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If the weather is decent and the roads are reasonable, chances are you’ll find Mike Basinger pedaling to work.
The nonmotorized route from Basinger’s home in the city of Spokane to his office at Spokane Valley City Hall is flat and well-paved, comprising about eight miles. The majority of the trek takes place along a Valleyway Avenue, a street that Basinger describes as “a perfect bike boulevard with plenty of controlled intersections.”
The problem, according to Basinger and other area cycling enthusiasts, has to do with the lack of bike-friendly paths for residents whose daily commute relies on spokes and gears rather than carburetors and timing belts.
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| Cyclists from throughout the region gathered in support of the Loreen Miller Bike Ride this summer to raise funds and awareness Cancer Patient Care. The city of Spokane Valley is collaborating with other local jurisdictions to formulate a regional bike plan designed to improve routes throughout Spokane County. |
“The biggest difficulty has to do with going north or south,” said Basinger, who works in Spokane Valley’s Community Development Department. “The trouble is with the connections in between.”
Despite the convenience of the Centennial Trail, an east/west corridor popular with outdoor enthusiasts that runs from north Idaho past downtown Spokane, barriers like the Spokane River and Interstate 90 create safety concerns for bikers, joggers and in-line skaters traveling in other directions. Basinger describes how, prior to incorporation, Spokane Valley neighborhoods and roadways sprang up without much concern for pedestrian lanes.
“People who’ve lived here for a while will tell me that there used to be these great routes for bikes,” Basinger said. “Those are tougher to find now.”
That trend is beginning to change with the implementation of the city’s bike and pedestrian plan, a document included in Spokane Valley’s blueprint for development known as the comprehensive plan. The approach prioritizes projects such as the extensive bike and walking paths that were included in last year’s renovation of Appleway Road.
In addition, the city is currently preparing to launch the compilation of a master bike plan, a detailed resource for future projects similar to the master parks and recreation plan.
Basinger said community feedback will be critical to the development of a document that will map out future bike routes.
“It should be a collaborative, inclusive process,” said Basinger, who estimated the plan will take around a year and a half to complete. “It will be important to have citizens on board. If folks could get on a bike and ride to their destination safely, that’s the goal.”
Spokane Valley has also been involved in the formation of a regional bike plan that includes ambitious projects like the Millwood/Spokane Valley Trail, a five-mile, 10-foot wide course that would begin on the western fringe of Spokane and wind between Argonne and Pines before ending up on the north side of Indiana near the Spokane Valley Mall.
The trail was included in the city of Millwood’s comprehensive plan earlier this year. Tom Richardson, Millwood city planner, said local jurisdictions are realizing the benefits of teamwork in making sure bike and pedestrian routes are part of the transportation agenda.
“It’s good to get a group together to talk about this,” Richardson said. “When you’re sharing the road with cars and trucks it can be dangerous. I think people understand there are definitely improvements we can make.”
The Spokane Regional Transportation Council is the lead agency for the regional bike plan, a document that outlines 18 projects at a cost of around $39 million. Another $10 million has been earmarked for education and marketing programs, according to Eve Nelson of SRTC.
“This is about how to get to the grocery store without using your car,” Nelson said. “There are still a lot of people who feel it’s dangerous to ride your bike in Spokane.”
Applications will be made to both state and federal sources for the funds, Nelson added.
Scott Kuhta, a project manager with the city of Spokane Valley, said street improvement projects such as this summer’s repaving of Sprague Avenue has included “a conscious decision to create more space on the side of the street.”
Kuhta referred to a recent presentation by Mark Fenton, host of “America’s Walking” on PBS, in which the pedestrian advocate encouraged Spokane leaders and developers to consider “what kind of environment you’re walking in.”
“I think there’s a lot more awareness out there about getting out of your car and exercising,” Kuhta said.
Cindy Green, a program manager with the Spokane Regional Health District, said the development of trails and other recreational amenities contributes to the “well-being of a community.” The district has provided input for the updated regional pedestrian master plan which is also being coordinated by SRTC.
“Research has shown that communities that have more walking and biking opportunities are healthier communities,” Green said.
Green said that while the Inland Northwest is fortunate to have venues like the Centennial Trail and the emerging Fishlake Trail, the region’s “built-in environment could use some improvement.” She pointed to local data that shows the average rate of exercise among citizens has leveled out in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise a week for adults.
When it comes to municipal examples of plentiful trail space, the city of Liberty Lake continues to set the standard across the state. Mike Terrell, a landscape architect with Greenstone Homes, describes how the foundation was established in 1993 when a citizens group identified a section along Liberty Lake Road that was becoming unsafe for pedestrians.
Terrell and other representatives from the American Society of Landscape Architects worked with the National Parks Service to create an outline for trail development in Liberty Lake, still nearly a decade from incorporation. Residents contributed to funding by forming a Transportation Improvement District which extracted a portion of property tax to pay for the projects. Greenstone also supported the cause from a development standpoint.
“It was a commitment to trails that worked,” Terrell said.
Terrell, who has provided feedback on the regional bike plan, said even established areas like the South Hill and Spokane Valley can carve out space for bicycle and pedestrian paths regardless of existing development.
“I’m always hopeful that there will be more parks and trails,” he said. “You’ve got to start somewhere.”
Want to find out more?
To learn more about recommended levels of walking, biking and other exercise, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at www.cdc.gov. To learn more about exercise opportunities in Spokane County, including how to get a copy of the Spokane Walking Map, call the Spokane Regional Health District at 324-1500 or visit www.srhd.org. Information about “America’s Walking” can be found at www.pbs.org/americaswalking.
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By
Craig Howard
