Getting There: State calling for volunteers to count walkers, bicyclists

The Washington state Department of Transportation is asking for the public’s help to count the number of people walking or bicycling to their destinations.

Volunteers are being enlisted to provide raw data for the state’s eighth annual Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, from Sept. 29 through Oct. 1. Sign-ups have started.

Counts are planned in at least 38 cities, including Spokane and Spokane Valley. About 400 volunteers are needed statewide.

FeetFirst, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and Cascade Bicycle Club are joining in the effort.

Last year, volunteers documented 72,000 people on foot or bicycles during the three-day count.

Lynn Peterson, the state’s secretary of transportation, said the information is used to measure demand for bike and pedestrian paths and lanes, and to find out where new sidewalks, crosswalks and the like are needed.

Transportation officials said investments in those facilities help reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.

To learn more or to sign up, visit wsdot.wa.gov/bike/Count.htm.

Around Spokane

Construction season continues to cause numerous traffic obstructions across the region.

In Spokane, traffic is getting backed up on weekdays on Monroe and Lincoln streets where reconstruction has reduced some of the travel lanes.

Another major project has Indiana Avenue torn up for reconstruction east of Division Street.

Francis Avenue has a project to install communications systems for message signs.

High Drive remains closed from Bernard Street to Grand Boulevard through fall.

Glenrose Road from 57th Avenue to Havana Street is closed as part of a wider project for repaving, additional sidewalks and bicycle lanes. The bike lanes will be built with porous asphalt that will allow water to seep into the ground. The project also includes installation of a new water main.

Traffic is being controlled by flaggers and signs at Freya Street and 44th Avenue.

Freya remains closed near Eighth Avenue as part of a stormwater utility project.

Wall Street from Main Avenue to Spokane Falls Boulevard is closed through late October.

In addition, Main from Post to Howard streets and the northbound lane of Post from Riverside to Main will be closed through Wednesday.

In Spokane Valley

In Spokane Valley, 16th Avenue will be closed at Virginia Road today through 5 p.m. Tuesday for paving.

Argonne Road from Appleway Boulevard to Sprague Avenue will have lane closures from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through early September.

Access from Main Avenue onto Mullan Road will be closed at times from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays through August.

Montgomery Avenue from University to Dartmouth roads will be narrowed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. until late August. Pedestrian access is limited to one side of Montgomery.

Mullan from Sprague to Broadway avenues will have lane closures from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through early September.

Sullivan Road from Trent to Wellesley avenues will have just one lane in each direction through late August.

Highway work

Interstate 90 from Division Street to Sunset will have lane closures from 10 p.m. through about 5 a.m. the next morning through Thursday.

The westbound on-ramp from Browne Street will be closed Tuesday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday. The westbound on-ramp at Jefferson Street and westbound on-ramp at Walnut Street will be closed on Wednesday at 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. on Thursday.

The closures are for bridge joint repairs and concrete paving.

Also, I-90 interchanges at Broadway Avenue, Argonne Road, Evergreen Road and Sullivan Road will have lane restrictions for sidewalk ramp installations.

Also on state highways, similar sidewalk work on Ruby and Division streets from North River Drive to Euclid Avenue and Division from Euclid to Cozza Drive will continue to cause lane restrictions.

Delays are also expected on Mt. Spokane Park Drive east of Bruce Road to Mount Spokane State Park due to chip seal work. Single-lane traffic will be guided by pilot cars.

Work continues with lane restrictions on southbound U.S. Highway 195 from I-90 to Excelsior Road for repairs and replacement of concrete pavement panels.

Paving will be underway this week on state Highway 290, also known as Trent Avenue, from Sullivan Road to the Idaho state line. Pilot cars will guide alternating lines of traffic from 6 p.m. until as late as 6 a.m. the following mornings.

Chip sealing is reducing U.S. Highway 2 to a single lane from the Spokane County line to state Highway 211. The speed limit is reduced to 35 mph when loose gravel is on the road.