Boone Avenue Lot Open To Public Today

The parking half of park-and-ride is easier today than it has been since spring.

Several months ago, builders of the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena shut down two-thirds of a parking lot on Boone Avenue, where commuters park their cars and catch Spokane Transit Authority buses for rides downtown.

The 480-space lot, which will be used for event parking, has been repaved and landscaped, and is open for free use starting today, said Amy Brown, spokeswoman for the Public Facilities District.

The portion of the lot that commuters have used since spring closes today. It will be spruced up and reopened in September, when the new arena opens, said Brown.

Another parking lot, where the Spokane Coliseum used to stand, will open in October, she said. The arena will have 2,000 parking spaces.

Plans are to leave some of the spaces open to commuters for free use and charge for parking in the rest of the spaces.

, DataTimes