- The first stop of the WA Bikes road trip is Spokane, where advocates and city leaders are building momentum for better biking.
Across the state, passionate community members, active transportation organizations, and other allies are making progress towards connecting their communities by bike. They’re pushing for new bike lanes; holistic planning for biking, walking and rolling; starting bike buses for school children, and helping secure funding to build all these initiatives.
Washington Bikes is hitting the road to meet these individuals and groups. We hope that by connecting and listening to people across the state, we can identify common barriers, share winning tactics, and build towards a more bikeable Washington. We can go farther together!
This September, we visited Spokane, where we experienced new safe bike lanes, and met a host of folks engaged in improving their community. Here’s what we’ve learned:
Pilot projects move more rapidly: This summer the city installed a short concrete-protected bike lane and community parklet just outside the popular Riverside Park on Howard Street. City officials are seeking feedback from the community. If you’re in the area, scan the QR to show your support for public spaces and say you want more protected bike lanes.
Post Street Bridge improvements give more space for people: Also this summer, the city reopened Post Street bridge after a five-year closure to replace the facility. This bridge connects the north and south parts of the city with great views of the Spokane River below. As part of the reopening, the city used colorful planters on both sides to reduce traffic to one lane while giving more space to people walking, biking, and rolling.
Unique funding strategy for an underserved neighborhood: The West Central neighborhood of Spokane is historically underfunded, but now receives targeted dollars through a Tax Increment Fund for improvements to affordable housing, parks, streets, and more. One of these projects extends the Centennial Trail through this neighborhood, creating more connectivity and accessibility for people to walk and bike.
New Safe Streets Policy: Spokane City Council passed a “Safe Streets Now!” resolution this summer that directs the city to reallocate street space for biking and walking using cost-effective, quick-build projects to curb the traffic safety crisis in Spokane. The Mayor committed to this work by signing her own Executive Order shortly after. This resolution came after a driver killed a 78-year old woman crossing the street in a hit-and-run collision in June. It underscores the need for the city to take immediate action to make Spokane’s streets safer for those who get around with and without a car.
Transportation Playbook coming soon: Alongside new policies passed by the City Council and mayor, the nonprofit City Thread selected Spokane as one of this year’s cohort cities to create an Accelerated Mobility Playbook. City Thread chooses a few cities each year to bring together city staff, community members, organizations, and elected officials to kickstart transportation improvements. This playbook will be released soon and will give the city clear objectives and strategies for how to fund, plan, and build safe spaces to bike, walk, and roll across the city.
More statewide visits to come. The next stops on our statewide tour are the Tri-Cities area and Bellingham. If you live in either of these communities, let us know by emailing rachels at wabikes dot org to set up a meeting, join the events we are planning, or share your knowledge. We are eager to connect and learn about the ways your community is working to make biking better and how we can work together to achieve our shared goals.
