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April 4, 2011 in City
Getting There: Transit expert praises STA’s, city’s planning
Mass transit systems are going to become increasingly important in U.S. cities over the next 50 years and Spokane would be smart to begin investing in improvements now, a transit expert said here last week.
John Inglish, chief executive officer of the Utah Transit Authority, told a gathering that “this is the time to start making decisions and moving forward.”
The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is currently building $3 billion in improvements to its rail and bus rapid transit system after the first light rail line opened there in 1999.
Inglish said that Spokane Transit Authority, in conjunction with the city of Spokane, is taking the right steps in planning for a high-performance transit line in the downtown area.
“You have taken risks before,” he said. “We are in a time of taking risks.”
The public needs to understand why it is worth investing in transit, Inglish said.
Reducing dependence on foreign oil, easing global warming, protecting air quality, improving national security, reducing congestion and boosting the economy are among the reasons, he said.
Utah’s system is attracting private investment for development projects around transit stations, and a survey shows that transit enjoys 90 percent public support, Inglish said.
The system’s layout relies on integrated land-use planning that seeks to curtail urban sprawl and attract new development to transit stops.
The mainstay riders of any transit line are workers and college students as well as people attending large events, making transit part of the larger economic picture.
“We’ve seen a change in people’s desires, so it’s not forcing anything on anyone,” Inglish said.
Examples of innovative transportation systems are showing up globally, and the U.S. is on the road to joining the trend, he said.
Vienna, Austria, has a rubber-tire trolley line that would make sense in a city like Spokane, Inglish said.
Susan Meyer, Spokane Transit Authority chief executive officer, has said that she wants the community to consider a rubber-tire trolley for a downtown line running from Browne’s Addition to Gonzaga University.
In addition, STA is working on plans to create a layered approach of high-performance transit combined with existing neighborhood routes.
Projects get going
Two more large road construction projects begin today in Spokane: pavement grinding and repair of Interstate 90 west of the Maple Street on-ramp, and resurfacing of worn and rutted pavement on Division Street from Euclid to Francis avenues.
The I-90 project will begin with placement of a temporary concrete barrier, which will reduce the freeway to two lanes in each direction.
“Drivers should expect slow traffic, congestion and possible delays, and need to allow extra travel time in this five-mile section,” according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The job involves grinding concrete pavement to remove ruts caused by studded tires, along with repair of cracked concrete panels and panel joints. Also, the Latah Creek bridges will be resurfaced in the $7.8 million project under contract with Acme Concrete Paving Inc.
Work is expected to run through this fall and be completed in 2012.
The Division Street resurfacing will involve grinding off the existing top layer and replacing it with a new layer of asphalt. Northbound traffic may be confined to two lanes during daytime hours and southbound traffic may see intermittent restrictions.
Most of the work will occur during evening and overnight hours to minimize traffic delays.
The $3.6 million job is under contract to Inland Asphalt Co., of Spokane.
• Elsewhere, the multiyear job to widen and improve I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass has resumed. That project will bring temporary traffic stoppages for blasting starting later this spring as well as other potential delays.
In addition, a separate project has resumed to replace the concrete surface of the right eastbound lane of I-90 from Easton to the Cle Elum River.
For more information, go to wsdot.wa.gov/ projects/i90/.
• On U.S. Highway 395, work will begin today to resurface a 22-mile segment of the southbound lanes from Ritzville to Lee Road.
Drivers can expect single-lane traffic through the construction zone over the next 12 weeks.
Central Washington Asphalt, of Moses Lake, is the contractor on the $6.5 million project.
MLK Jr. Way opens Thursday 
ZagChuck on April 04 at 4:12 a.m.
I’m not sure our government officials need encouragement to spend even more of OUR money. They already receive and spend plenty.
I’m also not surprised that a guy who makes $350,000 a year of the backs of hard working taxpayers, while throwing $3 billion into a money pit called light rail, is brought in to encourage them to continue the wasted path they seem bent on taking.
It’s no surprise though, that they brought in a guy who makes more per month than 35% of the population does in a year, to explain to us how we need to spend more money.
We can’t afford the government we have; we certainly can’t afford More government spending.
polistra on April 04 at 5:34 a.m.
If an “expert” likes something, you can be 100% sure it’s bad.
DickAdams on April 04 at 8:32 a.m.
Don`t you just love these characters who are selected to offer advice. Seems to me, the interests of the elite, who for selfish and self serving interests, want the taxpayers money (again). River Park Square, either 3 or 4.
gmorton on April 04 at 8:43 a.m.
Mr Inglish is a bureaucrat. His “expertise” appears to be in designing boondoggles for fleecing taxpayers and enriching bureaucrats like himself. Perhaps he’d be willing to tell us what portion of the costs of the Salt Lake boondoggle he runs are paid by users at the farebox, and what portion by taxpayers as subsidies.
pakman on April 04 at 8:59 a.m.
How refreshing to see such enlightened, open-minded discussion. I think you folks have ticked all the boxes: Experts are evil, public investment is always a waste of money, only the elite (which is everyone else) can possible benefit and gmorton actually got “boondoggles, fleecing, and enriching bureaucrats” into one sentence.
Try this: The oil won’t last forever. Mass transit makes sense. If you wait until the need is critical it’s too late. Some people actually like to build their community, offer valuable services and invest in good ideas. The first step is to rationally consider thoughtful proposals like grown-ups, although I am sure these verbal tantrums are fun.
gmorton on April 04 at 9:29 a.m.
pakman wrote,
“The oil won’t last forever.”
That’s probably true. But . . .
“Mass transit makes sense. If you wait until the need is critical it’s too late.”
While oil will probably not last forever, neither will it disappear overnight. As it becomes harder find and more expensive to recover, its price will rise. As it does, people will alter their usage habits and technology will adapt accordingly. It will be a gradual process (assuming it occurs at all). Mass transit will “make sense” when (if) it attracts sufficient paying customers to operate at a profit. That is the *criterion* for “making sense” in economics.
Jim9876 on April 04 at 9:48 a.m.
I like the idea of a rubber-wheeled trolley.
pakman on April 04 at 9:49 a.m.
I’m not sure that “profit” is necessary in publicly-funded projects although they should be cost effective. That doesn’t mean they need to return one dollar for every dollar invested. There are legitimate ways to measure cost-benefit ratios beyond a simple dollar-for-dollar exercise.
Regarding oil supply I suspect you are correct that oil reserves can continue to meet demand in the short term (although oil consumption is growing rapidly in China and other emerging economies). The greater concern is political upheaval and the impact on oil supplies which could be catastrophic and that could happen virtually overnight. While you can’t spend huge amounts of money based on a possible doomsday scenario I think it does make sense to consider investments in public transit, recognizing the additional benefits in reducing pollution and traffic, and building a foundation for future development and managing growth.
Many people are looking for ways to live smarter and more efficiently, and investments in public transit can give them another opportunity to do that.
DickAdams on April 04 at 9:54 a.m.
pakman, remember when Jimmy Carter told the Americans and the world for that matter, that the oil supply will have evaporated in the 1980s and no more oil will be left? Mass transit in the inland northwest with its small population, is a loser and will further drain the taxpayers pocketbooks. Look up St Paul, and Minneapolis, Minnesota several times the size, and look at the sea of red ink caused by mass transit. Every time Minnesotains look at the state and twin cities tax structure re the rapid transit system, the elected officials are screwing their constituents with additional money for supplemental cash to run the transit system. And if you check it out my friend, its fact.
gmorton on April 04 at 10:43 a.m.
pakman wrote,
“While you can’t spend huge amounts of money based on a possible doomsday scenario I think it does make sense to consider investments in public transit . . .”
Well, that’s exactly what we are doing – spending billions to avert a hypothetical doomsday scenario. Mass transit systems are subsidized to the tune of 75% of their operating costs and virtually all of their capital costs; they have the highest costs per passenger mile of any mode of transportation and the lowest efficiency.
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/public-transit-a-classic-example-of-government-in-action/
” … recognizing the additional benefits in reducing pollution and traffic . . .”
They do neither.
” . . and building a foundation for future development and managing growth.”
You can only build a “foundation for future development” if you know what the future holds. No bureaucrat does.
oneanddone on April 04 at 11:27 a.m.
I’m for breaking all the fingers of that gov’t hand fishing around in our pockets for cash but SOMETHING does need to be done. I’d love to see the Politburo in DC tax the crap out of oil companies and give every nickel to sensible researchers looking for gains in renewable energy. The oil that companies are extracting belong to THIS country, not the oil companies. Let them extract and refine it and make a profit but limit that profit. I think it’s quite possible that an infusion of billions and billions of dollars made on oil, spent on research, could make a difference in a reasonable time frame.
gmorton on April 04 at 11:39 a.m.
oneanddone wrote,
“I’d love to see the Politburo in DC tax the crap out of oil companies and give every nickel to sensible researchers looking for gains in renewable energy.”
Well, that the classic recipe for boondoggles.
greenlibertarian on April 04 at 12:12 p.m.
Obviously this is a problem for the 82nd Armored Division keyboard commandos, Weight Watchers, and patriot Toby Keith to solve.
Get all Skirko with it.
Word.
whitewater509 on April 04 at 12:38 p.m.
Can we all agree that oil is a finite resource? You did all see that Saudi is investing 100 billion dollars in renewable energy. To not explore the idea of mass transit in the Spokane/CDA corridor is irresponsible. Have you ever driven on the west side during heavy traffic, it is a nightmare. I ride the STA whenever I can and some of you remind me of the ignorant people that I work with - “you have a really nice truck, why didn’t you drive it to work.” It is not even worth the time to explain the benefits to those of you who refuse to take the blinders off. Maybe if Faux News tells you it is OK to ride the bus you would consider it. Mindless Sheep.
Byrdie714 on April 04 at 3:32 p.m.
When I bought my house, I was excited to see that it was on a bus line.
Only to be disappointed that the bus line is only utlized after 10pm…….
ManleyPointer on April 04 at 4:05 p.m.
Asking a “transit expert” to comment on spending public money on transit projects is like asking member of NAMBLA to comment on pedophilia.
gmorton on April 04 at 4:41 p.m.
whitewater509 wrote,
“It is not even worth the time to explain the benefits to those of you who refuse to take the blinders off.”
Oh, please do. Here are the dis-benefits:
http://www.freespokane.net/?p=58
And,
http://www.freespokane.net/?p=90
whitewater509 on April 05 at 5:18 a.m.
@ gmorton I would bet that you believe the earth was formed 6000 years ago and are one of the people who get upset that my bar doesn’t serve beer in a can. Seriously, look at the links you copied and pasted from a logistical (pause so you can look that word up in a dictionary) point of view and join the discussion when you are educated on the topic. How do you castrate a person who opposes mass transit? Kick his sister in the chin.
gmorton on April 05 at 9:43 a.m.
whitewater509 wrote,
“I would bet that you believe the earth was formed 6000 years ago and are one of the people who get upset that my bar doesn’t serve beer in a can . . .”
And more in the same vein. No substantive response, just snarking and *ad hominems*.
Par for the statist course.
bgriff4 on April 20 at 6:50 p.m.
Spokane has been stagnant for decades and during this time has been very conservative. It takes strenuous effort to gain an inch of progress. The city started out as an exciting up and coming western town; “The next Chicago!” was what people thought Spokane’s potential was back then. So much was being built around this place, and people were proud to live here. Today most young people can’t wait to leave, and take their valuable talents to other more cultured, and accepting cities. Not many people decide to move to Spokane because it would be a great place to foster their creativity, and business. Then there are the people who stay their whole lives and never leave the “Spokane bubble.” With this pattern occurring over the course of many years Spokane is left with the people who never leave. Not really a negative thing, it’s just what happened. So there becomes an absence of culture and diversity both ideologically and racially. Then, this attracts people from elsewhere who enjoy the lack of diversity, and are more conservative. Most of the time they don’t do much to advance the community because everyone wants it to stay the same. The people of Spokane don’t even support an art museum, music venues, local businesses (e.g. top 10 places to eat are usually topped with Azteca and Red Robin), etc. It’s frustrating. But things are beginning to pick up, and local leaders are beginning to see the economic reasons for a move in the progressive direction. It’s not just light rail. That’s only part of a comprehensive plan that involves many different strategic projects that would catapult the city into the 21st century and reap the economic rewards for being ahead of the game. Light rail would be a welcome addition to a city just beginning to wake up from it’s long slumber.
BlindLight on May 13 at 9:27 p.m.
while light rail or a railed street car would be one of the absolute BEST investments Spokane could make, a rubber tired trolley would be one of the worst.
BlindLight on May 13 at 9:29 p.m.
Well said bgriff, well said.