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May 11, 2010 in City
Second Avenue repaving project faces bumpy road
Bike, sidewalk considerations enter street debate
A bicyclist heads into traffic at the corner of Second Avenue and Walnut Street on Monday in Spokane. Plans to repave Second through downtown do not include bike lanes, even though the street is labeled a bicycle route in the city’s bike plan.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)
A month after Spokane leaders endorsed goals to make streets more amenable to pedestrians and bicyclists, debate is emerging that could delay one of the city’s largest planned repaving projects this year.
At least two City Council members are pushing administrators to redesign Second Avenue downtown before it’s reconstructed this summer.
The debate is similar to disputes that have arisen over the design of several repaving projects paid for by the street construction property tax approved by voters in 2004.
Voters were told their tax money would pay to smooth 110 miles of Spokane’s notoriously bumpy streets, and city leaders argue that adding extra features like bike lanes, sidewalks or street trees would make it difficult to fulfill that promise. One of the few exceptions has been to make adjacent sidewalks at intersections compliant with federal accessibility law.
Some bicyclists and neighborhood leaders say the city is wasting opportunities to make design and streetscape improvements, including changes called for in the city’s long-term development plan. Mayor Mary Verner has taken the same stance as her predecessor. She says street bond money should be used only to redo the street as it was. But she recently formed a committee to look for grants and other funding opportunities to add features to paving projects falling under the 2004 street tax.
Supporters of more bicycle-friendly streets recently discovered that plans to repave Second between Division Street and Latah Creek won’t include a bike lane, even though the street is labeled a bicycle route in the city’s bike plan.
Council members Richard Rush and Jon Snyder say the city should consider a new concept for Second that could improve pedestrian safety and enhance the look of the street.
“The question is what are we doing for our small businesses and how is that street design helping or hurting our small businesses,” Snyder said.
In April, he spearheaded the City Council’s efforts to direct city workers to “identify the gaps” and locate “opportunities to supplement and fund” complete street plans.
Administrators say it’s important to keep on schedule with the Second Avenue project. They also say changing plans is an additional expense, even if construction is expected to cost the same.
“The engineering work is complete,” said City Administrator Ted Danek. “Two weeks before contract issuance is a really bad time to re-engineer a project.”
City Engineer Mike Taylor said delaying construction could increase costs. Since the economy tanked, paving bids have fallen 30 percent below expectations, but as the economy improves, contractors are expected to begin charging more, he said.
The Second Avenue project is estimated to cost $2.1 million and start around August.
Councilwoman Amber Waldref said she’s open to the idea of redesigning the street because Second serves as an entrance to visitors coming off Interstate 90.
“It could be an opportunity for people to do some shopping and drive them deeper into downtown Spokane and hopefully spend some dollars,” Waldref said.
At least a couple of business owners on Second said they wouldn’t necessarily mind a delay.
Craig Davis, who co-owns Marcella’s Bridal, said as long as street parking is maintained, he might prefer waiting if the final design includes better plans for pedestrians and “more of a community-type atmosphere.”
Dan Spalding, who remodeled a building that includes Lolo Boutique and other businesses, agreed. “I would be all for waiting a little longer and coming up with a better mousetrap,” he said.
Brent Christensen, general manager of Larry H. Miller Honda, said he’s unsure whether he would support a delay. Either way, the road needs to be repaved soon, he said. “If you’ve driven down it, you know it needs to be done.”
In arguing for a different plan, Rush has pointed to a recent street redesign in New York. That project inserted a bike lane next to the street curb and moved street parking between the bike and car travel lanes.
That kind of plan is doable, but only after a lot of planning, a strong endorsement from adjacent businesses and finding the money for the extra costs, Taylor said. Additionally, the city must study if removing traffic lanes would increase congestion and air pollution, or if other factors – like creating turn lanes at intersections – could mitigate traffic backups. All these considerations and negotiations could take three years or more for an untraditional design like the New York example given by Rush, he said.
“You don’t want to alienate (businesses and residents) when you look for a new way of thinking,” Taylor said. “You don’t put that stuff together without lots of collaboration.”
Taylor said the city is interested in “complete street” concepts, such as the Market Street construction last year and the 37th and Lincoln projects this year. In those cases, the city supplemented street tax funding with grants and other sources of money to add features including bike lanes, improved storm water collection, street trees and improved lighting.
Taylor said several street bond projects remain that could incorporate “complete street” concepts without affecting construction schedules. One example could be Rockwood Boulevard, he said.
“I’m 100 percent for complete streets, Spokane style,” Taylor said.
Dallas Hawkins, chairman of the Citizens Streets Advisory Committee, said halfway through the 10-year construction period, the city is on track to pave 110 miles of streets in part because Spokane has not diverted money for extra features. If the city hopes to win more tax votes for streets, it shouldn’t be sidetracked from the goal, Hawkins said.
Already, city leaders are debating how to fund new street projects once the $117 million generated by the 2004 tax is exhausted. Hawkins suggested city leaders start planning what new features besides paving should be covered, before voters cast ballots.
For now, Hawkins said Second Avenue work should move forward “as advertised.”
MAC faces angry crowd 
riverlaw on May 11 at 6:01 a.m.
Sounds like the business owners, city council members, and many citizens want a better designed street. I think our tax dollars are better spent taking some time to do it right rather than spending lots of money on something we will all later regret.
liarsinnews on May 11 at 7:14 a.m.
When is the city council going to realize when they refer to grant dollars, its taxpayers money?? Fools!
ChefGus/ John Olsen on May 11 at 7:16 a.m.
I know there are “deadlines” for starting large projects.. it is simply too bad that the prior decisions were made with the view that “Cars are Right”… and those of us that walk, take the bus, ride scooters and would like to have light rail are considered “outside the norm”… ( statistically we are of course)… but we only need look to the East 35 Miles to our conservative counterparts and see what they decided just recently with regards a major remodel of a main street along the lines of the feelings of user friendliness…..
We are tired of drivers of cars yelling and cursing at us out of their anger that anyone would try and use their own muscles instead of hauling 5000 pounds of metal with them every where they go… john
biker on May 11 at 7:19 a.m.
This is the same issue we in the Valley have been facing for several years. Recent improvements to Sprague Ave., Argonne Rd., Pines Rd. and Sullivan Road had no bicycle or pedestrian improvements, forcing non-automobilists to dodge the business and mall bound traffic for another 10 years. No forward thinking. As fuel prices rise and more people decide to get off their fast growing arsses and try alternative transportation (I’m not talking about a joy ride on a bike trail), people are going to get hurt, or worse when trying to go with the flow.
Marksman on May 11 at 8:46 a.m.
Why does the word sanctimonious come to mind every time an adult bicycle rider makes a comment about bad drivers and people to lazy to ride bikes everywhere? You adult bicyclists are freeloading on the taxes paid by motorists to build streets for their automobiles. How much do you pay to construct and maintain the streets you demand free use of? Automobile operators have enough to contend with while driving; let alone bike riding adults who ride through the crosswalks pretending to be pedestrians, blowing through stop signals and signs, weaving in and out of traffic, etc. My experience has been that if you are getting too many one finger salutes every day on your ride, you need to examine your personal behavior instead of blaming the other motorists!
spokanada on May 11 at 9:26 a.m.
wow, clever headline. Made me read the article and praise the editor for his/her wit.
MrNatural on May 11 at 9:48 a.m.
I travel 2nd Ave every day practically…you can hardly get a car or motorcycle down it much less a bicycle…It would be nice if the road could be reconfigured to accommodate bikes but it would need some forward thinking and elimination of parking spots to do so. Truly it would make a good test case to see if Spokane can become this urban alternative commute place it keeps aspiring to be…I say let’s try to do this right the first time and put Ms Waldref on point to secure additional funding for this idealist enhancement…
Nick42 on May 11 at 9:57 a.m.
Marksman, the 10-year street bond is paid for through property taxes, so it is not a motorist-exclusive tax. Bicyclists and pedestrians own property, too. If the bond was paid for through gas taxes (as it probably should have been) you’d have a point.
That being said, it sounds like the alarm was sounded a little too late on this one. The planning for 2nd Avenue didn’t just begin today. Why didn’t anyone speak up a year ago about this? Perhaps our energy would be better spent looking at options for the streets to be reconstructed in 2011-2015.
spokanesausage on May 11 at 10:15 a.m.
I think the point is cars sales tax and gas tax goes to pay a large percentage of road infrastructure. Bikes pay little sales tax comparatively and provide no ongoing revenue for upkeep. And yes I recognize the impact of bikes is much less.
I agree with your point on why wasn’t this brought up a year ago? Seems a little late and reactionary at this point.
One way to address the difference between what the voters passed and what some people here on this board want (make improvements to sidewalks and bike lanes with street bond money) is to float a companion bond issue this fall or next spring that adds another tax on property to fund said improvements.
I will vote against it, but it would give you a good sense of where the public is and not just a few folks with special interest in riding bikes.
ahrinwa on May 11 at 11:08 a.m.
This country is plagued with the mentality of taking the easy route for short term gains rather than doing the right thing for long term goals. Making our town more pedestrian and bike friendly is good for our local economy, our health and our environment. C’mon lets change the way we think! Being car-centric is backwards thinking.
Teseract on May 11 at 11:56 a.m.
If people were “forward thinking” they’d have pushed for this before 2 weeks prior to bids going out.
I drive down Second every day. I’m pretty sick and tired of driving to work feeling like I’m in a bumper car rink, followed by a roller coaster that makes it feel like I’m about to catch air crossing Division and Brown. The intersections are so rough I’ve engaged my anti-lock brakes more than once while braking for a light that turns red, not due to speed, but simply because there’s so many holes, ruts and dips the upset the suspension so much one wheel locks up after it bounces through a hole under braking.
That road is dangerous, damaging to the cars that drive on it (mechanics make a mint on ball joints in this town) and needed to be repaved 5 years ago, and delaying for another year or more for debate will just result in more damage and accidents.
spokanecougar on May 11 at 5:34 p.m.
The city blew a chance to improve Third Ave when they re-paved that, hopefully they do not make the same mistake with Second Ave. Some trees would be very nice and maybe even making it only two lanes of traffic and adding in a bike lane. However, if they change it to only two lanes they need to add in turning lanes at the intersections to keep traffic moving along. Second Ave is one of the ugliest streets in the city and also one of the first ones visitors to our city see here is a great chance to make it look nice, lets hope the city doesn’t blow it.
Dazzeetrader11 on May 11 at 7:06 p.m.
They would like to have a center lane for turns and one lane in each direction. On the side ( where parking is presently, is where bikes would go.
Bikes and trees…… I think Spokane needs lanes for cars that move more than 1 person. Highly traveled roads liek 3rd should be fixed. Fixed as soon as possible….bikes usually drive in the car lanes now. It’s not an issue. Fix the streets!