My First Spokefest Was Pretty Cool. Too Bad I Didn't Actually Ride In It



            

The starting line for the 21 and 9
mile rides. Riders filled the
entire roadway for several blocks back.

I spent the day in Riverfront Park yesterday at Spokefest, talking to folks about our Horizon 2040 plan. It was cool to see all the different kinds of bikes and talk with some of the approximately 2,000 participants.

I was surprised that they had all kinds of input for me, and a lot of it not pertaining to bikes! So you bike folks are a well-rounded crowd.

Here's a little of what I heard:

• Sweep the roads more than once a year. The roads are usually swept in the spring, but following the construction season, there is a lot of "crumbs" from filling potholes and sealing roads that get pushed to the side where they're a hazard for bicyclists.
• The traffic light at Nevada and the Newport Highway doesn't change for bicycles.
• The Centennial Trail is too narrow near Upriver Drive since sidewalk was put in earlier this year. It only leaves about two feet of trail for bicyclists to use.
• Turn the wide shoulder on the Newport Highway into a bike lane.
• To revitalize downtown Spokane, fix up empty storefronts to be "marijuana resorts" now that marijuana is legal in Washington. Yes, someone actually did suggest this.