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Life is good for walkers, joggers and bicyclists in the city of
Liberty Lake and the surrounding area.
With a comprehensive network of well-groomed trails and walkways,
the community has made a mark as one of the most pedestrian-friendly
environments in the state.
One of the primary reasons for the region's unique landscape can
be traced to a citizen-based group known as the Transportation Benefit
District. Officially formed in September 1999, the organization
has its roots in the Pavillion Park Trail Committee, a group originally
made up of about 50 residents.
A state law - in place since 1986 - allows residents to set up
individual transportation districts and to tax themselves in order
to fund improvements. According to Pat Harper, an engineering administrator
with Spokane County, the Liberty Lake TBD was the first of its kind
in Washington.
"They were very active," said Harper, who has worked
closely with district over the years. "They basically went
door-to-door recruiting their neighbors to support this."
With a slogan that compared the household pricetag of trail improvements
to the cost of a pizza, district members were able to rally enough
support to gather a super majority in the November 1999 election.
Once the obligation was approved, a $650,000 bond was secured.
Since then, the district - comprised of an area that virtually mirrors
the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District - has played a major role
in work on seven trails throughout the area.
"It says that people are thinking about quality of life issues,"
said Tom Specht, who has served as the TBD's chairman since the
beginning. "Liberty Lake has always been a community of walkers
and runners. A lot of people use these trails."
Doug Smith, Liberty Lake's planning and community development director,
described the district as a catalyst when it came to enhancing the
trail system in the area.
"It's been a tremendous asset," he said. "I think
what they've done is provide the cohesiveness to keep all the trails
integrated and linked."
The latest - and most ambitious - project on the TBD's agenda is
a pedestrian bridge that would link the north and south sides of
Interstate 90. The district has already committed $300,000 to a
pool that includes $200,000 from the city of Liberty Lake and $655,000
from the state Transportation Improvement Board.
Smith said the pedestrian bridge would serve as "a entry statement
for people crossing the border into Washington state."
Smith added that the trio of parties are "very close"
when it comes to hitting their funding goal. The latest projections
have the bridge costing between $1.2 and $1.3 million. Smith said
it would be critical to take action in 2004 since the money pledged
by the state may not be available the following year.
"If we don't use it, there's a very good chance we could lose
it," Smith said. "We need to get this out to bid."
Another holdup involves the plans for the bridge. Originally designed
in metric by a Spokane County engineer, the state now requires the
plans to be laid out in English.
Specht said he is cautiously optimistic about construction of the
bridge - a project that has been part of the district's gameplan
for years.
"The whole thing has been the money all along," he said.
"This would be a nice way to make a link between the Centennial
Trail and the rest of the trail system in Liberty Lake."
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