Deadline Approaching to Apply For Transportation Advisory Committee

Don't forget- the deadline is coming up to apply to be on our Transportation Advisory Committee. The last day to apply is Saturday, Nov. 30. All the info you need is here.

Food Is Fare For Salt Lake City's New Streetcar

Everyone wins in this situation! Got a can or box of food? Then you've got fare to ride Salt Lake City's new streetcar. To celebrate the opening of the S-Line, the Utah Transit Authority is charging passengers a nonperishable food item to ride the streetcar when it first opens on December 7.

Here's more on the new streetcar line.

Spokane City's Construction/Obstruction Update

Riverpark Square Holiday Lane Closure- Every Holiday season River Park Square closes one westbound lane and provides flagging operation to allow vehicles to leave the parking garage just west of Post Street.  Here is this year’s schedule:

§  Friday, November 29, 2013 (2 p.m. – 8 p.m.) – BLACK FRIDAY
§  Saturday, November 30, 2013 (1 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Friday, December 13, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Saturday, December 14, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Friday, December 20, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Saturday, December 21, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Monday, December 23, 2013 (1 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
§  Tuesday, December 24, 2013 (1 p.m. – 7 p.m.) – Christmas Eve
§  Thursday, December 26, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)

Greene St. Bridge Work-A project to increase the life of the Greene Street Bridge over the Spokane River is under way. Lane restrictions on the bridge and on Greene Street between South Riverton Avenue and Upriver Drive. The work on the bridge will improve its load rating, allowing larger trucks and loads to use the bridge.  The project includes installing fiber-reinforced polymer to the bridge deck and floor beams.

Post St. Open- Post Street near City Hall is open as a one-way northbound street.  Parallel and diagonal parking is available.  The meters next to City Hall are 2 hour meters.

Monroe St. Closure- North Monroe Street will have a southbound lane closure at Bridge Avenue through November 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for street work on the Kendall Yards development.

Centennial Trail Closure- Part of the Centennial Trail on the north side of the Spokane River from Division Street east will be closed November 11 – 29.  Pedestrians will be re-routed north using the sidewalk along the eastside of Division Street and through the Red Lion Hotel Property.  The work will remove and replace deck boards, fascia boards and pedestrian rails.

All Government Offices Closed Thursday and Friday

It's that time again. In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, all local government offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28 and 29.

Parking meters don’t have to be plugged parking meters on Thanksgiving Day, but go back to normal operation on Friday and the rest of the weekend.

 

All of us government workers will be back in our offices Monday, Dec. 2 so either get your government business done tomorrow or wait until Monday.

 

 

 

City Contemplates Giving Parking Offenders the "Boot"

Call me lowbrow but one of my favorite episodes of the Simpsons is where Homer wracks up a mess of parking tickets and gets a boot put on his car. Well, guess what folks? It could happen here. Spokane City officials are considering getting tough with repeat parking offenders by bringing back the "boot" after 25 years.

For those who are too young to remember or not sophisticated enough to enjoy the Simpsons, the boot is a device placed on a car's wheel that immobilizes it. Apparently we have a problem with parking tickets in this town. A spokesperson says there are people with more than 200 tickets who are still using city streets to park. And not paying for it.

The Spokesman-Review has the story.

Dad Arrested For Having The Nerve To Try To Pick Up Kids From School On Foot

This is absolutely ludicrous. A Tennessee father was arrested recently- for picking his children up at school by foot. The school’s policy is that children can either ride the school bus or be picked up by parents in cars. The line of cars to pick up kids though was over a mile long, and causing safety issues by blocking a highway, so Jim Howe got the crazy idea that he'd walk to pick his 8 and 14-year-old up. Well, considering that the school employs Roscoe P. Coltrane as a resource officer, that didn't go over too well.

Here's the video of what happened.
And here's more info on this case in case you're interested.

Already A Favorite, the Honda Accord is Chosen As "Green Car of the Year"

The car honored as the “Green Car of the Year” for 2014 is kind of a surprise because it's a tried and true favorite already. 

In recent years, Green Car Journal honored cars whose selling points were emerging technologies including natural gas, electric and clean diesel but this year the prize went to the Honda Accord, because it's price and good gas mileage help make a widespread, positive impact on the environment.

The Down to Earth Northwest Blog has the story.

More Centennial Trail News, Holiday Travel and Buses On Holiday Schedules

It is apparently Centennial Trail day in Spokane as this is the second Centennial Trail story I will have posted in five minutes (see previous item below).

After a year of studying how to improve safety for trail users, it's been determined that the best way to get across Mission Avenue would be a new pedestrian bridge. So how much would that cost and what's the likelihood of getting the money?

In other news, AAA says travel over the Thanksgiving holiday is expected to decline from last year, extra law enforcement patrols will be looking for impaired drivers and Spokane Transit buses will operate on a holiday schedule Thursday.

The Spokesman-Review's "Getting There" column has all your transportation happenings for this week.

City Council Expected to Vote To Build Missing Link In Centennial Trail

Today could be a big day for the Centennial Trail, as the Spokane City Council is expected to approve a project to extend the trail from where it ends at Kendall Yards to Boone Avenue.

The Spokesman-Review has a look at the proposed route of the new trail section, and a some insight into what other future improvements to the trail might look like.

Article Chronicles Area Traffic Deaths In Recent Months

An article in the Inlander this week chronicles several deaths on area highways in the last couple months and talks about the heavy toll of America's roadways.

It's these deaths and collisions that were the impetus for the Target Zero campaign in Washington State, a program to reduce deaths on the road. While the group behind Target Zero has been very proactive, I have heard recently that their efforts haven't had a big impact and they're going back to the drawing board to determine new ways to prioritizes traffic safety needs and objectives, identify effective strategies, guide government investment in traffic safety, and encourages partnerships to make the best use of resources.

The Inlander article is here.

Lots of Discussion, But No Conclusion, On State Transportation Package

A proposed transportation funding package that would raise the gas tax by 11.5 cents over three years and spend $12.3 billion on transportation projects and maintenance of existing structures warranted four hours of discussion yesterday by the Senate Transportation Committee but still no conclusion on moving it forward to the Senate in a special legislative session.
 
Dozens of representatives of businesses, social service groups and local governments testified on the plan at the meeting, including representatives from Cheney, who feel the SR 904 widening project should have been included in the proposal.

The Spokesman-Review has the story.

Local Road Construction Update

SPOKANE VALLEY
Westbound Mission Avenue just west of Thierman - Reduced to one lane Monday, November 25 through Wednesday, November 27 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for utility work.

WSDOT
US195 and SR 27 Congestion- On Saturday, November 23, expect congestion on US 195 and SR 27 between Spokane and Pullman, plus SR 26 between Vantage and Colfax, as fans travel to and from the WSU Cougar football game.  Also on Saturday, November 23, expect congestion on Interstate 90 and SR 904 between Spokane and Cheney as fans travel to and from the EWU Eagle football game.  

North Spokane Corridor/Francis Avenue Bridge and Intersection Improvements- Traffic is running in the new winter configuration which has Market Street as single lanes each direction through the Market/Francis intersection on the west half of Market Street.  Francis Avenue is operating as single lanes each direction on the new bridge. No left turns are allowed at the intersection from Market Street to Francis Avenue. In addition, traffic on the east end of the project is running in the winter traffic configuration as well at the Francis/Freya intersection.  At and through that intersection, westbound traffic is in a single westbound lane. There are signs at the intersection to guide drivers over into the designated lane, but drivers need to be alert.

US 195/Cheney-Spokane Road Interchange- Northbound US 195 drivers need to be alert for slow traffic entering the highway left lane from Cheney-Spokane Road.  The dedicated northbound acceleration lane has been removed.  The northbound left turn lane remains closed and signed for no left turns. US 195 northbound drivers must  use Qualchan Road to access Cheney-Spokane Road.  The southbound off ramp to Cheney-Spokane Road is expected to open to traffic on Friday, November 22.  Signage will soon be installed on northbound US 195 drivers to encourage drivers to use the right lane to provide more traffic gaps for vehicles entering at Cheney-Spokane Road.  This temporary configuration will be in place during the winter work suspension to provide for the mainline lanes and intersection access for snow and ice clearing equipment.

CITY OF SPOKANE
Riverpark Square Westbound Lane Closure- Every Holiday season River Park Square closes one westbound lane and provides flagging operation to allow vehicles to leave the parking garage just west of Post Street.  Below find this year’s schedule:

§  Friday, November 22, 2013 (6 p.m. – 10 p.m.) – Santa’s Arrival
§  Friday, November 29, 2013 (2 p.m. – 8 p.m.) – BLACK FRIDAY
§  Saturday, November 30, 2013 (1 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Friday, December 13, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Saturday, December 14, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Friday, December 20, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Saturday, December 21, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
§  Monday, December 23, 2013 (1 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
§  Tuesday, December 24, 2013 (1 p.m. – 7 p.m.) – Christmas Eve
§  Thursday, December 26, 2013 (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)

Greene Street Bridge Work- A project to increase the life of the Greene Street Bridge over the Spokane River is under way. Anticipate lane restrictions on the bridge and on Greene Street between South Riverton Avenue and Upriver Drive. The work on the bridge will improve its load rating, allowing larger trucks and loads to use the bridge.  The project includes installing fiber-reinforced polymer to the bridge deck and floor beams. 

Monroe Street Lane Closure- North Monroe Street will have a southbound lane closure at Bridge Avenue November 4 to 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for street work on the Kendall Yards development.

Centennial Trail Closure- Part of the Centennial Trail on the north side of the Spokane River from Division Street east is closed until Nov. 29.  Pedestrians are re-routed north using the sidewalk along the eastside of Division Street and through the Red Lion Hotel Property.  The work will remove and replace deck boards, fascia boards and pedestrian rails.

Liberty Street Construction- Construction to rehabilitate Liberty Street from Oak Street to Ash Place and Ash Place from Liberty to Dalton is underway.  The road is closed.

SPOKANE COUNTY
Farwell Road Opening- Farwell Road from Market to the North Spokane Corridor, will be striped next Tuesday, Nov. 26, then it opens to traffic on Nov. 27.

New Analysis of Bicycle In America Looks At Trends In Riding

A new report from the League of American Bicyclists looks at exactly where people ride in the U.S. and the trends in riding.

"Where We Ride: An Analysis of Bicycling in American Cities" looks at:

• The 25 American cities with the most bicycle commuters
• How all 50 states rank according to bicycle commuters as a share of all commuters
• How cities with a high percentage of bicycle commuters compare to other cities in their regions
• How cities compare based upon multimodal commuters, looking beyond just bikes to other forms of transportation that involve more physical activity, including walking and transit
• Cities where a majority of bicycle commuters are women

This report will be used to give cyclists, policy makers and the general public a better idea of the breadth and diversity of cities that are better than the national average for bike commuters as a share of all commuters. Here's the link to the report. Some interesting info is included in it, including how Washington ranks compared to other states.

Drive Less Experiment A Huge Success In OR

This would be cool to try in Washington, just to see how we'd do. The Oregon Department of Transportation's 12-day Drive Less Challenge, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting down on roadway congestion, was WAY more succesful than initially expected.

 The twelve days resulted in an elimination of 652,960 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and saved 33,608 gallons of gas and $223,479.

The campaign encouraged drivers to seek other forms of transportation, including walking, biking, taking public transportation, or carpooling. The American Association of State Highways and Officials has the numbers on how large of a margin the experiment exceeded it's goals by.

WSDOT Getting Out The (New) Big Guns This Winter

You may see a new tool being used to fight snow on area highways this winter. The Washington State Department of Transportation Eastern Region maintenance crew will be using an innovative “tow plow” on several highway sections for the first time. 

A tow plow is a plow mounted on a trailer pulled behind a standard truck-plow.  When the operator needs to plow two full lanes the tow plow is maneuvered to the right.  The trailer wheels shift to skew the trailer at an angle then the blade drops down, doubling the width of the plowing operation.

This saves time and fuel by being able to clear two lanes, or a lane and shoulder, in a single pass with one vehicle.  The tow plow also has a hopper and spreader that can place sand or de-icer at the same time.

The new unit will be based in the Spokane area and primarily used on Interstate 90, US 395, and the North Spokane Corridor.  This is the first tow plow operated by WSDOT.

Article Says Proposed Transportation Package Includes Everything the Public Doesn't Want

Click to view full size. At least I think it will work that way.

Yesterday I posted an editorial from the Spokesman-Review that said we should embrace the transportation package proposed by the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus because of funding included in it for the North Spokane Corridor.

Today I was sent this article from SightlineDaily that says the plan should be rejected because it includes everything the public doesn't want. According to Sightline, the funding package would spend three times more money on highway expansion and new roads than constituents claimed in a recent survey that they want. And that doesn't leave much money for anything else, like maintenance, safety improvements, transit/bike/pedestrian projects and more.
It's a tough choice here in Eastern Washingotn. We've been struggling for years to come up with money to build a new freeway and this could be our final chance at a large chunk of funding. But at the same time, when staff is out and about in the public, we hear lots of comments on how we need improvements to our transit sytem and sidewalks, etc. Thoughts on the topic?

 

Transportation Technical Committee Meeting One Day Early This Month

Due to Thanksgiving coming up, this month's Transportation Technical Committee (TTC) meeting date has been changed. Usually TTC meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of each month. As that would fall on the day before Thanksgiving this year, we moved the meeting a day earlier, to Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Here's a look at the agenda. Don't let the new date mess you up, come to the meeting anyway. It's really interesting stuff. Really, it is.

TN Girl Scouts Can Get Transportation Patch

In Tennessee, Girl Scouts can now get a patch in transportation. That's right, a patch. The patch teaches alternative methods of transportation such as walking, biking and using public transit. To get it, each Girl Scout must complete activity requirements that are appropriate to their age level.

Mass Transit has the story.

Need to Take Advantage of Proposed Transportation Package for the Sake of the NSC

An editorial in today's Spokesman-Review lays out what's included in a transportation funding package propsed the Washington State Majority Coalition Caucus. While not big on some of the new taxes included in the plan, the Spokesman says it supports it due to provisions included to finish the North Spokane Corridor. And because this could be the last bone the NSC gets thrown for quite a while.

Here's the editorial article.

Bus Driver Teaches Himself Sign Language To Communicate With Deaf Drivers

This is the coolest story I've seen in a long time. Queens, New York bus driver Edwin Cora is known for talking with his hands- literally. Cora is learning American Sign Language so he can communicate with his riders who are deaf.

Through a couple frustrating encounters with hearing impaired riders who needed directions, Cora got the idea to teach himself sign language. Now he has a bigger goal.

Here's his story from the Daily News.

Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting Next Monday

The November Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting is next Monday, Nov. 25. The packet is at the link. http://www.srtc.org/Documents/Board_Committees/TAC/2013/2013-11_tac_packet.pdf. Feel free to attend if you can. And also, don't forget that we're looking for new TAC members. Information on that is also on the same page.

New Chain-Up System On Snoqualmie Pass Could Keep You Safer

The Washington State Department of Transportation is implementing a pilot project  on Snoqualmie Pass that could keep you safer and things moving smoother on the pass.

The new system will be used throughout the winter when traction tires are required on trucks over 10,000 pounds.

Recent improvements to I-90 nearly doubled the length and width of the existing chain-up area. Overhead message signs help guide trucks in the chain-up area, streamlining the process and helping improve safety for all drivers on I-90.

When chains are required, overhead signs will direct trucks to the chain-up area and notify trucks where a chain-up space is available.Double parking will not be allowed with the new system; trucks will chain up in a single-file line. Truckers will be allowed to park for 30 minutes while chaining up and will not be allowed to park in the chain up area to wait out the storm.

WSDOT believes this is the first time engineers have used Intelligent Transportation Systems to actively organize the chain-up process. If successful, this pilot project may be expanded to other areas in the I-90 corridor and across the state.

Some Cool Stuff In Local Transportation This Week

Spokane International Airport expands it's property, the City of Spokane is trying an experiment to see if it can save you some time and energy shoveling snow this winter, and Spokane Police will get more license plate readers.

The Spokesman-Review has a roundup of what's happening locally in transportation.

Study To Determine If Trees Killed By Bugs Could Fuel Cars

This couled be pretty cool if it works out. We have an epidemic in the west of trees killed by beetles. But those trees may not have to go to waste now. A new $10 million, five-year research program will study if beetle-killed trees can be turned into biofuel for cars and trucks. And in the process, it could help cut the risk of forest fires.

NBC News looks at what it would take to make it happen.

Want a Flying Car? Crowdsource it!

Want to drive a flying car someday, kind of like in the Jetsons? Put your money on the table now. A company that is building what they call a "roadable aircraft" is turning to crowdfunding to raise investors for their project.

Wired has the story.

Poll Results Show 60% of Washingtonians Willing To Pay Higher Taxes For Transportation Improvements

Sixty percent of Washington State residents are "willing to consider raising some transportation taxes and fees" to pay for transportation improvements (a nine percent increase from a year ago), according to results from the latest "Voices of Washington" Survey.

 

Participants were asked how they feel about the transportation system, what their transportation investment priorities are, and if they think the state has enough revenue to meet future needs. And the 5800 people that participated had some interesting responses.

 

Transportation Issues Daily has the details.

SRTC Seeking New Members For Our Transportation Advisory Committee

Are you looking for a volunteer position that gives you a voice in developing local policies, works closely with area decision makers and lets you have a hand in transportation and land use choices that help shape and develop the regional transportation system?

 

SRTC is seeking members for our Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC is a citizens’ advisory group that provides transparency and a community perspective to the transportation planning process. The TAC advises the SRTC Policy Board regarding plans, programs and activities to determine consistency with SRTC policies; makes recommendations on regional transportation policies; and serves as a conduit for information between the Board and the public.

TAC Members represent the general public and groups including, but not limited to, people with disabilities, senior citizens, youth, the business and freight moving communities, traditional automobile users and advocates for non-motorized transportation or public transit. It is important that the TAC has representatives from as many of the populations above in order to represent as many sectors of society as possible.

 

The TAC meets the fourth Monday of every month at 3 p.m. Meetings are held at SRTC, 221 W. First Ave., Ste. 310, Spokane, WA 99201.

 

TAC applications and more information on the committee are available at http://www.srtc.org/tac_page.html or by calling (509) 343-6370 to have one mailed or faxed. The deadline to submit applications is 4 p.m. Saturday, November 30, 2013. Feel free to call me at (509) 343-6387 if you have questions or you can attend the November 25, 2013 TAC meeting to get a feel for what it's all about.

Local Road Construction Update

WSDOT
Game Day Congestion- On Saturday, November 23, expect congestion on US 195 and SR 27 between Spokane and Pullman, plus SR 26 between Vantage and Colfax, as fans travel to and from the WSU Cougar football game.  Also on Saturday, November 23, drivers should expect congestion on Interstate 90 and SR 904 between Spokane and Cheney as fans travel to and from the EWU Eagle football game.  

North Spokane Corridor/Francis Avenue Bridge and Intersection Improvements- A “Celebration of Progress” event is scheduled for Friday, November 15^th at 1:30 p.m. on the new Francis Bridge structure.

On Saturday, November 16^th the switch will be made to the winter traffic configuration.  The traffic signal will be modified at the intersection of Francis & Market, and traffic moved from the Francis Avenue detour onto the new bridge. Work will start about 8 a.m. and conclude mid-afternoon.  The process requires a brief lane closure for eastbound Francis traffic, a rolling slow down maneuver to get traffic onto the bridge, and the Market & Francis intersection controlled by a flagger instead of a traffic signal. This will create some backups and delays.

Market Street will continue to have a single lane in each direction through the Francis intersection. Francis Avenue will operate with one lane each direction on the new bridge.  The south side of the bridge along the traffic barrier is designated for bicycles and pedestrians.

US 195/Cheney-Spokane Road Interchange- Be alert for slow traffic entering the highway left lane from Cheney-Spokane Road.  The dedicated northbound acceleration lane has been removed.  The northbound left turn lane remains closed so US 195 northbound drivers must  use Qualchan Road to access Cheney-Spokane Road.  The southbound off ramp to Cheney-Spokane Road is closed so drivers will need to be alert for southbound highway traffic slowing to make right turns into Cheney-Spokane Road. Inland Empire Way traffic is directed to the Thorpe Road intersection.  This is a permanent closure to accommodate the new northbound Cheney-Spokane Road on ramp.
 

SPOKANE CITY

Fall Leaf Pickup- Leaf pickup is moving ahead of schedule. Crews are working in Hillyard and will move to Indian Canyon and Comstock neighborhoods next week. The Pusher crew is working in Corbin Park and will move into Cannon hill this weekend. 

Tuesday, November 19, 9 a.m., crews will be in north and south streets in Browne’s Addition. Wednesday, November 20, 9 a.m., crews will be in east and west streets.  Cars parked on the street will need to be moved during the scheduled leaf pickup time or towing will occur.

 

Greene Street Bridge Work- A project to increase the life of the Greene Street Bridge is under way. Lane restrictions on the bridge and on Greene Street between South Riverton Avenue and Upriver Drive. The work on the bridge will improve its load rating, allowing larger trucks and loads to use it. The project includes installing fiber-reinforced polymer to the bridge deck and floor beams.

 

Main Avenue Closure, Washington to Bernard- Main Avenue will be closed from Washington Street to Bernard Street for sewer line installation. Two lanes on the north side of Main will be directed north onto Washington Street.  Traffic in the southern lane on Main will be detoured south to Riverside Avenue for the duration of the project.  The closure starts Monday, November 18 and is expected to last for 4 working days.  Main Avenue should re-openby Friday, November 22. 

Inland Empire Way Closure- Inland Empire way is scheduled to be closed from 20^th Avenue to 23^rd Avenue for utility installation.  Traffic will be detoured onto S. Chestnut Way for the duration of the project.  The closure starts November 18 and will last for 5 working days. 

 

Monroe Street Lane Closure- North Monroe Street will have a southbound lane closure at Bridge Avenue until November 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for street work on the Kendall Yards development.
 

Centennial Trail Closure- Part of the Centennial Trail on the north side of the Spokane River from Division Street east will be closed until November 29.  Pedestrians will be re-routed north using the sidewalk along the eastside of Division Street and through the Red Lion Hotel Property. The work will remove and replace deck boards, fascia boards and pedestrian rails.

 

Liberty Street Construction- Construction to rehabilitate Liberty from Oak Street to Ash Place and Ash Place from Liberty to Dalton has the road closed.

 

SPOKANE VALLEY
Mission Avenue just east of Bradley- Westbound traffic reduced to one lane on Monday, November 18 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for utility work.

 

 

Seattle Makes 2014 List of Most Walkable Cities

We haven't even passed Thanksgiving yet, but we're already looking ahead to 2014. Walkscore has just released their annual list of most Walkable Cities, this edition for 2014, and Seattle ranked in the top 10!

More info, and the list, can be found here.

WA State Transportation Plan Details Leaked

I've mentioned on this blog a couple times that Washington State lawmakers have been at work behind the scenes crafting a highway spending package. No one was sure what is included in that plan- until now. Someone leaked the details to the Seattle Transit Blog and early reviews call it "the same type of expensive, cars-only policy that Washington residents have rejected in the past."

It allegedly reduces bike and pedestrian funding even further, adds new highway projects, and doesn't offer much in the way of public transit. DC Streetsblog has more of the details on the supposedly "secret" plan.

 

Stockholm's Subway System Doubles As An Underground Art Museum

While you see some pretty cool graffiti in American subway stations, Sweden's stations are an underground art museum by comparison, and are even sometimes refered to as the world's largest art museum. Ninety out of Stockholm's 100 stations have murals, art installations or sculptures adorning them, some of them downright stunning and all transforming the feel of what could be a scary, cavernous place. You can see a slideshow of some of the art here.

"Sweat Equity" Accepted As Payment For Subway Rides

No cash but you need a ride? You could work off the prices of your subway ticket in Moscow. To promote exercise and the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics, a special ticket machine has been installed at the Moscow subway station. Instead of accepting money as payment, it wants your sweat.

Spokane Mayor Kicks Off 2013/14 Snow Season

The City of Spokane has a new way to reach you to warn you about winter weather conditions and driving in them. Mayor David Condon held a press conference yesterday to officially kick off the 2013/14 snow season and said the city will use new electronic variable message signs added to some of the City’s main arterials to communicate with drivers about conditions.

Snow season staffing begins this week, means there will be crews scheduled overnight to plow and de-ice to keep the morning commute as smooth as possible.

 

In addition to new electronic variable message signs recently added along the Division Street, Third Avenue and Maple/Ash corridors, the City uses a variety of other methods to notify citizens of snow events, including local media, spokanecity.org, Facebook and Twitter, City Cable 5 and neighborhood email distribution networks. Citizens can also call the City’s snow line at 509-456-2666 or sign up to receive text alerts for specific neighborhoods by texting 509-385-5775.

Transportation Improvement Program Update

In order to be in compliance with state and federal regulations, SRTC was required to update the 2014-2017 TIP to maintain consistency with SRTC's new long-range transportation plan, Horizon 2040, which is expected to be approved by the SRTC Board in December.

To provide members of the public a forum to review the TIP, ask questions and provide feedback, SRTC will host a public meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at SRTC, 221 W. First Ave., Suite 310, Spokane, WA 99201.

For those who can't attend the meeting, the draft updated TIP can be
viewed here. A public comment period for the TIP is November 12 through 4 p.m. on December 11, 2013. Comments may be emailed to contact.srtc@srtc.org, mailed to the address above, or phoned in to (509) 343-6370.


 

Less Than a Week Left to Comment On Horizon 2040

This is your warning that you have a little less than a week left to submit any thoughts or comments on the Horizon 2040 plan.

Horizon 2040 is a long-term, multimodal “blueprint” for transportation aimed at meeting the mobility needs of the area through the year 2040. It is based on projections for growth in population, housing and jobs and takes into consideration every mode of transportation, such as private vehicles, public transit, bicycling, walking, freight movement, rail and air travel.

 

The public comment period for the plan runs through November 16. After that, the plan goes to our Board for approval/acceptance in early December. In the meantime, watching the video below is a good way to get up to speed on the plan and what's included in it. Or you can read the entire plan and all the background materials at the link above.

 



A Lot Happening In Transportation This Week

STA is rolling out a new bus with a red, white and blue theme today; a celebration is scheduled this week for the nearly-completed Francis Avenue bridge; a new traffic signal is going in at Country Homes Boulevard and Cedar Road and lots more.

The Spokesman-Review's "Getting There" column has a roundup of everything transportation-related happening in our area this week.

Special Session Ends Without Transportation Bill

A special session of the Washington state legislature ended without a transportation bill being acted upon. Governor Inslee called the session to pass a number of bills designed to keep Boeing’s future 777x airplane manufacturing in Washington state and to pass a transportation bill. That didn't happen though and the session, which was initially supposed to last a week, was adjourned on Saturday.

Transportation Issues Daily has the story.

Transportation-Related Ballot Measures Had a Good Day Last Tuesday

Election day was a success for transportation measures last week. Voters across the country approved 91 percent of November 5 ballot measures to increase or extend funding for highways, bridges and transit. Successful ballot measures passed with an average of 67 percent of the vote and totaled nearly $240 million.

Transportation Issues Daily has a roundup of the numbers.

Local Road Construction Update

SPOKANE VALLEY

Sullivan Road at the Spokane River bridges - The northbound roadway is reduced to one lane through mid-November.

WSDOT
I90/SR 904 Congestion- Expect congestion on I-90 and SR 904 between Spokane and Cheney Saturday as fans travel to and from the EWU football game.

I-90/Greenacres Interchange to Liberty Lake Interchange- On Tuesday, November 12, from 9 a.m. until as late as 5 p.m., westbound I-90 will be reduced to one lane to repair median cable barriers.  On Wednesday, November 13, from about 7 a.m., until as late as 3 p.m., eastbound I-90 will be reduced to one lane.  Expect slow traffic and congestion.  This work depends on weather and may be postponed during snow and icy conditions.

SR 27/32^nd Ave. to Trent Ave.- Grind out top layer of roadway and resurface with Hot Mix Asphalt.  Construct ADA sidewalk ramps.

North Spokane Corridor/Francis Avenue Bridge and Intersection Improvements- Expect congestion and delays near the Francis Avenue/Market Street intersection and the Francis Ave./Freya Street intersection as the finishing touches are put on the Francis Avenue Bridge over the BNSF railroad tracks.

US 195/Cheney-Spokane Road Interchange- Northbound and/or southbound lane restrictions.  The northbound left turn lane is closed.  Northbound drivers need to use Qualchan Road to access Cheney-Spokane Road.  The southbound off ramp to Cheney-Spokane Road is now closed so drivers will need to be alert for southbound highway traffic slowing to make right turns into Cheney-Spokane Road.

SPOKANE COUNTY

Farwell Rd. from Market to North Spokane Corridor- Closed for fall.

Johnannsen Rd.- Closed from Prairie View Elementary School to Northview Lane for sidewalk installation and road widening.

SPOKANE CITY
Greene St. Bridge Project- Lane restrictions on the bridge and on Greene Street between South Riverton Avenue and Upriver Drive. The work on the bridge will improve its load rating, allowing larger trucks and loads to use the bridge. The project includes installing fiber-reinforced polymer to the bridge deck and floor beams. 

2nd Ave. Driving and Parking Lane Closure- The northern most driving lane and parking lane will be closed on 2nd Avenue just west of the Jefferson Street intersection starting November 11 through the 14th. 

17th Ave. Closure Sewer Repair Closure- 17^th Avenue will be closed from Nov. 11 through 13t between South Latawah Street and South Upper Terrace Road for sewer service repair work.  Traffic from 17^th Avenue will be detoured to 18^th Avenue.

Spokane Falls Blvd. Closure- Spokane Falls Boulevard from Bernard to Washington is closed through November 15.  Detours direct traffic to Riverside and Washington.  Bernard Street from Main Avenue and Spokane Falls Boulevard northbound will be closed.  The work will add sewer and water line connections to the Convention Center Hotel under construction.

Centennial Trail Closure- Part of the Centennial Trail on the north side of the Spokane River from Division Street east will be closed November 11 – 29.  Pedestrians will be re-routed north on the sidewalk along the eastside of Division Street and through the Red Lion Property.  The work will remove and replace deck boards, fascia boards and pedestrian rails.

Main Ave. Closure- Main Avenue, just west of Monroe Street, is closed for sewer line repair work. Vehicles have to enter Peaceful Valley from the west, and Spokane Transit Authority buses will also serve the area from the west.  The sidewalks along Main will remain open, allowing for pedestrians and cyclists to access Peaceful Valley from downtown on Main.
 
Liberty Street Construction- Construction to rehabilitate Liberty from Oak Street to Ash Place and Ash Place from Liberty to Dalton is starting.  The road is closed.

 

City of Spokane Fall Leaf Pickup Starts This Weekend

The fall leaves may be beautiful but they make the streets slick and clock storm drains. So, the City of Spokane will begin its regularly scheduled leaf pickup this Sunday, Nov. 10.  Cars parked on the street will need to be removed during the scheduled leaf pickup time. 

Pickup times and areas can be found on the City's website here.

Don't forget, leaf pickup is only for leaves that fall naturally into the street. DO NOT rake leaves from your yard into the street. 

 

 

Two Open Positions On Spokane Valley Planning Commission

If you're a Spokane Valley resident, you can have an impact on how on the City develops, through a position on the Planning Commission.

There are two openings on the Commission. Those chosen are responsible for reviewing and making recommendations pertaining to long and short range plans for future development, the City's Comprehensive Plan, Shoreline Master Program, development regulations, environmental protections, and a variety of other development-related topics.

Applications are available on the City's website at http://www.spokanevalley.org/volunteer. They will be accepted through 4 p.m. on Friday, November 15.

November 14 SRTC Board Meeting Agenda

The agenda is now available for November 14th's meeting of the SRTC Board. You can find it, and other info on our Board, here. Board meetings are open to everyone so feel free to attend if you have an interest in something on the agenda.

Transportation Via Bank Suction Tube

I have been talking about this forever, and considering that I don't have the funding to do it myself, I guess I'm glad someone is running with my idea. So you know that suction tube they have at the bank when you go through the drive through? I've been saying for many years that they need a human-sized one people could get in to and be shot at high speeds through a system of tubes to get to whatever destination they desire. Well, someone has actually improved on that idea. And the video is cool.


 

Grand Blvd./McClellan St. Project Open House

The City of Spokane will host an open house next Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 6:30-7:30 p.m. to fill you in on details of  an upcoming construction project on Grand Boulevard/McClellan Street. The meeting will be at Roosevelt Elementary School, 333 W.14th Ave.

 

The plan is to grind and overlay Grand Boulevard/McClellan Street from 14th Avenue to 8th Avenue. A water main will also be replaced in 9th Avenue and McClellan Street, and a portion of the sewer will be replaced in 9th Avenue.

 

City staff will be onhand at the open house to  give information as to the scope of the project, estimated start date (I'm assuming in 2014) and duration of the project and traffic detours and access during construction. Here's a flyer for the meeting.

Some Jurisdictions Open, Some Closed for Veterans Day

A reminder that Monday, Nov. 11 is Veterans Day and there's a mixed bag of local government agencies wthat will be closed. Here's what I know:

• SRTC will be open
• City of Spokane offices will be open
• Spokane County offices will be closed
• Spokane Valley offices will be closed

Keep in mind that Monday is a parking meter holiday so if you don't have school or work, you may want to come downtown and park for free for shopping, eating or other activities.

Special Session Starts Tomorrow to Address Boeing Planes and A Transportation Funding Package

A special session starts tomorrow in Olympia and Gov. Jay Inslee  is pressuring the Washington State Legislature to pass a $10 billion transportation-tax package within a week as part of it. The primary aim of the session though is to get Boeing to build its new 777X in Washington.

That puts the transportation package on the back burner, meaning it may not happen this time. Few details are known about the prosed package to fund transportation at this point, except that it includes a 10.5-cent increase in the state gas tax phased in over 12 years and does not include funding for a new I-5 bridge over the Columbia River.

More info on the special session can be found in this Seattle Times article.

Use Your Phone to Redesign Your Street

Want to redesign your street to make it more attractive and more user-friendly? There's an app for that. Key to the Street is a new design tool you can use on your phone that lets you redesign your street with features like landscaping or bike lanes and keeps you up to date on improvements already in the works by linking to planned projects in the area. You can even use the app to share your ideas with decisionmakers or other advocates.



 

Tuesday's Snow Blamed For Dozens of Collision

Yesterday's snow is blamed for 80 collisions yesterday during the morning drive time and a little after. De-icing and sanding trucks around the area were busy but it was a case of too little, too late as most crews aren't working overnight hours yet and the snow started very early in the mornin.

The Spokesman-Review has a look at the mess that was yesterday's commute.

Public Open House For High Drive Project Thursday

City of Spokane engineers will unveil a revamped plan this week to reconstruct High Drive from 29th to Hatch. The design will be on display at an open house this Thursday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Jeffereson Elementary School, 123 E. 37th Ave.

Previous plans for High Drive were scrapped due to public criticism that it eliminated too much parking for users of the area's trails and included too many unneeded amenities, such as planting strips and sidewalks on both sides of the road.

The Spokesman-Review has some of the early details on the new design.

U.S. Transportation System Has $100B in Inefficiencies

I hate to be the all doom and gloom but guess what folks? Looks like the state of our transportation system may be even worse than originally thought. Economist Clifford Winston of the Brookings Institution has crunched the numbers and calculates that its many inefficiencies are worth more than $100 billion.

He breaks it down to costs accrued by car traffic, road damage, inefficient highway funding, and other areas. And the numbers are downright scary.

Here are the details from the Atlantic Cities.

STA Plaza Getting New Smoking Area

A new smoking area at the STA Plaza is expected to alleviate a loitering problem in front of nearby businesses in downtown Spokane.

The old smoking area along Wall Street was closed in August 2012 as part of a project to improve Wall Street and create a new loading zone for Paratransit riders. Smokers moved in front of other businesses as a result.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/nov/05/spokane-bus-plaza-to-get-new-smoking-area/

Crazy Conditions Out There- Check www.SRTMC.org Before Driving

Picture courtesy of Spokane
Emergency Management

I-90 is moving at 30 mph in many areas, people on the South Hill have been told to just wait to go anywhere to ease up congestion, and Highway 291 is closed due to collisions.

The Spokesman-Review has a roundup of areas you should avoid this morning. And it's a lot of them. I'd say go back to bed but I'd probably get in trouble with your boss so just take it slow and check out the Spokane Regional Transportation Management Center website before driving anywhere. It's got dozens of live traffic cameras you can view to see what areas of your commute to avoid and a big map right on the front page with trouble areas.

"Smart" Parking Meter Installation Almost Complete

Installation of new parking meters that accept credit cards, provide real-time parking availability information through an online application and have pay by phone capability will be completed within the next two weeks.

Parking Service’s new credit-card-enabled models, manufactured by Duncan Solutions, allow customers to pay with coins, credit cards, or cell phones and are located throughout the downtown core. They were installed on time and within budget.

The pay by phone feature is anticipated to be launched in December of this year.

Open House #2 This Week For Horizon 2040

You've got one more chance to speak to SRTC staff face-to-face about the Horizon 2040 plan and it's this Wednesday. Last week we hosted a public open house in Cheney and this week we're having one in north Spokane.

The open house is Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Northeast Community Center, 4001 N. Cook. You can come anytime during that timeframe. It's an open house format so there won't be an actual presentation. Just stop by, check out the map of projects recommended for completion by 2040, the projected growth numbers and areas (very interesting) and strategies to put the plan into action. Then make a comment or two, or ask questions if you have any, and leave whenever you need to. It's that simple.

More info on Horizon 2040 can be found here. There's also information there on how you can comment even if you don't attend the meeting.

Traffic Signals to Stop Flashing One Hour Earlier In Morning

Early morning drivers will notice a change starting today to traffic signal light patterns that is expected to better manage early morning traffic volumes Mondays through Saturdays.

Signal lights throughout the City of Spokane will switch from flashing yellow to regular red-yellow-green signal patterns at 5 a.m. beginning today, Nov. 4. Currently, that transition occurs at 6 a.m.

Programmed flash was first initiated in Spokane in the 1950’s for traffic volume flow.  Essentially, when volumes were low in the early morning hours, traffic lights flashed yellow. 

Today, traffic volumes are increasing earlier in the morning hours. To accommodate this, the City is changing the time the flashing yellow lights return to regular signal programming.