How the Interstate Highway Route Marker Came to Be

So who came up with the country's interstate highway system route marker? Some guy in Texas, as it turns out, but he had a lot of competition. Literally. That's how the interstate marker system came about- through a contest.

Back in the early 1950s, the American Association of State Highway Officials (now AASHTO) was discussing the need for “a distinctive interstate route marker” and decided to have a competition to design one.

And there were a lot of very interesting and creative submissions. WLRN takes a look at some of the contenders and the logo that won.

Spokane City Plan Commission Work Plan Approved

Wondering what the City of Spokane has in the works for this year? Spokane City Council last night approved the Commission's Work Plan, which sets the priorities and timeline for the Plan Commission during the year of 2014. There are a lot of potential transportation projects on the list. You can view it here.

Annual Report Shows Traffic Congestion Increased in 2013

The "Traffic Scorecard Annual Report" was released this week, by INRIX, a provider of traffic data and traffic network information.

The report shows that congestion on the nation's roadways jumped in 2013 after two years of declines. Why the increase? Data shows that U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 2 percent in 2013, so it's a response to economic growth. So while traffic congestion isn't a good thing due to time lost and pollution created, it's a byproduct of a positive trend.

The report shows that metropolitan areas across the U.S. showing numbers above the national average in employment growth and national GDP saw congestion increases, such as Austin, San Jose, Seattle, and Boston. In all, 61 metro areas experienced increased traffic congestion last year.

If you'd like to view data from the Scorecard, INRIX's has complied it in some fabulous maps and charts here.

STA Taking All-Electric Bus For A Test Drive

There's a new bus on the streets of Spokane and it's run by a battery. The emmission-free bus is a loaner, but Spokane Transit could invest and buy some in the future.

The Spokesman-Review takes a look at some of the pros and cons of the bus.

WSDOT Secretary Talks Reform

Washington Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson says even if a state transportation package is approved this session, there won't be enough money to address all the needs and we need to have some ideas in mind to deal with the worst maintenance and preservation needs.

Peterson was interviewed by the Redmond Reporter recently and talked about cost overruns on mega projects on the west side of the state, reforms she would like to see enacted to save money and make the small transportation budget go further, bridge maintenance and overall maintenance of the transportation system.

The interview can be read here.

New Jersey Is Mapping Its Potholes

Both Spokane and Spokane County have "pothole hotlines" or web pages where you can report the location of a pothole in order to have it fixed. Many communities offer these options as a way for the public to help pinpoint the location of the craters. In New Jersey, they're taking the technology one step further and mapping the location of the holes reported, so people can check it out in advance to try to avoid potholes on their daily routes.

 

And the people reporting the potholes are adding comments too, to let people know how bad the holes are or one what side of the road.

 

If you'd like to check it out, the link is here. I wonder, if we did a map like this in our area, what it would look like?

A Couple Items from the City of Spokane

LANE CLOSURE ON 3^RD AVENUE
Third Avenue will have one lane closed between Stevens Street and Arthur Street, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, March 11^th extending through March 13^th.  The lane closure is for mobile utility maintenance work that will be performed by Century Link.    

LANE CLOSURE NORTHWEST BOULEVARD
Northwest Boulevard will have one lane closed between Jefferson Street and Alberta Street, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday March 11^th extending through March 13^th.  The lane closure is for mobile utility maintenance work that will be performed by Century Link.    

Spokane City Obstructions for Next Week

First Friday Food Truck Rally On Wall Street
A food truck rally will be held on Wall Street between Riverside and Main, Friday, March 7, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Wall Street between Riverside and Main will be closed to traffic.

Southbound Lane Closure North Division
The center southbound lane will be closed on North Division Street on the north side of the Francis Avenue intersection 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, March 12 – 13 to allow for maintenance and repairs to the Photo Red System.

North Division Street Lane Closure
Two lanes will be closed on North Division Street from East Sharpe Avenue to East Desmet Avenue, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday, March 14 to accommodate work associated with Burgan’s Block construction.

SRTC Policy Board Meeting Next Week

This isn't what actually happens at our
Board meetings but I can always dream.

The March meeting of the SRTC Policy Board is next Thursday, March 13. The agenda is here. If you find something of interest on there, or would just like to attend the meeting, please do; everyone is welcome. The meetings start at 1 p.m. at 221 W. First Ave., suite 310 on the third floor.

Four-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization Proposal

President Obama recently released his four-year surface transportation reauthorization proposal. According to the US Department Of Transportation, the President will include as part of his FY15 budget submission to Congress a four year, $302 billion transportation reauthorization proposal. It would provide an $87 billion increase over the current spending levels.

Some new programs in the proposal include:

• New Freight Program
• New Critical Immediate Investments Program (similar to the previous "fix-it-first" proposals)
• New FAST (Fixing and Accelerating Surfact Transportation) Program Competitive Grants

Interested in more details and specifics? Here are the highlights from the USDOT.

Senate Showdown Over Project Budget Overruns

The Washington Senate Tuesday took on State Route 520 bridge budget overruns and possible overruns on the project to bore a tunnel under downtown Seattle.

The Senate was ready to vote on a routine supplemental transportation budget to adjust road, bridge and ferry maintenance work in 2014-2015 when Sen. Mike Baumgartner, R-Spokane, and Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, introduced amendments to the transportation bill that triggered alarms for some. And turned the entire vote into a showdown over who should pay for going over budget.

Crosscut tells us what happened.

Warm Temperatures Leave Some Area Roads Under Water

A pool of water threatens to overtake Farwell Rd. at Highway 2

Rain and rapidly melting snow is flooding roads around the region, including Farwell Road in North Spokane, and a rock slide temporarily blocked most of U.S. 195 near Rosalia.

The Spokesman-Review has a roundup of areas threatened by high water.

Driver Hits Pedestrian; Charged With Failure to Yield

A pickup truck hit a pedestrian crossing Grand Boulevard in a crosswalk at 14th Avenue last night, according to the Spokesman-Review.

A woman was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries around 6:15 p.m., Spokane Police say. Her son, who was with her, crossed the street ahead of her safely.

The road was closed briefly as emergency workers cleared the scene. The driver of the truck was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

2014 Northwest Bicycling Events

Listen up bicyclists. The Spokesman-Review has done the work for you and complies a list of bicycling events for the Northwest for all of 2014. And by Northwest I mean Washington, parts of Idaho and all the way up into British Columbia.

There's lots happening this year for riders, so check it out here.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop After Three Year Rise

Good news for pedestrians. After three years of increases , the number of pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in the United States appears to be dropping.

Compared with the first six months of 2012, pedestrian deaths fell 8.7% during the first six months of 2013.

Why the drop? Experts aren't sure, just like they aren't sure what caused the initial increase in deaths at a time when other categories of road fatalities were dropping.

USA Today takes a look at the numbers.

Red Light Money Left Alone

Money from red-light camera tickets still must be used only on traffic safety projects. Spokane City Councilmembers made the decision last night to reject a proposal that would have removed restrictions on how red-light revenue is spent.

The decision means the city is out of compliance with the law though, after the council last year approved spending $20,000 of camera revenues on graffiti and $50,000 on the volunteer policing program.

The Spokesman-Review tells us how this discrenspancy will be handled.

Plug Spokane Valley Potholes

Legal Disclaimer: This pothole is merely a depiction of a
pothole, not necessarily a Spokane Valley pothole.
 

Spokane Valley is asking for your help to fill the potholes appearing as a result of the winter freeze/thaw cycle. The Public Works Department wants you report potholes in your area by calling 921-1000 or go online to www.spokanevalley.org/CARES and select the "Report a Pothole" link. Scroll to the "Create a new C.A.R.E.S Request" and select the "Report a Pothole" link from the Public Works options listed. You will be directed to the online form.

Be sure to provide the following information:

• Location of the pothole - a street address closest to the pothole, or a description that includes the name of the street, nearest cross streets, side of the street (north, south, east, west) and the lane in which the pothole can be found (northbound, southbound, eastbound, westbound, curbside, turn lane, etc.);
• The size or severity of the pothole;
• Any additional information that may help fix it.
• If you wish to be contacted about your report, please provide your name and an email address or daytime telephone number where you can be reached.

Can't Get To Montana From I90

Bad news if you're trying to get to Montana anytime soon. Interstate 90 at Lookout Pass remains closed this morning due to avalanche danger, according to the Spokesman-Review. The pass closed last night and a reopening time is uncertain, according to an Idaho State Police news release. Rumor has it the closure could last a couple days. If you HAVE to get there, use U.S. Highway 95 to state Highway 200 or U.S. Highway 2 as alternate routes.

Where Did the Pedestrians Go?

So what catches your attention about the pictures below? These pics, published in the Spokesman-Review today, show the same location in downtown Spokane, fifty years apart. For me, the huge number of pedestrians is what grabbed my attention in the earlier photo. Where did all these people go? We have more people in the region now than we did in 1963 so are they just not walking like they used to? Is it because businesses are so spread out these days instead of concentrated in the downtown area? Or is it just that particular block of downtown because the businesses that were there were torn down and a parking lot put in? Whatever the cause, it's a stark contrast.

Dec. 13, 1963: Shoppers crowd Howard Street and Riverside Avenue, where Densow’s Drug Store had announced it was closing after 55 years.

Jesse Tinsley photo

Present day: The southeast corner of Howard and Riverside has been a parking lot since the Rookery Block was torn down in 2005.

 

A Little of This, A Little of That

The head of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was in Spokane promoting expedited security screenings to those who don't want to wait through the usual security line. About half of Northwest drivers under 35 admit to texting while driving. Three Spokane-area residents are recognized by a national campaign and rewarded with free gas. And a food truck rally this Friday will close Wall Street between Riverside and Main avenues. The Spokesman-Review's "Getting There" article has a roundup of local transportation news.