Here’s a fitting story for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Spokane’s City Council last week approved a $3.7 million construction contract with Spokane Rock Products to tear down old warehouses in the way of a new street that will be named after the civil rights leader.
The project will also include a small park that’s meant to serve as a gateway into WSU-Spokane on the southeast corner of the new street and Division.
This story includes a quote to the effect that having a street named after King shows that Spokane is becoming more progressive. I don’t know about overall, but do you think Spokane is getting with the times when it comes to transportation? Bike lanes are going in, right of way was left in the middle of the North Spokane Corridor to possibly put a light rail line and Hillyard is trying to get Neighborhood Electric Vehicles legalized for use on the street. What’s your thoughts?
I am glad they are planning for the future, and that they are going ahead on some of the transportation improvements, and not just building more roads and streets they do not have the money to maintain. If the predictions of $3.50 gas by summer are true we will need more bike lanes and sidewalks.
Maintenance seems to be the sticking point every time Charles. Sure you can build a road but if you can't keep it in acceptable condition, what's the point? This issue comes up over and over at our Board and TTC meetings. As for sidewalks and bike lanes, it's interesting to see that some elected officials are campaigning for them. Such as Jon Snyder who went so far as to not vote for the City's license tab fee because it wouldn't allocate money to sidewalks.
I live in an area with a lot of old sidewalks most 80-90 years old and so maintenance is important, but that is by the homeowner. There are places close that have never had sidewalks, and they are expensive to add. Our CD funds of $20,000 this last year did about 100 feet of sidewalk.
It's amazing how quickly you can burn through $20,000. While it's a lot of money to you or me, it's barely even a drop in the bucket in the transportation world.