The West Plains- Spokane International Airport (WP-SIA) Transportation Study open house was last night and we got lots of good input from members of the public.

The WP-SIA study is a comprehensive look at the transportation system in the West Plains area. It looks at all modes of transportation (bus, bike, pedestrian and auto) to create a balanced plan for making connections and transportation improvements in an effort to increase overall mobility and safety.

Some of the input we heard last night includes:

– It’s scary trying to cross Highway 2 on foot, even in crosswalks
– Crossing Highway 2 in a vehicle, or turning right or left onto the highway from Flint or Spotted roads, is dangerous.
– A handful of people aren’t happy about the closing of McFarlane Road.
– More people would like to ride their bikes to the airport if there were better facilities to store them (for the record, one airport employee did tell me that they recently got a new bike rack)

One station at the open house meeting was an electronic survey on transit, walking, and bicycling conditions on the West Plains. We’d like to hear from more people on these subjects. Please take the survey by clicking here. The last day to take it is May 20.

Input from the meeting will now be assessed and SRTC staff will incorporate possible solutions into the long-term look at conditions in the study area. Here’s more information on the WP-SIA Study. Updates and new information will be posted there as it becomes available.