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March 14, 2011 in City
New post part of shake-up at transportation council
A reorganization of the Spokane Regional Transportation Council could bring a change of leadership at the agency and an increase in the cost of running it.
The council board has decided to undertake a national search for an executive director who could become the new boss over the existing transportation manager, who earns $107,000 a year plus benefits.
SRTC board members have adjourned to repeated closed-door sessions officially labeled as “related to the performance of a public employee” to discuss the change. The agency’s lawyer has been present for advice.
Only now have board members revealed their plan to potentially subordinate Transportation Manager Glenn Miles.
Officially, board members are saying that the SRTC is so important to the Spokane region that it needs a director who can work well with the community and with the state and federal officials who have control of transportation grant funding.
“In my mind, it’s all about preparing SRTC for the future,” said Spokane City Councilman Jon Snyder, an SRTC board member.
Behind the scenes, however, there is evidence of a dispute between Miles and board members over local transportation dollars.
Miles is seen as being a roadway advocate at a time when a substantial segment of the community is arguing for alternatives such as transit, trails, bike lanes and pedestrian ways.
Miles fought with the Spokane Transit Authority in recent years over the use of transit money for reconstruction of intersections with concrete pavement.
The theory was that the weight of the buses caused damage and that STA was obligated to help finance repairs.
Years ago, STA was awash in cash, but it’s now in the midst of a series of route reductions. Fares have been increased.
The U.S. Department of Commerce eventually overruled Miles on the issue. The practice has ended as of this year.
Miles has been invited to apply for the new executive director job but so far has not indicated what he will do. His contract with the SRTC board expires in April. He did not respond to a request for an interview.
Several board members also did not return telephone messages seeking comment.
Snyder, an advocate of multiple transportation modes, said he believes that even if it costs more money, getting a talented executive director will be worth it.
“We’ll be able to collaborate better across the region and deliver folks what they are looking for,” he said.
There also is talk of an agency reorganization to offset the cost of hiring a director.
SRTC, which oversees the 24-hour Spokane Transportation Management Center, has an annual operating budget of $1.7 million and is housed in an upper floor of the historic Northern Pacific Railway depot at First Avenue and Bernard Street.
It is the designated metropolitan planning organization for transportation as required by the federal government. The board includes local elected officials, citizens and top transportation officials.
Grant funding for major projects needs the approval of SRTC, putting the board and staff in the position of saying “yes” or “no” to locally sought improvements.
Work to watch for
• Second Avenue from Arthur to Division streets is being reduced to one lane starting today for reconstruction. Traffic lights will be replaced by stop signs.
The work, which includes utility improvements, involves rebuilding the roadway from Arthur to Howard streets to complement last season’s reconstruction of Second Avenue to the west of Howard.
The $2.1 million project is financed through a voter-approved bond fund.
• Lidgerwood Street from Rowan to North avenues on the North Side will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Wednesday for telephone utility work.
• State Department of Transportation work should begin today on building a new median barrier on U.S. Highway 195 near Mullen Hill Road south of Spokane.
• Work has resumed on the huge project to lower U.S. Highway 2 and build interchange and overpass bridges for the North Spokane Corridor. Lane restrictions continue to be in place.
Returning farmland to a state of nature 
DickAdams on March 14 at 8:55 a.m.
Jon Snyder wants more bicycle lanes. Where does he think the money comes from? Snyder also wants more fire hydrants put in on his belief, that it will encourage builders to build more building. What a idiot. If a builder decides to put up a building, common sense dictates, if a fire hydrant is needs to be put in, it will be. This moron wants not only one, but he wants one every so many feet. Is it any wonder the voters are fed up with reckless spending? Snyder needs to kick cans down the road and needs to be voted out.
de3 on March 14 at 9:12 a.m.
If I follow the story above, rather than terminate the employment of the person who might not be doing a good job, the SRTC wants to spend more money to hire a new manager above this one?
That is insane. Someone seems disconnected from the real world.
STA is in the midst of a 3 year process to slash their budget by 18%.
polistra on March 14 at 9:31 a.m.
Standard bureaucracy. When Mr X is unsatisfactory to the board but you can’t find a legalistic reason to fire him, you set up a new office to detour around Mr X. The hope is that Mr X will get the point and decide to “spend more time with his family”, but that’s not guaranteed by any means.
Lulubelle on March 14 at 10:29 a.m.
SRTC needs new leadership that can see past the end of their nose. If nothing else, the reality of rising gas prices forces us to consider new transportation alternatives. The horse & buggy gave way to the model T, which gave way to the sedan & station wagon, which gave way to the SUV…….now t’s time to rethink how we get around and to support alternatives to our single occupancy gas guzzlers. If Mr. Miles’s contract expires in April, let him go and appoint a temporary manager until a qualified exec. director can be found.
Lulubelle on March 14 at 10:34 a.m.
sorry for the dup…now triple post
Lulubelle on March 14 at 10:34 a.m.
SRTC needs new leadership that can see past the end of their nose. If nothing else, the reality of rising gas prices forces us to consider new transportation alternatives. The horse & buggy gave way to the model T, which gave way to the sedan & station wagon, which gave way to the SUV…….now it’s time to support alternatives to our single occupancy gas guzzlers. If Mr. Miles’s contract expires in April, let him go and appoint a temporary manager until a qualified exec. director can be found.
Spokane can be dragged into the 21st century….I’m almost sure
gmorton on March 14 at 11:06 a.m.
Lulubelle wrote,
“The horse & buggy gave way to the model T, which gave way to the sedan & station wagon, which gave way to the SUV…….now t’s time to rethink how we get around and to support alternatives to our single occupancy gas guzzlers.”
That’s fine, Lulubelle. But that re-thinking is something each person must do for himself, in light of his own needs, circumstances, and preferences, just as were the transitions from the horse and buggy to streetcars, and from the streetcar to the private automobile. It should not be done by some arrogant bureaucrat who believes he can do your thinking for you, or who is determined to compel you to live your life in according to the dogmas of his neo-primitive ideology.
When people begin to decide for themselves that buses and bicycles better meet their transportation needs than their cars, they’ll show up at the bus stops and on the bike lanes. That will be the time to direct more funding to those modes. That will also be the time to devise a means of compelling those folks to pay for the modes they prefer, rather than free-riding on subsidies paid by auto users.
DickAdams on March 14 at 12:35 p.m.
I can just see the headline, Americans give up their love affair with their automobiles and intend to ride the STA. STA continues to think taxpayers have the extra billions of dollars needed for rapid transit. FOR SALE. House real estate taxes skyrocket to pay for a rapid transit system. Another bubble in the housing industry. The system like most systems in the country, needs more money for MO as ridership isn`t even close to a break even for operating it. Might think about boats instead. They would be able to travel in the sea of red ink.
libmark on March 14 at 2:45 p.m.
gmorton,
You make a fine point about any transitions needed by be made at the personal and individual level yet it’s worth pointing out that in the case of the move from streetcars to private automobiles, those decisions didn’t occur in a vacuum. I think we could all agree that these decisions shouldn’t be made by “some arrogant bureaucrat who believes he can do your thinking for you, or who is determined to compel you to live your life in according to the dogmas of his neo-primitive ideology.” Agreed. Nor should they be made by monied concerns. Going back to the switch from streetcars to private cars, that was done under the thumb of General Motors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_streetcar_scandal).
If Jon’s vision is a local transportation system that is safe, cost-effective, healthful, durable, doesn’t rely of $4/gallon ($5/gallon? $6?) gas provided to us by our enemies, and allows me to get to where I need to go on my $400 bike instead of my $25,000 car, then sign me up. You still get to keep your veil of “individual choice” and so do I.
Dazzeetrader11 on March 14 at 3:27 p.m.
libmark…that might be good for you.YOU. Not for th emajority though. What you wrote descibes coerrcion just phrased nicely. I hope you Do ride your $400 bike.and have fun doing it.
Nonetheless, SNyder’s trying to fix Spokane in a “bike” “green” mode. He wants his vision of complete streets even though he won’t dare put it to a vote. Wouldn’t pass and the failure would focus on just what kind of a nut the South elected. Snyder, Rush, Waldref and this mayor have done nothng except posture over streets and of course spend the city in to debt with frivolous purchases. Done nothing though……not one thing to point to except ask for more money because they’ve spent without restraint. All need to be voted out.
Bike riding is fine if you like it. Obama though, seems to be in a coercive mode as oil goes higher we are not allowed to use our own. Never forget that the US has more oil, coal, natural gas than the rest of most nations combined. We’re being prohibited from using and developing it by this and the last administrations.
One more thing…what’s the matter with “monied concerns” if they can get the job done cheaper? Answer should be::: Nothing. SO what’s the problem with moneyy and lots of it? Nothing but the left wing seems to be disgusted by money. Money gets things done. It’s a motivator. We DO need competition though. Waiting for that city or the state to do anything takes years and years. Let the private sector do the work. It’ll be done quickly and cheaper.
gmorton on March 14 at 10:49 p.m.
libmark wrote,
“If Jon’s vision is a local transportation system that is safe, cost-effective, healthful, durable, doesn’t rely of $4/gallon ($5/gallon? $6?) gas provided to us by our enemies, and allows me to get to where I need to go on my $400 bike instead of my $25,000 car, then sign me up.”
Be my guest, libmark. As long as those modes are funded in proportion to use – i.e., if cyclists make up 1% of right-of-way users, as they do in Spokane, then no more than 1% of the right of way should be reserved for their use. And as long as the users of that mode and transit pay fully for the cost of their preferred mode.
BTW, I don’t think you read the article you cited in its entirety. While GM and other auto-related businesses certainly hoped to replace streetcars with their products, market forces were on their side. They were involved in only 10% of the US transit market; the other 90% (nearly all of which was privately owned) replaced their streetcar systems with buses or simply went broke, with no help from GM.
libmark on March 17 at 3:02 p.m.
gmorton — I’ll go along with that. With 4.6% of Spokane County commuters either walking or bike riding their way to work (http://www.communityindicators.ewu.edu/graph.cfm?id=42), then you’ll be in favor of spending 4.6% of our transportation budget on pedestrian and bike-friendly enhancements? Great. It’s a deal! Give Jon a call and let him know what level of support you would be comfortable with. I believe his proposal is significantly meeker than what you’re now advocating.
dazzeetrader — Nothing wrong with monied concerns… as long as they save me money and aren’t using their influence to line their pockets. I don’t have time to go dig for data on this one but you’d have a really hard time convincing me that ripping out our trolleys and inter-urban passenger rail systems has saved us any money over the past 60 years. As I take a look around I see nothing but a sea of cars. The collective price that we’ve all paid for our own personal cars far outweighs what it would have taken to built and maintain a world-class public transportation system. Now, just because we would have had a functional public transportation system that doesn’t mean that you and I couldn’t also own our own vehicles if we so chose — the two aren’t mutually exclusive. What is mutually exclusive is a rockin’ public transportation system and everyone being forced to purchase and maintain their own vehicle to the tune of thousands of dollars per year; there’s just not enough money in the pot for both. The solution, especially as we stare down the barrel of ever-increasing gas prices? Give people the option to shed some of their personal transportation costs.
gmorton on March 23 at 8:29 a.m.
libmark wrote,
“With 4.6% of Spokane County commuters either walking or bike riding their way to work, then you’ll be in favor of spending 4.6% of our transportation budget on pedestrian and bike-friendly enhancements?”
You conveniently left out the other condition, lib – that those 4.6% also pay their 4.6% of the cost, and not expect payers of auto fuel taxes and licensing fees to subsidize them.