North-South Freeway gets animated
In full PR mode, the DOT has created and uploaded to YouTube a breathtaking aerial/animated video of the North/South Freeway from Francis to US 395. Backed by an inspiring soundtrack and narrated by THE BEST RADIO VOICE ever, if you're not openly weeping with pride by the end then you have no soul. Either that or your a cyclist or ride the bus. One oddity of the animated portions is that they show extremely light traffic for the middle of the day.
- Learning from I-90 - The North-South Freeway's Implications on Urban Form [pdf-Studio Cascade]
Now imagine loss-leading development lining both sides of the cut, with limited regional economic energies directed away from established, well-serviced centers. Surely this is the last gasp of Robert Moses-style engineering; too bad Spokane will be among the last of its victims.
Oh, the myopia!
Posted by: Rick | May 07, 2008 at 07:50 AM
It's seems to be a double edge. On the plus side the North-South would lighten the current overload on arterials, particularly Hamilton Street. I believe we have reached the size to warrant a freeway, but need to develop strict zoning and design standards to prevent the tacky development you are rightly referring to Rick.
The Valley Mall is a good example of lapsed design. The town center design has replaced the covered mall concept. Clusters of buidlings that allow people to be outdoors among nice landscaping. Bozeman has adopted such design and it looks really nice. We need to demand better design around here or else the out of town developers will continue to ruin our landscape.
Posted by: Jim | May 07, 2008 at 09:05 AM
No one has really disscussed how foolish a single lane (for a whopping total of 2) interstate is really going to look.
I think my street is wider.
Posted by: HCNate | May 07, 2008 at 01:43 PM
So, is it just the BEST RADIO VOICE EVER and the soundtrack that makes this entire idea seem like it dates from the 80's? I couldn't even watch the whole thing.
Rick is right... This could be really problematic from a sprawl perspective. Yikes.
And Jim, I just love the fact that even with an ocean between Spokane and me, I can read heart-warming Valley Mall bashing anytime I want. Ahh, the magic of the internet!
Just tell me that when you say "Clusters of buildings around nice landscaping" what you mean is "actual public space, where people are not expected to behave like they do in a mall, and could even hold a demonstration if they feel like it".
Posted by: Kate | May 08, 2008 at 02:50 AM
Thanks for giving me the words Kate - you are spot on. Public space for social interaction. Warmer and friendlier than a mall.
How about a demonstration to rid the landscape of that wrecking yard along I 90 not too far from said mall, that greets all Spokane visitors and provides a not so special welcome and impression.
Posted by: Jim | May 08, 2008 at 08:30 AM
What a boondoggle! Kudos on the bike-ped path, but like the I-69 "Nafta-Highway" through the middle states, this is chewing up too much land for what is appearing to become the wrong mode to invest in for goods transport. As for the video, if you're going to do PR, why couldn't they animate the re-vegetated landscape? Huge gashes in the earth just don't get me excited.
Posted by: DaveRockwood | May 08, 2008 at 08:34 AM
Believe it or not, Jim, when I was a kid I thought that wrecking yard was a monument built out of all the cars that had crashed on I-90, intended as a warning to all the motorists passing by.
For that reason I'm actually kind of attached to it, in a morbid way.
Posted by: Kate | May 08, 2008 at 08:54 AM
video is not working
Posted by: bob | May 08, 2008 at 09:54 PM
Looks like they removed it. Strange.
Posted by: METROSPOKANE | May 09, 2008 at 07:44 PM