Animals Showing Up On Area Roadways

It's spring again, which means there are more animals out on and around area roads. This is part of a herd of elk that's been out every morning recently near Stateline.

They, like deer, turkeys and a lot of other wildlife, are coming down to lower areas, and crossing roads to get there, to eat in the fields. So be alert while driving in outlying areas, those guys critters can be quick and sneaky.

Is A Car Essential For Your Commute?

Is a car essential to your commute? A new study concludes that 4/5ths of research participants felt car ownership was not essential to their everyday commute. Of course, the study was done in Boston and San Francisco so that weighs into the results.

The study found that autonomy was more important for commuters than the status or comfort associated with car ownership. Especially in the presence of ride-sharing services, study participants agreed that car ownership was not essential to their lifestyle. The City Fix blog has more of the study results.

Rumor Has It We Can Be Bribed With Coffee

Okay, not necessarily transportation-related, but this cracked me up. We just got out of a staff meeting where the subject of the 'SRTC coffee fund' came up. Not everyone around here drinks coffee so only the six people who do pay into the fund. The fund pays for bags of coffee, usually purchased at Costco (where's it's less expensive), to be made in the office coffee maker.

Apparently the coffee drinkers went over budget last year. In 2010, they spent $208 on coffee! For six people! That explains why Ryan always gets me things the second I ask for them. And Jeff's nervous tic turns out to be coffee jitters. Who would've known...

Plan Calls For Banning Cars In European City Centers

When I'm out talking to folks at public meetings and other events, I hear a lot of skepticism regarding Governor Gregoire's executive order to reduce vehicle miles travelled statewide by 18% by 2020, 30% by 2035, and 50% by 2050. And that's just the grumblings of the folks at other transportation agencies. Well, it could be worse I suppose.

The European Union recently released a plan aimed at cutting carbon dioxide emissions- and it involves banning all vehicles from city centers in the future. Not all areas though, just the major cities. Still, a lot of folks are calling the plan 'crazy' and 'extreme.' Here's more from London's newspaper The Telegraph.

WSDOT Looking For US 195 Input

The Washington State Department of Transportation asks you to help them make US 195 safer. They're conducting a US 195 Corridor Collision Analysis study, as part of the TARGET ZERO program, implemented by Governor Gregoire. The goal of Target Zero is to have zero deaths and zero serious injuries on Washington State roads by 2030. It identifies traffic safety needs and provides low-cost solutions and strategies based on specific findings.

The US 195 study starts at the Idaho State Line and ends at Spangle, Wa. Public Involvement is an important part of understanding actual conditions and behaviors that could be addressed as part of the study. Local “Listening Posts” will be set up this spring in Rosalia, Colfax, Pullman, and WSU to give comments and insights on US 195 that will include a survey of driver perceptions.

But in the meantime, WSDOT is trying to get an idea of your concerns and observations. They're doing so with this online survey.. It just takes a minute, so if you drive 195, please take it.

SpokaneTrails.com Connects You To The Outdoors

I received an email from the folks at SpokaneTrails.com introducing me to their website and I wanted to share it with you.

It's supposed to be 60 degrees and (somewhat) sunny on Friday. I have the day off due to overtime this week so how should I spend it? I'd like to take the dog and do some hiking, or maybe visit a local park. But where to go? I only know of a couple places and I've been to them lots of times. Here's an idea;check out SpokaneTrails.com for outdoor ideas. The site says it's "dedicated to connecting people to Spokane’s outdoors" and it does that by offering selections of local parks, trails, conservation lands etc.

For instance, I've never heard of Campion Park, so I clicked on it to see what it has to offer. The site says its a conservation area, gives the location (including nearest cross street), park hours (if there are any) and a brief description of the facility. Pretty cool.

You can also share your favorite parks and trails with others by adding them, if they're not on there already. Check it out and let me know what new places you discover!

Ninth Ave. Closure

If you drive this route, you've already noticed, but Ninth Ave. from Monroe to Madison streets is closed to traffic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Thursday, March 31. Crews are upgrading a water service. Signs are in place.

New Report Says Minneapolis Is Right Behind Portland For Bicycling

Thanks to Bike to Work Barb for sending me this piece on a new report called "Analysis of Bicycling Trends and Policies in Large North American Cities." The author of this blog talks about some of the things in the report that caught his eye, particularly that Minneapolis is catching up to Portland as a bicycling mecca. And he uses charts and graphs, for those of us who like to get to the meat of our reports. Check it out here.

Materials Available To Help Businesses In Construction Zones

About 50 business owners and managers attended a City of Spokane- sponsored workshop last week titled “Open for Business: Making the Best of Rough Road Construction.” The workshop was aimed at helping businesses located along the sites of street and utility construction projects cope with the effects to their business.

For those who were unable to attend, the workshop and related “Surviving Construction” printed materials are now available here.

The program covered:
• How to get information on local projects and provide feedback to construction engineers.
• What to expect when construction begins.
• Developing business planning strategies to ready your company for street construction.
• Survival tips for making it through the construction project.
• Developing communication, staying on message, staying positive and using creative promotion and business strategies.
• Post-construction ideas to get your business back on track.

For more information on road construction in the Spokane Region, check out the SpokaneRoadFix.net website.

WP-SIA Transportation Study Report Ready For Review

I know you've all been waiting for this and it's finally here! That's right, after over a year of study, the draft report for the West Plains-Spokane International Airport (WP-SIA) Transportation Study is now available for review and comment!

The study was conducted in response to continued development of the airport business park, land use changes at the airport, and the effect those changes will have on the Geiger interchange and surrounding roadway network.

The report includes recommendations for public transit, bike and pedestrian safety and roadway improvements within the study area. You can view it, and find out how to submit comments, by clicking here.

You can also mail comments to SRTC, 221 W. First Ave., Suite 310, Spokane, WA 99201 if you prefer. All comments must be submitted by April 27.

I90 Rock Slide Pictures

Snoqualmie Pass over I90 was closed earlier this week due to a rockslide. It was reported that one of the rocks was the size of a pickup truck, and here's the picture to prove it was big. Holy cow, can you imagine driving along and looking up and seeing that thing coming down the hillside?! Luckily, a 'rockfall fence' caught it before it could get onto the roadway. Here's the whole story of what happened, and how WSDOT and other crews got the road open again quickly.

Joint Board Meeting Agenda Available

I posted last week about a joint Board meeting we're holding next week between the SRTC Board and our 'sister' agency in Kootenai County, Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization. The meeting is to discuss results from the 2010 Census that have come back recently showing population growth in both Spokane and Kootenai counties. Growth such as that has the potential to affect how metropolitan planning organizations work with federal programs. The agenda for that meeting is now available here.

The meeting is next Thursday, March 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Garden Plaza in Post Falls. The address is on the agenda. The meeting is open to the public so feel free to attend.

Japanese Fix Earthquake-Damaged Roads At Amazing Rate

This is truly amazing. Even in times of catastrophe, the Japanese are extremely industrious. The picture to the left is a road in Japan that was severly damaged by the earthquake.

And,according to autoblog.com,this picture is just six days later after crews worked at a feverish pace to repair it.

If this is true, kind of makes us look pathetic. But maybe their quick job doesn't translate to a quality one. Who knows. You can read more about this amazing repair job here.

City of Spokane Construction Update

Construction season is underway in the City of Spokane, so here's the latest:

- If you hadn't noticed, Spokane Falls Blvd. from Hamilton to Division streets and the intersection of Main Ave. and Pine St. are closed to traffic as part of the construction on the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. That closure is in place until Sunday, May 15.

Drivers are detoured to Mission Ave. at Hamilton and Division/Ruby streets, and trucks carrying large loads will be detoured to N. Foothills Dr. at Hamilton and Division/Ruby streets. Local access is being maintained.

This project will build a new street through the University District, improve traffic flow for motorists, and increase safety in the heart of the Riverpoint Campus. The street will extend east from the intersection of Division St. and Riverside Ave., curving north near the eastern campus border then connecting to Spokane Falls Blvd. just before the Trent Ave. Bridge. Once the project is complete at the end of July, the new boulevard will have bike lanes, streets, and an elevated median. The $3.76 million project is funded by federal and local funds.

- Work continues downtown on Second Avenue from Howard to Arthur streets. The rehabilitation project includes replacing a sewer main from Sheridan to Hatch streets and a water main from Howard to Stevens streets. Traffic signals will be upgraded, too. Second Ave. from Arthur to Division streets is reduced to one lane. This phase of the project is expected to continue until early May. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of July.

The $2.1 million project is being funded by the 10-Year Street Bond, Wastewater Department, Water Department, and safety funds.

Keep in mind that you can find all construction projects for all of Spokaneon the SpokaneRoadFix.net website.

Eastbound I90 Backed Up In Valley

A big mess on westbound I90 in the Valley this morning. A wrong-way driver caused a fatal accident on the freeway very early this morning near the Barker Road exit. I just drove by and traffic is STILL backed up all the way to the Sullivan exit. Heading westbound, things are a little slow between Liberty Lake and Barker but it clears up after that.

KXLY News has the story on what happened.

Free Bike Tune-Up!

The folks at Pedals2People are offering a free tune-up for your bike on April 3! They'll not only fix your bike for free, but everyone who comes also gets a free vegan meal.

Contact Ryan if you have questions.

WSDOT Projects Getting Underway

- Depending on weather, on March 29, 30 and 31 from about 8:30 a.m. until as late as 3:30 p.m., the bridge on the eastbound US 2 on ramp to I-90 will be reduced to one lane. Crews will be repairing bridge expansion joints. This could cause slow downs for drivers.

- On Monday, March 28, beginning at 9 a.m. until as late as 2:30 p.m., eastbound I-90 will be reduced to 2 lanes to fix light poles in the area. In addition, the eastbound Altamont on-ramp will be closed. Be prepared for possible slow traffic. Drivers on eastbound Third Avenue will need to use the Freya Street on-ramp to access I-90. All other on/off ramps will remain open.

- Also beginning Monday, March 28, crews will begin work to widen I90 between Sullivan and Barker roads. The speed limit will be reduced to 60 mph. During evening and overnight hours, I-90 may be reduced to one through lane in each direction.

Editorial Says Gas Tax Not The Answer

An editorial in the Spokesman-Review today points out that a gas tax isn't the answer to our transportation budget problems. Jeez, I feel like I've posted this ten times before. I think everyone gets it now that less gas is being purchased due to high gas prices, more fuel efficient vehicles, alternative modes of transportation, etc. so adding more gas tax isn't going to help a whole lot. Now the question is, what to do to make up the revenue that's not going to come from the gas tax? So far all that's been done is debating potential other forms of income. While I drown myself in pesimism today, you can go ahead and read the editorial and give me any great ideas you may have.

Division Repaving Starts Next Week

Work starts again on Monday, April 4 to finsih repaving Spokane’s busiest north-south arterial — Division Street.

Crews will repave Division Street between Euclid Avenue and Francis Avenue. The majority of work will be scheduled for evening and overnight hours to avoid peak commute times. The work should take about 10 weeks to complete.

Crews paved the intersection of Division Street and Wellesley with concrete last season and then put the project on hold for the winter.

More than 43,000 vehicles travel on this portion of Division Street. It’s the main north-south route through Spokane and serves as US 2 and US 395.

SpokaneRoadFix.Net Now Online!

You've probably already noticed construction projects popping up, and it's only March. So imagine how many there are going to be by the time May rolls around. The good news is that local transportation agencies are taking advantage of low contractor and material prices to do more projects than ever. The bad news is that this could seriously slow you down in your daily commute. Some of the major projects on main thoroughfares this year include:

- Bridge deck replacement at Havana, Altamont and Latah Creek Bridge on I90
- Installation of a concrete intersection at Indiana and Sullivan
- Rehabilitation of Mission Ave. from Hamilton to Greene
- Rehabilitation of Second from Howard to Arthur
- Construction of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, which impacts Spokane Falls Dr.

So how to avoid getting stuck in backups caused by construction? Two suggestions:

1.) Pick up the 2011 Spokane Regional Road Construction Map to see where projects will be happening.
2.) Go to www.SpokaneRoadFix.net to find out where to get the map, to view suggested alternate routes to get around construction projects, and to find other ways to get around besides driving alone and getting stuck in traffic.

We'll be updating the site as more projects start, so check back. The goal is to keep congestion to a minimum this summer and keep people getting where they need to go. You may want to send friends and family members from out of town to the website too if they're planning to visit. And tell your co-workers. And if the kids are driving these days, make sure they have a construction map in their cars. And...