The improving weather means people are getting out and about. You start to see more bicyclists, runners, Tangos...
A reader shot this pic with his phone the other day on I-90 right near Deaconess Hospital apparently causing quite a stir with other drivers gawking all over it. Perhaps it was the design? Wishful thinking that George Clooney was driving it? Or maybe it was the lack of $4 gas needed to dump into this baby. Anyway, here's to Spokane's own car designed in our very own University District.
FROM OutThere Monthly: "It’s hard to think of a better start to Spokane Bike to Work Week than
the gathering this morning at Riverfront Park. Several hundred cyclists
showed up to get free pancakes and orange juice and mingle before work." With nearly 900 riders registered it's easy to see that commuting by bike is a valid practice by many in our community. We're amped for the big Wrap-Up celebration this Friday at the Steamplant Grill. Plenty o' schwag will be handed out, so be sure and show up.
There's a new way to get around funding the expansion of the Diamond Parking empire while minimizing the time spent driving around and looking for a parking spot. Try Parkingspots.com. The concept is simple: lots of people have surplus parking and lots of people are seeking that parking, but can't seem to ever find it. If you're an owner of a spot, you can now go online and post it where parking 'renters' can search for and purchase use of the spot. More than two spots and you're considered a commercial operation, so this is a good way to provide parkers more access to an existing yet untapped supply.
So far nobody in Spokane has any surplus space out for rent. We doubt we're that efficient, so if you've a spot available be a trailblazer and throw it out there already.
As of yesterday Spokane's Bike to Work Committee reported that nearly 700 people (687 total) had registered for Spokane's Bike to Work Week which takes place May 12-16. The kick-off breakfast at Riverfront Park is expecting to see around 300 bike-riders while the closing event is nearing 300 people as well. If you haven't registered there's still time.
One of the coolest joint events is "Walk and Roll to School Day" with seven elementary schools promoting walking or bike riding as a good way to get to and from school.
We are a biking city! Don't get left...in your car.
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.
As a part of The Vulcan Project, earlier this month Purdue released a high resolution map charting American per-capita carbon dioxide emissions. The map calculates the per-capita figure by identifying the CO2 produced in 100 Kilometer regions and then dividing that by population figures from the 2000 census (FYI-Spokane is 151 sq kilometers, or nearly 59 square miles in area). For the modeling they looked at emissions from a variety of sources including:
Abandoned for decades but not forgotten, it looks like a rehabilitation plan for the Iron Bridge may have some legs. On numerous levels this project is a no-brainer: It expands the network of the Centennial Trail, improves connectivity
for bikes and pedestrians through East Central-Logan-University
District, brings attention to a sorely neglected stretch of the river,
etc.
Chances are you've never heard of Vancity. They're a highly progressive credit union in Canada. In fact they're the largest credit union in Canada, and they run their business with an eye on the triple-bottom line: Financial, Social, and Environmental performance.
We're curious: Where are you at with this whole gas price thing? Low prices for Regular gas are hovering around $3.45 while Premium is upwards of $3.89. So the question is, have prices hit a point where it's changing your behavior or approach towards driving in any way? Seeking alternatives? Driving less? Carpooling? Transit? Cutting back elsewhere, but driving the same? If not, what level do prices have to reach to begin to affect your current routine? Complete the poll and leave your comments below.
Twenty years have passed Spokane's Master Bicycle Plan was last updated, and to celebrate it's getting a fresh look and an update. Over the next couple of weeks there will be a few meetings for you to provide your input and discuss issues. If you can't quite make the meeting you're still able to provide comments through Spokane's 2008 Online Bike Plan Survey.
[Image courtesy of the Portland Adult Soapbox Derby] Years back Spokane had a pretty cool event that for whatever reason slipped away. For years, the soap box derby used to occur on the Post Street hill just below the Garland District. A recent article in the Spokesman highlighted that the event was first held on the hill with the opening of the Benewah Dairy Milk Bottle in the Garland District in 1935.
Filled your gas tank up recently? If you're now beginning to calculate your commute as cost-per-trip instead of miles-per-gallon we have the event for you. National bike-to-work-week will be held from May 12 - 16 this year, and in Spokane the event promises to be bigger than ever. The week kicks off with a BTW breakfast from 7am-9am in Riverfront Park and wraps up with a party at the Steam Plant with plenty-o-schwag for registered participants (grand prize is a commuter bike from REI).
Speaking of Bike-to-work-week registration, it's now open and even though all activities associated with BTW Spokane are free it's important to register to better understand participation. So give it a try. Your pocketbook might thank you.
It's official: Google Streetview has finally made it to the mean streets of Spokane. Not all of the streets have been mapped but there's enough to keep you busy for hours.
In order to burn up more of your work day, we'll be accepting your top Spokane Streetview Sightings. Here's what you'll need to do:
On the one hand we have Forbes magazine who loves us, and on the other hand we have the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) who thinks Spokane need some help. Earlier this month the APMA released it's 2008 listing of America's Best Walking Cities, and out of 500 cities ranked across the US they ranked us #215. Sure we're no Venice, but certainly we're better than #215, aren't we?
[Images from the 2007 Tour de Bronx] Runners have Bloomsday, B-Ballers have Hoopfest, bicyclists have...? We think it's high time an event that is Spokane centric and specifically for bicyclists takes place. Why not a Tour de Spokane? Imagine an entire weekend day dedicated to cycling the streets of Spokane? We've talked about the need for a Ciclovia Spokane event previously, but it seems that Spokane really does well with annual events like the ones mentioned above.
Tucked away in a back corner of Riverfront Park lies a treasure-trove for anyone seeking relics from the World's Fair. Sitting there in plain site, locked behind a cyclone fence may quite possibly be the largest collection of vintage Expo '74 gondolas ever. These are a far cry from today's cozy lilac-colored rides. Up until a few years ago it was you versus the elements in nothing but a fiberglass shell hanging out there, over the Falls, exposed for a full 15 minutes. Your life in the hands of the teenager running the ride, while the audio track blares at you from speakers mounted to each riblet you pass...Ahhh the good ol' days.
The third over-the-top intersection is our favorite if only because it includes a heli-port. Yes, a heli-port. We're not sure why residents would need to land a helicopter near the intersection of Division and North River Drive, but there it is. And who would be flying in to the North Bank of downtown anyways? Looking at these images (from 46 years ago), one thing is for certain, and that's how the unobstructed movement of the personal auto was primary. Any sense of urbanity and the human scale has been completely stripped away.
For our second installment of "Thank God they never implemented that", we bring you the West Central Cloverleaf. Bringing a little bit of Los Angeles love to West Cent, they were clearly forecasting that a lot of traffic would be heading east and west by 1980. As for the shape, it was quite possibly a premonition of things to come...
A few weeks back we posted about the 1961 Ebasco Plan and how its twin-loops solution for traffic pretty much screwed up downtown. But for all that negative impact there's so much more in the plan that was never implemented. Most obvious are the grandiose on-and-off ramps that were designed to create an 'outer ring' of limited access roads drivers could use to bypass downtown and (supposedly) congestion.
Via the SRTC Transpo Blog light rail has a new face in Spokane...and a new website. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of a horribly worded initiative, the Inland Empire Rail Transit Association (IERTA) is taking on the need for a more balanced transportation network in our region. That means increasing the role that rail and transit can play as we grow. If nothing else, with gas prices at all time highs it's a timely and healthy discussion to be having.
Pullman, Butte, Walla Walla, Wentachee, and Astoria. During the period from 1969 to 1986 these were a few of the cities serviced by a Spokane-based commuter airline that was one of the largest in the United States. The airline's name was Cascade Airways, and back in the day it wasn't uncommon
for people to hop on a flight from Lewiston to Spokane for business, or to catch a flight at
Pendleton and connect at Portland or Spokane for Chicago. How about
flying nonstop between Pullman and Astoria for the weekend? Cascade
Airways had you covered. The map above shows just how far their reach was
Like most of these things there's a website
(design impaired but great info) that catalogues some of the history of this unique piece of Northwest
aviation history. Information about the cities Cascade Airways served,
good photos of aircraft, the snappy fashion of
the 1970's and 80's, and a number of articles that detail the airline's rise and fall in the Inland Northwest.
"If ever land values
in downtown or elsewhere become explosive here's what to do for
parking: PerfectPark.com
According to the
manufacturer, costs come in at around $3m for the mechanical portion, and
$1-2m for the construction of the silo. It parks 108 cars."
At that rate the cost/space would work out to about $37K/space. For comparison the Riverpark Square with it's 1,304 spots at $29 million comes in at $22K/space. So it's still obviously pretty pricey for our relatively low land values here. Throw in an abundance of basalt under our feet and it might drive the pricetag up even more. It's a pretty innovative system though and makes us wish we seen one of the original Pigeon Hole Parking systems (that were invented here in Spokane) in operation back in the 50-70s. Ample, easy and cheap parking must be in our community's DNA. Fast fwd video to 2:05 to see the system in operation.
Whether visitor or longtime resident, anyone who has driven in and around downtown has had to deal with the annoyance of the one-way streets. The one-way streets you enjoy today are actually a result of downtown's first master plan completed in 1961 (we love eBay). The plan, known as the Ebasco Plan, developed the strategy of a twin inner-loop system of one-way couplets cons
isting of an outer-loop (Spokane Falls Blvd-Monroe-1st-Washington) moving traffic in a counter-clockwise direction while the inner-loop (Main-Stevens-Sprague-Lincoln) circulated clockwise. These one-way couplets were suggested to be implemented first because, according to the plan it would reduce accidents and delays at troublesome intersections. Forty years later we're not sure if this has been the result or not.
One of the great things about our airport has to be the ease of access. Getting in and out, dropping someone off or picking them up is pretty much a breeze. Apparently the same goes for flight departures.
It's 2008. Have you reserved your Smartfortwo yet? We saw one parked in the Riverpark Square parking garage recently and spent about five minutes walking around and looking at it. It was the first one we've seen up close although we've spotted another one tooling around town.
You first notice just how incredibly small it is, but an up close look at the interior reveals a roomy space (The guy getting into it later was around 6'4"). Parked nearby was a five year old Explorer and in comparison it's shocking how little space the Smartfortwo consumes. We figured it at about half.
Did you know that by 2020 passenger levels at Spokane International Airport are projected to double from 1.7 million to 3.3 million? That's huge! In order to handle that growth, back in 2000 a new Airport Master Plan was developed and resulted in a number of recommendations that focused on Terminal Improvements. These included:
Add approx. 12 new aircraft gates to enhance competition through expansion of Concourse C.
Expand the Air Carrier Apron to allow for additional aircraft parking.
Expand the automobile parking facilities (either garage or surface).
Improve the surface access system to increase safety and eliminate congestion.
Improve intersections through grade-separation, signalization or other methods.
Provide for potential development of light rail or other mass transit access to the airport.
Improve capacity for commercial users (e.g. rental car companies, taxis, etc.).
That first item is seen above in bright yellow and compared to the existing old terminal (red) it's a big'un. Of course that means a sweet new 13,000' x 150' runway [RFQ/RFP-PDF] to service it. Just last year the largest and newest air traffic tower in Washington went up and now the RENT-A-CAR Renovation [RFQ/RFP-PDF] is out for bid and should be completed by October 1, 2008.
Is it us or is transit getting better in Spokane? Seriously. New upgrades to the equipment over the past couple of years has resulted in a dramatically improved experience on the ol' daily commute. Some of the equipment is pushing two decades of daily use, so when one of the new Gilligs rolls up to your stop you're in for a comfy ride.
Today STA had an open house for their new diesel-electric hybrid buses that will be hitting the streets this week, and we hopped onto one of the demo-rides they were giving around downtown.
At first look there's little difference aside from a large bump on the roof towards the back of the bus. Underneath it's a vastly different machine than the usual diesel-guzzler. The bump on top holds the large batteries that move the vehicle when under 10mph and then blend it with diesel power when more power is needed. The ride is nice and smooth. Inside, it was quiet without any shifting of the transmission because, well, it doesn't have traditional one. Instead it uses an "e-drive" that takes its place. Outside, a noticeable absence of diesel fumes being belched into the air when the light turns green. Keep an eye out for the hybrids.
Specs:
Three buses @ $1.76million - Federal grant covered 80% of the cost.
Fuel savings expected over 12 years for one bus - 31-35,000 gallons of diesel.
Hybrid bus will produce 352 tons less carbon dioxide than it's diesel bretheren.
1) LIBERTY LAKE - We missed this newsworthy bit last fall. Liberty Lake was recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. Way to go. Overall Liberty Lake received a Bronze designation (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and will retain it for the next four years. The recognition is due mostly to the significant amount of investment they've made in biking infrastructure over the years. Bicycle Friendly Communities are recognized only if the community has records in two or more of the following five categories:
Education: Does the community have systems in place to train children and adult cyclists?
Engineering: Are bicyclists included in the city’s transportation plan?
Enforcement: Do police officers understand and enforce bicyclists’ rights and responsibilities?
Encouragement: Does the community participate in Bike Month, offer bike
rodeos, host community bike rides, or otherwise encourage cycling?
Evaluation: Does the community have methods in place to ensure their bicyclist programs are making a difference?
We have a feeling our turn is just around the corner.
2) Spokane, Northern Idaho, we're sorry to say you are not the biggest loser. In fact it appears we're a little tubbier than the state average. "Six out of every 10 people in the county are either overweight or obese," and a similar pattern exists in Northern Idaho. Near nature, near perfect pudding?
We spotted a Flexcar cruising south on Monroe St. on Monday evening and for a brief moment thought the well known car-sharing service had arrived in town and we didn't get the memo or something. Then we looked down and everything became clear. Sigh...
Spokaneownsyou writes about the sweet new Trip Planner mashup for Spokane Transit Riders but not created by STA (their version is atrocious). Forget Google Transit; we've our own home-grown version and it should go down as the single biggest improvement to transit service in Spokane in probably the past 5 years. It's sleek, easy to operate, and makes navigating transit in Spokane County that much easier. It even provides the stop numbers (who knew they were numbered?). If you use it,and you should, thank the developer and provide feedback...even a thank-you would be considerate.
2007 will likely go down as the year bicycle advocates in Spokane were finally heard. Biking infrastructure has made some tremendous gains this year thanks to many dedicated individuals, but we're not satisfied. Looking ahead to 2008 we see the momentum continuing for a city that's safer and more accessible for non-automotive forms of transportation. We think 2008 could be a prime year for the complete streets movementto finally arrivein Spokane.
Complete streets are streets that serve all transportation users and this includes pedestrians, bikes, wheelchairs, transit and autos. Think about the streets you use everyday to get home, to work, to the store, etc. Which ones are designed with all users in mind? It's nothing new in Washington State, in fact Seattle took the bold step of pledging to create complete streets first by passing a resolution and then a city ordinance the following year. Redmond and Kirkland are into it as well...so why couldn't we? C'mon, when you have the AARP and biking advocates on the same side of an issue something is up.
