SR 206 Update

SR 206 has been restored to all traffic. The roadway has a gravel surface and is slightly narrowed at the new culvert. Full roadway reconstruction and paving will take place later this summer.

About 1,000 feet of SR 206 was washed out when snow runoff water overwhelmed culverts under the State Park equipment shed and the state highway and undermined the roadway.

SR 27 Traffic Safety Project

Drivers along State Route 27 from the town of Rockford to Trent Avenue in the City of Spokane Valley will see more law enforcement patrols, some engineering improvements, and a public information/education campaign this summer as part of the SR 27 Traffic Safety Project. The project is a joint venture of the WSDOT, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and representatives from engineering, enforcement and education agencies, as well as local citizens.

The project’s goal is to reduce the number of fatalities, serious injuries and collisions on the roadway. 486 collisions occurred on this section of SR 27 from February '04 through January '07. Ten involved fatal or disabling injuries.

The Washington State Patrol, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the Spokane Valley Police Department will increase patrols in this area, focusing on traffic light runners, following too close, speeding, and right-of-way violations. There will also be increased DUI patrols.

Engineering activities include signal retiming, modifying some signage on the roadway, removing vegetation that restricts sight distance, etc.

If you drive this stretch on a regular basis, let us know, do you think this effort will help?

2008 Road Construction Map Now Available At Area Government Offices

We've been telling you it's on it's way, now the 2008 Road Construction Map is hot off the presses! The map is provided free of charge as an annual joint publication of Spokane County and the City of Spokane. You can find the map at City or County offices, the SRTC office and many other locations around the area, so keep your eyes open, or click here for an electronic version of the map.

South Riverton Reopens, Upriver Still Closed

Hot off the press! Here's the latest from the City of Spokane regarding areas closed due to water on the roadway:

South Riverton at Greene St. has reopened to traffic. Upriver Dr. from Mission Ave. to Greene St. remains closed because of water on the roadway. Motorists traveling east can take Mission Ave. to Greene St. and then to Upriver Dr., and those traveling west can take Upriver Dr. to Greene St. and then to Mission Ave. Additionally, barricades are in still place.

Article: Transportation Future Rides On Highway Bill

Thanks to citizen Paul Kropp for bringing to our attention an Op-Ed piece by Judith Rodin reprinted in today's Spokesman-Review. The article calls for charting a new course by rebuilding America's overburdened and, in many cases, obsolete, transportation infrastructure.

In the short term, Rodin suggests strategies that can repair existing infrastructure rather than new construction, thus containing our carbon footprint. For the long term, she suggests a 'national infrastructure vision.'

Here's the article, which suggests several reasons why policies need to be changed, including safety, preserving the environment, preserving the economy, and preserving the American Dream.

Wall Street Journal Article On World Oil Supplies

Want to scare yourself? Here's a Wall Street Journal article about world oil supplies that should do the trick.

As Carole Richardson in our office pointed out, there are some interesting items in this article:

- Just a few years ago, the “Peak Oil” concept was dismissed by the oil industry as a wing-nut theory, but there are a growing number of people in the industry who are embracing the theory now.

- The US Energy Department is doing their own study of world oil supply. The article says they should be done this summer. I'm curious to see if their study will corroborate what this article says.

So what's your opinion? Is this a scare tactic on the part of the International Energy Agency or do you believe it's true, Future crude supplies could be far tighter than previously thought? Or, is the truth somewhere in the middle?

2008 Spokane Regional Road Construction Maps Available Soon

The 2008 Spokane Regional Road Construction Maps are at the printer and will be available soon. The maps are published by the County each year, and show all construction projects scheduled for the year for all the regional government agencies. The map also includes descriptions of all the projects. You don't have to wait though, you can start avoiding construction backups and delays today by viewing the map here, and read the project descriptions here.

Park Walkers Need To Find Another Way Through Riverfront

The City of Spokane has just sent out a release that they are closing the south half of the pedestrian suspension bridge (seen above in less wet days) in Riverfront Park near the YMCA because of very strong spray from the waves hitting the pinnacle rock near the bridge.

The spray is sporadic and unpredictable, and City Parks & Recreation Department officials believe it could pose a public safety hazard. The bridge will remain closed until officials determine it is safe.

Riverfront Park has some flooding of it's own, in the Red Wagon Meadow, on the Carrousel steps, and under the Washington Street Bridge by the Clocktower. Flooded areas are barricaded, and the public is asked to stay out of these areas.

City/County Closures For Monday

Here's what will be open/closed on Monday for the City and County in observance of Memorial Day:

County offices will be closed, as well as the the County Courthouse, Public Safety Building and Veterans Services. The Sheriff's Office will be open.

Spokane City Hall will be closed, along with the garbage transfer stations and the waste-to-energy plant. Parking meters don’t have to be plugged on Monday, and garbage pickup and curbside recycling will be a day late all week.

All Spokane Public Library branches will be closed Monday, and the Downtown, East Side, Hillyard, and Indian Trail branches also will be closed on Tuesday. Since those branches are normally closed on Mondays, the holiday is observed on Tuesday.

The Spokane City Council briefing session and legislative meeting will be held on Tuesday.

City golf courses also are open.

WSDOT Has A Sense Of Humor!

Get 'em while they're hot! The WSDOT announces their free state map is now available, and they're doing it with the very humorous news release below. Good for you WSDOT, thanks for letting us know you're not all typing monkeys. Oh wait, I think we just hired a couple of typing monkeys because that work cheaper than their human counterparts. Disregard that last comment.

And did you know that WSDOT has a 'nationally recognized cartographer?' Sweet! How do we get one of those?


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2008

Contacts: Al Gilson, WSDOT Communications (509) 324-6015

Tank of gas: $75; Knowing where you’re going: priceless

WSDOT releases the wildly popular, free, 2008 state map in time for Memorial Day travel

SEATTLE – While it’s not like waiting in line all night for the latest version of Grand Theft Auto, people do get excited about the biennial release of the WSDOT state map.

This year, WSDOT printed 800,000 maps. Anyone can get a free Washington State map by visiting the WSDOT Web site, www.wsdot.wa.gov/publications/highwaymap, or by calling the map line at 360-705-7279.

The Washington State map, produced by WSDOT’s nationally recognized cartographer Mark Bozanich, is unlike any map you can get anywhere.

“We produce the only map that is all Washington. Other maps link us with Oregon and therefore have smaller print, fewer icons, less detailed city information,” said Bozanich.

What can you find on the WSDOT map that you can’t find on any other map? Here’s a look:

Larger print for baby boomers
Interesting location nuggets like Ranald McDonald’s grave in Ferry County
Amtrak routes
All 281 cities and their populations
Twelve city insets
Hill shading from the USGS
The new HOT lanes
The new South Lake Union Streetcar in Seattle

Commercial map publishers AAA and McGraw-Hill fact check their maps against ours because our cartographers and researchers have driven every inch of Washington State highways and stake their reputation on 100 percent accuracy. WSDOT has produced the maps every two years since 1931.

Having the map in your car allows you to travel our beautiful state and not worry about sketchy cell phone reception or going off the beaten path, unable to get back. It’s your guide to adventure, well-loved and used just like that old t-shirt you’ll be wearing this summer as you crisscross the state.

Construction To Wrap Up Early On Friday

If you're trying to get out of town early tomorrow to beat the rush, here's some good news; most area construction work will be suspended by noon on Friday in anticipation of increased holiday traffic. Area agencies plan to have crews off the roads in order to make traffic flow easier.

If you can't decide when to travel though, the Washington State Department of Transportation has some 'travel graphs' that can help you decide the best times to travel highways around the state.

Latest From WSDOT On SR 206

SR 206 is open to limited traffic-washout repair work continues

SPOKANE – As of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, SR 206 has been restored and emergency or residential traffic is being escorted through the site. The gravel surface is narrow with steep slopes. The culvert installation is complete and stable. Roadway reconstruction and slope protection will continue tomorrow.

Lat Sunday, snow runoff water overwhelmed culverts under the State Park equipment shed and the state highway and undermined the roadway, subsequently destroying about 1,000 feet of the route. An emergency contract was set up to perform temporary repairs to open the roadway for limited traffic. A project to fully rebuild the highway will be under construction and completed later this summer.

Gov, Brown, Marr to secure funding for Mt. Spokane washout

-- Photo courtesy of WashDOT

The Governor visited Spokane on Wednesday to survey flood damage among other other things. She has declared an emergency which qualifies our region for federal money to repair some of the flood damage. Eye on Olympia reported the story here.

AAA: Fewer People Will Travel This Holiday Weekend

Fewer Americans than last year are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA.

With record high gasoline prices and the slowing economy, AAA expects 360,000 fewer travelers this year.

Here's the details from the Coeur d'Alene Press.

So what are your weekend plans?

Water Main Break

You'll want to avoid driving in the area of Regal at Third Avenue this morning. A 10-inch, cast-iron water main broke at about 6 a.m. today there. Three homes are without water as Water Department crews work to repair the problem. The water is expected to be back on at about noon.

Also, because of the topography of the area, water from the break has collected at the intersections from Third to Fifth avenues, Regal to Altamont. Drivers should use caution through these intersections.

STA Sales Tax Passing

As of last night, the vote on the 0.3 percent sales tax for the Spokane Transit Authority is passing.

When ballot counting wrapped up last night, the measure had approval from 65 percent of the ballots. More ballots will be counted in the next few days.

The vote allows STA to maintain about the same level of service and move forward with proposals to increase frequency of routes to the Spokane International Airport and Liberty Lake.

Here's the details and numbers from the Spokesman-Review.

Upriver Drive Closed By Flooding

The city of Spokane has closed East Upriver Drive from North Center Street to Regal Street because of flooding from the Spokane River. Traffic is being detoured to North Cresent Ave. because of water over the roadway. The river is now about six inches over flood stage.

City Of Spokane Closures For Memorial Day

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 26, Spokane City Hall will be closed along with other City facilities, including the garbage transfer stations and the waste-to-energy plant. Parking meters don’t have to be plugged on Monday, and garbage pickup and curbside recycling will be a day late all week.

All Spokane Public Library branches will be closed on Monday, May 26, and the Downtown, East Side, Hillyard, and Indian Trail branches also will be closed on Tuesday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day. Since those branch libraries are normally closed on Mondays, the holiday is observed on Tuesday.

The Spokane City Council briefing session and legislative meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 27, at 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively in the City Council Chambers in the lower level of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

Meanwhile, the Riverfront Park attractions, including the Imax Theater, Spokane Falls Skyride, Pavilion rides, and Carousel, are open on Memorial Day and throughout the weekend. Go to www.spokaneriverfrontpark.com for information on hours of operation. And the most important part, City golf courses also are open.

'Boing Boing' Bounces Back At SRTC

Interesting enough, the Washington State Patrol called me today, in a follow up to a thread we posted last week and asked me to do an update. Last Wednesday, I reported how I was contacted by the WSP, on my personal cell phone, just minutes after taking a picture of the weigh station out near Stateline.

In my original thread, I blogged about how I found it kind of scary that they could get my cell phone number that fast, but on the other hand, that it was kind of reassuring to know that someone is watching our transportation facilities. And that was it. I never said I was beat down by the po-po, or harassed, or anything further. The initial trooper who contacted me was very polite and after I explained that I was taking the photo for a power point presentation of projects scheduled for the next 20 years (the weigh station is scheduled to be moved within the next couple years), he was very cordial and simply asked me to alert him ahead of time the next time I need to take pictures of WSP property.

That thread was picked up by the national blog ‘Boing Boing’ then by others in turn, including one in Germany and several blogs devoted to photography, and in some cases, blown out of proportion.

So today my phone rings and it’s Bob Caulkins from the WSP out of Olympia. He asked me clear up how they got my phone number so quickly because he’s getting calls from the Spokesman-Review asking the same thing. The Spokesman even posted a thread on their own blog yesterday explaining what happened. So here goes: apparently, anytime you get in a traffic accident, get a ticket of any kind, or contact law enforcement for any other reason, they ask your personal information. The info you provide is put into a database that ALL the law enforcement agencies can access. So, they see me take pictures, they pull up my license number, and wa-la, there’s my phone number.

Mr. Caulkins said that they do have the ability to get your cell phone number from your provider if they need to, without a warrant, but they can’t do it as quickly as getting it out of their own database.

So in addition to that explanation, I would like to emphasize that all interaction I have had with the WSP to date has been very pleasant and cordial, including when I received the speeding ticket that landed my number in their data base in the first place.

So thanks for the call Mr. Caulkins, and here’s my tribute to you, all in fun of course. I’ll leave you with this classic from John Cougar Mellencamp where he combines two of my favorite songs.

Shout Out To The People Out There In The Weather

Spokesman-Review Letters to the editor

Re: "Street department courts chaos," May 14:

Obviously, Mr. Brown, you haven't worked on the streets and roads of a major city, county or state. What may look like chaos to you is usually the coordinated effort of a group of highly skilled individuals defying death or serious injury at the hands of a few frustrated drivers while attempting to repair or improve a damaged roadway. Perhaps the street department could be persuaded to let you put on a yellow hard hat and spend a few exciting hours repairing potholes, sweeping up or paving. A little hot asphalt on your shoes might improve your oversight.

Don't disparage the efforts of hard-working individuals in the street department through a juvenile comparison with the antics of comic characters. These men and women are out there in all kinds of conditions, rain, snow and heat, doing their job. They would be able to do a safer and better job with the knowledgeable support of the driving public in cutting them a little slack by obeying the signs and traffic directors provided for our mutual protection.

Bob Costigan
Spirit Lake, Idaho