Getting There: One-way to two-way? City officials want public to weigh in on future of Spokane Falls Boulevard

One of Spokane’s oldest roads is due for a major rebuild, and city officials want recommendations for what should change, including whether to convert a portion of the one-way street to a two-way stretching from Riverfront Park to the First Interstate Center of the Arts.

Spokane Falls Boulevard, just south of the Spokane River, borders City Hall, downtown’s iconic park, the Spokane Convention Center and other key facilities.

Wastewater pipes first placed in the 1890s, back when the then-dirt road was called Front Avenue, still run underneath the pavement. Modernizing that and other underground infrastructure necessitates some intensive rehab work on the street itself, and city planners want to take the opportunity to consider radical changes to the street itself.

These changes could include expanded sidewalks, safer crosswalks, better amenities such as benches and trees, and additional and better-protected bike lanes. Existing street parking along Spokane Falls Boulevard is also under consideration.

In a rare move, the city is also considering converting a section between Washington and Division streets from one-way to two-way, which planners say could increase pedestrian safety and accessibility to facilities such as the performing arts or convention centers and hotels.

The street east of that section is already a two-way, while the one-way section to the west of Washington has been deemed difficult to convert due to its narrowness and connectivity to other longstanding features, such as the on-ramp to the downtown mall parking garage, said city Public Works spokeswoman Kirstin Davis.

The last time a similar change occurred was in 2013, when the Post Street Bridge was converted from a two-way to a one-way northbound street.

Residents, visitors and others who use the street have a chance to weigh in on which improvements get prioritized and make suggestions about the future of one of Spokane’s downtown streets. The city has launched a short, three-question survey on its website that will remain open until at least Sept. 13.

City officials were prompted to consider these changes at least in part by increased pedestrian activity around the street, particularly following the redevelopment of Riverfront Park and increased interest in walking to dining and events to the north of the river, Davis said.

Recommendations made now could impact a project that isn’t expected to be completed for at least four years.

The project’s initial planning phase will last through the end of the year, with design work anticipated to stretch into 2026. Construction is tentatively planned to take place between 2026 and 2028.