. 37th Ave.

• Lincoln Heights: Install sidewalks on both sides of Freya St. from 36th to 37th avenues.

• Joint Manito/Cannon Hill and Comstock Neighborhoods: Install pedestrian crossing at Manito Blvd. and 29th Ave., type to be determined from neighborhood input.
District 3:

• Five Mile Neighborhood: Connect separated sidewalks on Horizon Ave. from west of F St. to E St. Install crosswalk and signage at Cascade Way/Lincoln Rd. and Five Mile Rd.

• Emerson Garfield Neighborhood: Traffic circles on Montgomery Ave. at Cedar, Jefferson, and Madison streets; and two bump-outs on Montgomery Ave. with its intersection with Adams St. Additionally, sidewalks will be installed on Adams St. from Mansfield to Montgomery avenues.

• North Hill Neighborhood: Install crosswalk at Garland Ave. and Normandie St.

• West Central Neighborhood: Install crosswalk with flashing beacon at Elm St. and Maxwell Ave.

New SRTC Mission & Vision Statements

With new management and a new outlook on how we do things, we thought it was time for new Mission and Vision statements as well. Our old Mission Statement made it sound like we build actual construction projects. That not being the case though, it was time for an update to our image. So, we all sat down at a staff meeting and came up with a couple options. And then our Policy Board took a crack at some wordsmithing and here's what they ended up approving at last Thursday's Board meeting:

Our Mission:

To coordinate transportation planning in the Spokane Region by providing leadership, expertise, and a forum for collaboration.

Our Vision:

SRTC is recognized for excellence in transportation planning and regional cooperation.

So, what do you think?

New North Spokane Corridor Interchange To Open Oct. 2

Another milestone on the path to having a new freeway. The new Parksmith Road interchange will open to traffic on Tuesday, Oct. 2, marking the completion of the first half of the North Spokane Corridor (NSC) just north of Spokane. In late August, the Francis to Farwell/Southbound Lanes project also wrapped up, meaning more than five miles of the planned 10-mile corridor are open to traffic.


Completing the northern half of the NSC will help speed up north/south freight traffic in the Spokane metro area. Truckers on the US 395 corridor can cut up to 20 minutes off their travel time by using the NSC, then connecting to the Market, Greene and Freya route. Drivers will only encounter 11 traffic signals instead of 29 on Division.