Another Green Monday: Last open house for Spokane’s Pedestrian Master Plan is on Thursday
Do you have a car to buy groceries or go to work or school in Spokane?
In his Getting There column last year, I recall Mike Prager reported Spokane has 650 miles of streets that lack sidewalks and most residential areas do not have handicapped ramps at intersections. The city has been tackling the sidewalk deficit in recent years with the installment of 23,000 feet of new sidewalks along with 650 new curb ramps for ADA accessbility.
But walking can be an insane experience in Spokane. I think a lot of folks are forced to jaywalk in certain areas due to lack of connectivity and we end up watching the cars, not the signals.
The Pedestrian Master Plan has the potential to change our walkability. The Plan will help to increase pedestrian safety and mobility, support a multimodal transportation system, and provide guidance on the best use of resources to implement pedestrian initiatives. You can review the project materials to learn what the project has accomplished.
The final open house for the Pedestrian Master Plan will be on Thursday, April 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at West Central Community Center in the Lewton Lounge, 1603 N. Belt St. A presentation will be held at 6 p.m.
From the City Of Spokane:
Everyone walks, whether young or old, on foot or using a mobility device, for exercise, or to get to their vehicle or a transit stop. Walking is an essential mode of transportation for Spokane residents, and contributes to the success of public transit, vibrant business districts, local parks, schools, and safe neighborhoods.
The Pedestrian Master Plan, developed under the guidance of an internal work team and citizen advisory committee, lays the foundation for implementing transportation goals and policy articulated in the Comprehensive Plan and allows the City to strategically invest existing pedestrian dollars.
The open house is a key opportunity to provide input on the draft Pedestrian Master Plan document.
Phase I of the Pedestrian Plan Update was focused on public education and prioritizing needs for sidewalk infrastructure installation based on pedestrian generators, such as schools, parks, commercial areas, and transit stops. Spokane has more than 650 miles of missing sidewalks and a limited funding source for sidewalk infrastructure.
Check this video on how difficult the pedestrian environment can be. It’s set in Virginia but there are scenes that look familiar in Spokane. It could be anywhere. Pedestrian travel is fundamental. Making it safe to do so is a matter of growing urgency for our health, energy and climate, aging population and livability of our cities.
