Ben Burr Trail Project To Move Forward

After months of public input, the City of Spokane announced this week they're ready to move ahead with the Design phase for the Ben Burr Trail. The gravel path is somewhat remote, perched on the side of a hill behind Underhill Park and running to Liberty Park through a screen of trees, and in some spots, walls of rock.

While many agree that the path needs safety improvements, not everyone is happy about the plan to make that happen. The City applied for, and received, federal money for the project, which means there are stipulation that must be complied with if the federal money is to be used. Or the project could be scrapped.

 

That means the quaint, remote-feeling path would be paved to ten feet wide with shoulders on each side and fencing to keep people from going off the trail and over the cliff's edge.

 

This week, City Council looked at input received from the public and voted to continue with the project, but with a few changes. The Spokane City blog has the details.

Twelve Thousand Transportation Professionals Can't be Wrong; This Was A Good Conference

Our Senior Transportation Planner Ryan was in Washington, D.C. last week for the Transportation Research Board's 93rd annual conference. And he was in good company. Twelve thousand transportation professionals attended from all over the world. The conference is popular because it brings the research and university folks (and their concepts and ideas) together with the people who implement transportation improvements, such as staff at Metropolitan Planning Organizations like SRTC and state departments of transportation.

There were dozens of sessions on different topics held throughout the week, including ones devoted to economic development, climate impacts, nonmotorized research, and measuring the effectiveness of transit investments. Ryan says that "doing more with less" was the most common theme for sessions held at the conference.

Ryan attended sessions on travel demand modeling, public outreach tools and methods, economic analysis and transportation investments, and bundling projects to reduce costs and delivery times. He said he took 20+ pages of notes to share with other SRTC staff and our partners!

The video below is a summary of the conference.

Little Snow This Winter Doesn't Mean Lots of Leftover Money

You would think that with the minimum amount of snow we've had this winter, until yesterday, local jurisdiction's snow expenditures would be minimal right?

Not so, says the Washington State Department of Transportation. From the WSDOT Eastern Region January 2014 Update newsletter: 

"Even though we haven’t had to plow the roadways as often, our winter snow and ice expenditures still remain about average.  Whether the truck plow/de-ice trucks are pushing snow or applying chemicals, the operating costs for fuel and labor doesn’t change much.  One advantage of a milder winter is that our crews are able to keep up with some of their regular highway maintenance tasks such as guardrail repairs, sign work, and damaged marker replacement.  Also, when we get into a spring freeze-thaw cycle, the crews will start trying to keep up with pothole repair."

Creepy Robots Direct Traffic In Japan

You've heard of Joe Dirt? Well meet Joe Safety; probably the creepiest thing in transportation you'll run into. Joe is one of many kinds of robots and mannequins used to direct traffic through Japan's construction zones. Why not use a blinking arrow like we do here in the states? That's just no fun. The Atlantic Cities explains the reasoning behind artificially intelligent flaggers and has pictures of other kinds being used. Creepy. Just creepy.

Bertha to Get Back To Work Soon

Vacation is over; it's back to work for Bertha this week, the Washington State Department of Transportation says. Bertha is the giant boring machine drilling under the city of Seattle to build the Highway 99 tunnel. It sat idle for almost two months after hitting a metal bar that stopped it in it's tracks.

The Seattle Times has an update.

TIP Comment Period Extended

We're extending the public comment period on a proposed amendment to the 2014-2017 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) because of a correction to the amendment.

The TIP is a document that identifies projects proposed to be undertaken or constructed during the upcoming four years. It includes project names and descriptions, the jurisdiction sponsoring them, funding attached to each project, and where the funding came from (local, state or federal funds).

The City of Spokane’s High Drive Bicycle and Pedestrian Linkage project proposes to incorporate additional local funds totaling $8.4 million. The previous amount was $3.2 million.

 

Details of this project and others included in the proposed amendment can be viewed here. A public comment period on the amendment has been extended for comments related to this corrected project. All comments must be received 2/8/14 by 4 pm by emailing contact.srtc@srtc.org, mailing to SRTC, 221 W. First Ave., Suite 310, Spokane, WA 99201 or by calling 509/343-6370.

 

City of Spokane Planning Meetings Next Week

What should the future of Spokane’s transportation and utility infrastructure look like? That’s the question the City of Spokane committed to answering this year. They're doing the “Link Spokane” planning process to create a 20-year vision for transportation and utility needs within the City, and a number of workshops are planned for next week to get you involved in the process.

 These meetings will focus on transportation needs, asking people to help define the types of streets that meet their needs for driving, biking, walking, accessing transit, and more. Here are the opportunities:

·         Bicycle Transportation System Planning Workshop--Monday, Feb. 3, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Council Briefing Room, lower level of Spokane City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

·         Drop-by Open Houses

o    Tuesday, Feb. 4, NorthTown Mall, Division Street Entrance, Level 1 from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

o    Wednesday, Feb. 5, Southside Christian Church, 2934 E 27^th Avenue from noon to 6:30 p.m.

o    Friday, Feb. 7, River Park Square, Street Level from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

·         Council Connection--Watch and call in to “Council Connection” hosted by Council Member Mike Fagan on City Cable 5, the City’s government access cable station, Thursday, Feb. 6, from 6 to 7 p.m.

Or you can get more info here.

 

How Long It Felt Like You Waited For the Bus Versus How Long You Actually Did

Does waiting for the bus feel like this sometimes?

In talking with people over the years, I have found that the worst part of using public transit for many people is the wait for the bus.

Because they can't physically see the bus, there is a lot of worry over whether it's really on the way, whether it's on time, if they're at the right stop, etc., etc.

Plus you have to stand out in the weather with people driving by gawking at you and sometimes in a bad part of town or with other conditions that make you uncomfortable.

The "psychology" of waiting for the bus is something we don't normally think about but a facinating subject. Research suggests that people waiting for the bus often think they've waited twice as they actually have. This is a major deterrent when trying to get people to use public transit. How do you fight it? There's an app for that, according to the Atlantic Cities.

Want to Be President? Hand Over Your Drivers License

Joe Biden has a Corvette he's not allowed to drive.
Thank goodness if this is how he dresses whne driving.

Here's something I didn't know- once you become a VIP at the White House, such as president, vice president or first lady, you are no longer allowed to drive. Ever. Even after you're no longer in office.It's a security policy mandated by the Secret Service. And that's why Hillary Clinton says she hasn't driven since 1996.

Jalopnik has the story, although the put the emphasis on the importance of being able to drive so be warned in case that's not your line of thought.

New Stats Say Red Light Cameras Make Spokane Streets Safer

It's been a topic of debate since red light cameras were installed in Spokane; do they actually make streets safer? New statistics say yes.

Numbers show that collisions are reduced at the intersections where the cameras are installed and within the city as a whole, according to collision data maintained by the Washington State Patrol.

At the same time though, crashes have declined across the state and in many jurisdictions without red light cameras, so is the improved safety really the work of the cameras? The Spokesman-Review takes a closer look.

City Not Planning On Extending Street Bond Program

With the City of Spokane's Street Bond program coming to an end, Mayor Condon says he's not interested in another bond issue to continue the program.

Why? He says the bonds to finance the projects over the past ten years won't be paid off until 2024, which may not be the best use of taxpayer money. He's got another idea to finance road work instead.

STA Planning For Electric Trolley Through Downtown

A lot of people are talking about Spokane Transit Authority's (STA's) plan to bring an electric trolley to Spokane. Late last week, KHQ News showed people on the streets plans for STA's "Central City Line" that would go from Browne's Addition to Gonzaga University, via a route through downtown Spokane.

The feedback KHQ received appears to be mostly positive.

Legislators Warn Not To Get Hopes Up For New Money For North Spokane Corridor

It wasn't the message business, civic and political leaders wanted to hear when they traveled to Olympia last week for the annual Greater Spokane Incorporated trip to network with legislature members, but they were told not to get their hopes up for new money for the North Spokane Corridor (NSC).

The legislators told the group (including SRTC's Executive Directory who attended) that the chances of passing a transportation package to fund major projects using a gas tax are slim to none. They blamed politics, problems at the Washington State Deparment of Transportation and a lack of support by Spokane Republican leaders.

Others said any kind of package like that would end up on the ballot, where voters would reject it. Why? The Spokesman-Review looks at the issue.

Your Cell Phone Could Alert Cars You're Walking Or Bicycling Nearby

Your cell phone could keep you safe from being hit by a car in the future when walking or bicycling.
Researchers at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) in Munich, Germany have developed technology that enables the computer system in cars to see the location of pedestrians and cyclists – even while they're not visible to the eye.
Pedestrian’s and cyclist’s cell phones will serve as transponders that will send a signal to a car's onboard positioning systems. The system will compute the projected trajectory of the person on foot or a bike and initiate an emergency braking sequence in case a pedestrian or cyclist moves into the path of a car.

 

Here's more on how it will work.

Adding Projects to the Transportation Improvement Program- What Do You Think?

It's that time again- we're looking for input on some items we're proposing to add to or change in the 2014-2017 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is a document that identifies projects proposed to be undertaken or constructed during the upcoming four years. It includes project names and descriptions, the jurisdiction sponsoring them, funding attached to each project, and where the funding came from (local, state or federal funds).

There are three pages of projects we prpose to add or amend in the TIP, including improvements to downtown Spokane pedestrian facilities, 37^th Avenue from Regal to the east City Limits, Barnes Road and more. You can find information on each here. Scroll to the "TIP Amendments" section and click on "February" in the table.

 

Then let us know your thoughts. The public comment period goes through 4 p.m. on February 1, 2014. Comments can be submitted by emailing to contact.srtc@srtc.org, mailing to SRTC at 221 W. First Ave., Suite 310, Spokane, WA, or by calling (509) 343-6370.

 

WSDOT Construction For Next Week

North Spokane Corridor/Francis Avenue Bridge and Intersection Improvements- Depending on weather, striping work may be underway with some intermittent lane restrictions near the Francis Avenue Bridge just east of Market Street.  Market Street is running as single lanes in each direction through the Market/Francis intersection on the west half of Market Street.  Francis Avenue is operating as single lanes in each direction on the new bridge.  The south side of the bridge along the traffic barrier is designated for the movement of bicycles and pedestrians. Full construction will resume in the spring.

US 195/Cheney-Spokane Road Interchange- Depending on weather, signage work may be underway with some intermittent lane restrictions.  In general, 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 is 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 open to traffic. 

 

SRTC's January Newsletter Has Super Powers

What does a Wonder Woman wannabe have to do with transportation planning in our area? Guess you'll have to read our January newsletter to find out.

We wrapped 2013 up in a flurry of activity and things haven't slowed down. So what have we been working on? It's more like, what haven't we been working on! Things are hopping in the world of transportation planning.

To get caught up, check out the newsletter here.

"School Bus Glossy Yellow" is the New Yellow

Slow day in committee? Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, yesterday proposed a colorful bill that would change Idaho's guidelines for school bus colors to match the federal standard.

Idaho's current required color is "School Bus Chrome," while the federal standard is No. 595a, Color 13432, better known as "School Bus Glossy Yellow." Well duh, of course it is.

Apparently choosing school bus colors isn't as easy as you think and goes back many years.

U.S. Cities With the Most Car-Free Households

I've posted repeatedly on here about how less people are driving these days, or driving less miles when they do drive. New research from the University of Michigan suggests that we've reached, and are on the downhill side of, peak car ownership in the U.S.

The rate of vehicle ownership has dropped from 2.07 vehicles in 2007 to 1.98. Why the drop? The recession? A change in culture? The location of where you live? DC Streetsblog takes on some of these questions.

Fine For Using Handheld Phone While Driving Could Double

The punishment for using a handheld phone while driving in Washington State could get tougher under a proposal introduced last week by a member of the Transportation Committee.

Tracey Eide, D-Des Moines, suggested doubling fines for repeat offenders. The current penalty is $124 for first and all offenses. If caught using a handheld phone, it would also go on your driver's record.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/01/16/2997419/fine-on-phone-use-while-driving.html#storylink=c

The News Tribune has more on this proposal.