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November 20, 2011 in City
With 650 miles of missing sidewalks, taking to streets has risk
Lois King walks along North River Drive on Friday, a route she uses for doctor visits. King is concerned about the condition of sidewalks, or lack of them,
(Full-size photo)
There are 970 miles of streets in Spokane. Along them there are some 650 miles of missing sidewalks, if you consider both sides of the street. Where sidewalks exist, there often aren’t accessible ramps at intersections, and businesses and homeowners often neglect to clear them in the winter.
Advocates for people with disabilities say the condition of sidewalks is a major barrier for many who want to live more independently.
“They can be very atrocious or perfectly wonderful,” said Muriah Barela, who uses an electric wheelchair. “It’s kind of a crapshoot.”
Barela, who is an independent living adviser for the Coalition of Responsible Disabled, said some wheelchair users have gotten used to riding into streets when lack of ramps or broken sidewalks block their paths.
“There are also those such as myself who don’t go out a lot without someone else because they don’t feel safe,” said Barela, who worries she could tip and get stranded while detouring into streets, and so relies almost entirely on paratransit services.
The city is developing two plans to address the city’s sidewalk deficiencies. One is the city’s pedestrian plan, which will detail priorities for improving sidewalks as money becomes available. Another is a plan for complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act – a plan that is required but was either lost or never written. Additionally, the City Council may consider an ordinance in the coming months that would make it more difficult for the city to skip fixing sidewalks when rebuilding a street.
The Spokane City Council sparked a debate on sidewalks earlier this year when it narrowly voted to set aside 10 percent of the revenue from the city’s new vehicle tab tax to pay for sidewalks. Supporters said it was time to dedicate a source of money to the city’s neglected pedestrian routes. Opponents said there is too much backlog in street needs to earmark money for walkers.
Filling in the gaps won’t be easy. Property owners generally are responsible for sidewalks, and in many cases the city would have to purchase additional property to install them, said Dave Steele, a city planner working on the pedestrian plan. So part of the goal of the pedestrian plan is to focus on areas with the most need, such as neighborhoods near schools, parks, heavily used bus stops and commercial districts.
Eldon Brown, principal engineer of developer services who started work with the city in 1976, said missing sidewalks are the result of old rules that allowed the city engineer to determine if sidewalks would be required for certain projects.
“There were a lot of exceptions that were granted,” Brown said.
That law was tightened in the 1980s to make it difficult to grant builder exceptions for sidewalk requirements.
There are missing sidewalks throughout the city, but mostly in areas developed in the 1950s and ’60s, especially around Shadle Park and in southeast Spokane, Steele said.
Kerry Brooks, an associate professor of landscape architecture at Washington State University-Spokane, has studied sidewalks in Spokane with the help of a federal grant through the Spokane Transit Authority.
The goal was to determine barriers to people with disabilities using the bus.
“Just because you get off at an accessible bus stop, could you actually get to your destination?” said Brooks, who also is a city plan commissioner. “In the ideal world you should be able to walk everywhere there is a road and not feel in danger.”
Kitty Hennessey, who lives with her family near Ferris High School, attended an open house about the pedestrian plan this summer to express concern about the lack of sidewalks between Ferris High School and Chase Middle School, along 37th Avenue.
She called the situation “awful” and said she is concerned a student will be killed or severely injured.
“The traffic has increased in intensity and there are no sidewalks,” she said.
More controversial is the complete street ordinance. The City Plan Commission will consider it on Dec. 14.
Councilman Jon Snyder said he’s hopeful it will come to a City Council vote by the end of the year.
The proposal would in part require that infrastructure detailed in the pedestrian and bicycle plans be installed during major reconstruction projects. Any project funded by the street bond approved in 2004 would be exempt, but not projects paid by a new bond, which may go on a ballot in the next few years. Minor repaving projects would only force the city to paint stripes designating bike or pedestrian lanes, as called for in the two plans.
Councilman Bob Apple argues that a complete street rule would doom a future bond vote because citizens can afford to pay for only so much.
“The problem is, where do you stop?” Apple said.
The current bond project has generally paid only for street pavement. An exception has been to install accessible sidewalk ramps at intersections.
But Snyder said skipping sidewalks is shortsighted and financially irresponsible. A lack of sidewalks forces governments to spend more on bus services for people with disabilities, for instance. And some areas are limited in development because of missing infrastructure such as fire hydrants, he said. He added that some grants require cities to have complete street rules on the books to qualify for funding.
The current makeup of the council could shift at the end of the year. One of the biggest supporters on the council for complete streets, Councilman Richard Rush, is trailing former councilman Mike Allen by 98 votes. The race is headed for a recount. Without Rush on the council, it’s unclear a complete streets ordinance could be approved.
Mayor-elect David Condon said he needs to see the proposal before commenting. Council President-elect Ben Stuckart said he supports moving ahead before the new council is seated.
“Streets should be built for all users,” Stuckart said.
But Councilman-elect Mike Fagan said the ordinance would prohibit voters from having a choice between a tax for streets only and a tax that would include sidewalks and other amenities.
“I believe that there are a lot higher priorities in the city between now and the end of the year,” Fagan said.
Kevin Daniel, executive director of the Inland Northwest Lighthouse, a nonprofit manufacturing firm that provides jobs to people who are blind, stressed that sidewalks benefit more than just those who have disabilities.
“People being able to see Spokane as a livable city is important to all of us as we grow,” Daniel said.
Closing Geiger: Wise or worrisome? 
oneanddone on November 20 at 5:25 a.m.
Plain and simple - the world cannot accommodate every person whatever their circumstance. Into every life a little rain must fall and we all have to take our lumps while keeping a stiff upper lip. This whole concept that everyone requires access to every aspect of life regardless of their ability is unattainable, not to mention unaffordable. One reason medicare is so broke is because many people believe they deserve every possible treatment and gizmo (Hoveround?), even if their lifestyle caused their medical problems. What’s next, poor people expecting the rest of us to pay for their booze and cigarettes?
Hunterman on November 20 at 6:07 a.m.
Does it have to always be sidewalks? Just widen the roads a little with a shoulder where possible and pay people to do some work doing it instead of paying them to sit at home collecting benefits. There is a lot of different kinds of work that could be done with the money we are paying in unemployment, etc. During apple harvest growers were paying $150 a day with free temporary housing and couldn’t get all the apples harvested because illegals got scared away and unemployed americans wouldn’t get off their ass to take the work.
Hey, lawmakers, see a problem here?
Jim9876 on November 20 at 6:42 a.m.
Pedestrian paths are one mark of a livable city. As America goes into decline, an automobile will be too costly for more and more people. We will need sidewalks and stairways. The Tiger Trail stairs on South Hill are a dangerous disgrace. Eventually we will probably change our streets to one lane for cars and the other lane for other uses, including pedestrian paths.
Byrdie714 on November 20 at 7:52 a.m.
Shoot.
There are some streets in Spokane that are NOT even paved!
Shouldn’t we get them paved FIRST before worrying about the sidewalks second?
opiemuyo on November 20 at 7:55 a.m.
Ah yes, built the side walks, but will they use them? Clearing them properly in the winter is a hit or miss, and so goes the repair for them as they are the responsibility of the home owner. We can find a balance here, between need, and persons who need the cut outs purchasing/renting choice where cut outs exist.
opiemuyo on November 20 at 8:03 a.m.
The picture used for this story is very misleading. There is a sidewalk 10 feet to her right and some very nice grass and landscaping there. Go check the location of this picture for your self, or street view it. lol
WillyPeter on November 20 at 8:06 a.m.
Amazing! Even after the just concluded election, Stuckart, Snyder, Rush, etc…..just don’t get it.
Scoutster on November 20 at 8:10 a.m.
Even if people can’t do this for compassionate reasons, look at it for economic ones…
Let’s put usable sidewalks on every street in the next 10 years, and pay for our local labor to do it.
Install interesting walking paths throughout the city, and attract tourists to the Lilac City as a place to walk.
“The Most Walkable City in America”.
Build it. They will come.
polistra on November 20 at 8:33 a.m.
The worst problem is on the busiest streets.
Quiet residential streets generally have a walk on at least one side, but you don’t urgently need a sidewalk in a low-traffic area. The shoulder is safe enough.
Busy streets often have no walks at all for long stretches.
Pilewort54 on November 20 at 8:39 a.m.
make it unlawful for snowplows to plow snow onto the sidewalks.
misjustice on November 20 at 8:51 a.m.
Heck, (as mentioned above) my “street” isn’t even paved nor are there sidewalks, on either side of the “street”; this is an older neighborhood, with most homes built in the 19teens…
One of things that astonished me when I moved to the Inland Northwest from back east is the lack of sidewalks. Sure the state that I grew up was the 17th state, and Washington didn’t become a state until late 1889 (making it the 42nd state) but come on, folks, get with the 21st century!
No wonder that I call this cowtown Spokan’t…seems like it can’t get r did…
*sigh*
de3 on November 20 at 9:12 a.m.
4+ months of the year, the city “plow service” dumps numerous feet of snow and ice on the sidewalks, usually so late that it hardens into concrete equivalent and is impenetrable and not movable by anyone. In my neighborhood, we’ve had berms plowed across the front that were 10 feet across and 3 feet high. Sorry, but manual labor with a shovel is no match to diesel powered hydraulic equipment. The sidewalks we do have will be unusable and the rest of the year, twisted and mangled as bad as the pothole lined streets since there won’t be any money to maintain the sidewalks in this poor cowtown.
Which paving and concrete company had this article inserted in the Sunday paper?
Lewis on November 20 at 9:16 a.m.
Pilewort54 hit it on the nose i live on monroe and try to keep my sidewalk shoveled because we get a lot of foot traffic. But the plows just cover them up making me to simply stop caring. i put a sign out telling the walkers dont blame me blame the city.
misjustice on November 20 at 9:26 a.m.
And why is it that a small city like Coeur d’ Alene can avoid plowing in a driveway but here in the big metropolis, of Spokan’t, our plows can’t? (rhetorical question, I know that CDA has snow gates on their plows and we don’t)
I usually don’t mind the plows not coming on my unpaved street because when they do, they undo all of the hard work that I have done to ensure that I can get out….grrrrrrrrrr….leaving behind a concrete-like barrier to my egress from the property. I have had to use an axe to chop up 3 foot berms, away from the area that I just cleared, in order to leave the property…
*sigh*
But don’t worry fair citizens, I’m sure that our new mayor will have this all fixed post haste!
mikeln on November 20 at 9:31 a.m.
Another case of where has all the money gone. Over the years enough money has been collected to build these sidewalks but when a contractor can use the “rules” to not build them, it’s money in thier pocket.
soccermomsusie on November 20 at 9:34 a.m.
Traveling across our great land, I have seen this menace sprouting up like a cancer in even the smallest of towns and even the most Conservative of states! BIKE LANES!!! SIDEWALKS!!! United-Nations-MANDATED NO DOUBT!
Sure, Snyder and others provide pages of facts on how trees, sidewalks, bike lanes, etc save us money. BUT THAT IS BESIDE THE POINT! If you are walking or biking, you are making fun of me and the weight President Obama has caused me to gain. Plus, it is an assault on my freedom to be able to swerve all over the pavement, like the good Lord intended without getting lycra, crutches and canes stuck in my grill.
So, PEOPLE, with the great brain trust of Mike Fagan, Nancy Mc. and Salveatory leading the way, let’s make Spokane famous for being the one city in the USA that has turned its back on bike lanes, trees and sidewalks! Who wouldn’t want to relocate their business here - where we value our freedom, our SUVs, our girth and our ability to remain irrationally steadfast no matter what the data and no matter what the cost!!!
Maybe some tax breaks for the more wealthy among us might drive this message home too!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
nslopeofw on November 20 at 10:17 a.m.
MisJ-
Because they pay for the graders that have “gates” to close at driveways. Spokane doesnt have enough snow equipment, and they have to contract a lot of it out. It would cost a whole lot to replace the existing equipment, its not worth it when we have so many other things we can spend that money on.
Personally, for the 2 months we worry about snow, i dont think we need better equipment. Just suck it up, and shovel as needed.
misjustice on November 20 at 10:24 a.m.
“Just suck it up, and shovel as needed.”
And axe it and dynamite the 3 foot (or higher) concrete-like berms…
It’s my understanding, northslope, that some genius in Spokan’t sold our snow gates to…..wait for it….CDA. Does anyone know that for sure?
fairchildairman on November 20 at 10:35 a.m.
Why do the anti-complete streets people make this policy all or nothing? We’re talking about sidewalks, people. This is basic urban infrastructure that benefits everyone. Everyone includes Bob Apple and Mike Fagan. This all or nothing mindset is complete streets policy specific. We don’t choose between fire and water. We don’t choose between water and sewer. Snyder, Rush, and Stuckart are not choosing between streets and sidewalks. They are choosing how best to allocate necessary, modern infrastructure spending. Please quit trying to make it a choice between streets and sidewalks.
liveinfearoftheSPD on November 20 at 10:47 a.m.
They wouldn’t have to replace the existing equipment, they could easily fabricate the gates to fit on any vehicle they now use.
I live in the county, the county commissioner and the plow driver came out and hand shoveled out many driveways once as there were so many complaints, we had over a 4’ berm across the end of our drive. The plow drivers are told not to block driveways.
Not everyone can just “suck it up and shovel” I can’t imagine my 80 year old mother out trying to shovel through the rock hard berms left behind.
zelda on November 20 at 10:58 a.m.
It cracked me up that when the MeadowWood development was underway at Liberty Lake, one of the main features touted by the developer and city leaders was the existence of a “trail system.” When I looked at what they’d installed, I said, “Oh, you mean sidewalks.”
I agree. Sidewalks are standard in most cities. Are there car dealers who sells autos where the steering wheel is listed as an option?
selkirks on November 20 at 11:44 a.m.
The comments here are really telling. God, I hope this place changes in five years after four of Condon. It’s a nice place to live, but it’s quickly being surpassed.
And you all wonder why Boise is so much better than Spokane…
Shelala on November 20 at 11:51 a.m.
Oneanddone needs a reality check. Nowadays, seniors 50 and over outnumber the younger citizens (check the stats). While I understand older people are more active than in the past, many have mobility issues and that doesn’t even include the portion of handicapped individuals in society. That makes them the majority. and if our priorities are for the majority of the population, as oneanddone suggests, better eliminate all that playground equipment, swimming pools and other stuff targeted to a younger population. Don’t squeal too loudly, oneanddone, time marches on and you may one day be one of “them”.
Jethro_toll on November 20 at 11:52 a.m.
How come there is no $20 tax on the scooters, skateboards or shoes to pay for this?
SPOKANITE on November 20 at 12:28 p.m.
The issue of snow getting plowed onto sidewalks really has to do with design. Curb-tight sidewalks on busy streets have this problem, since there’s nowhere else for the snow to go. Modifying standards to require a landscape buffer between could take care of this. Often times though traffic pass through goals trump walkability.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on November 20 at 12:50 p.m.
I have to say, it’s a little strange to see sidewalks being maligned as luxuries that the whiny babies of our society think they’re entitled to. (Doubtless everybody’s pioneer forefathers did just fine without them.) I guess it’s pretty easy to tell who never walks anywhere.
Dazzeetrader11 on November 20 at 2:39 p.m.
1. Notice how Ben Stuckart says to pass the nonsense BEFORE the next Council is seated? H’es such liberal peach with no experience. Sure Benny…go against the peoples’ wishes! Nice….translation…get it done before the common sense people say “no”. Spending money on this at a time when Spokane’s broke is really smart. I’t s how liberals think.
2. As one of the posters noted, why can’t Snyder, Amber and Ben see what happened in the last election. It parralels the elections in 2010 when the Dems were sent packing from the House. What did the Dems do? Try to spend more despite the country’s economy being terrible. Just no talking to these liberals.
3. A city cannot be all things to ALL people. Bikes paths? ..when only one tenth of one percent ride to and from work? Doesn’t make sense. Now…sidewalks…with an excuse that the small minorities with disabilites would use them… nope not again. The city is what it is. It’s been without plenty of sidewalks since i grew up in Spokane.
4. Why wouldn’t we get some business going in SPokane so there might be a bigger pot of tax monies to build what is MAYBE necessary? Liberal won’t understand this ( Benny, Verner —who never did, Amber—who should retire since she doesn’t come to any meetings anyway, and Rush the dimwit, and of course Snyder—who must be scared to death over this past election)
Common sense is needed. Spokane cannot go spend on whatever it wants anymore. Verner tried and put the city in terrible shortfalls. The employees retirement fund is depleted because of her and there will be no more loans from it, Time to face reality. No more spending. None. Maintenence yes, new spending “ NO.
Ben Stuckart needs to grow a brain. I’m sure he speaks before he can think…not that it’ll matter. He’s surrounded by conservatives now. He’ll sit on his thumb for the next 4 years. I hope he likes it:)
soccermomsusie on November 20 at 2:40 p.m.
Thatoneguy, Looks to me like sidewalks really came into vogue around 1910 - the height of the Socialist movement. They peaked during Commie FDR’s time and remained popular until almost the end of the century.
But then came along the greatest president in history - George W Bush! More importantly, our collective Spokane mindset which made the dream of a President W possible is the same Spokane mindset which now prevails against sidewalks, trees, bikelanes, recycling, public swimming pools, the postal service, etc.
Getting rid of Mary Verner and other politicians who tried to make Spokane a “better place” is just the beginning! We won’t be happy until we take things back to before 1910, before Socialism replaced the Biblical dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest, scripturally-backed slavery that was the promised land.
DISCONNECT YOUR SEWER LINES!!! OUTHOUSES NOW!!! WATCH BUSINESSES FLOCK HERE!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
BarbChamberlain on November 20 at 5:22 p.m.
My concern with this photo is that she is walking with traffic, rather than against it, so not only is she in unsafe infrastructure, she’s adding to the problem. We all have to take responsibility for understanding and following the rules that apply to whatever mode of transportation we have chosen.
For all of you who don’t see the need for sidewalks, consider that being a person with a serious physical disability is the one minority we ALL have the potential of joining. It’s easy to say you don’t need a sidewalk—until you do.
The transportation system you see today isn’t based on some sort of Biblical directive—it’s the result of past decisions about how to spend money and what to build. For decades our cities have been designed to push you off your feet and into a car. As a result we drive farther, pay more for gas, and have a huge network of streets we can’t afford to maintain, to say nothing of the climbing healthcare costs for all the diseases created by inactivity.
The answer to this is not more driving. And many people are too young, too old, too poor, or too disabled to drive. But if people aren’t going to drive, how do they get to work, school, or a doctor’s appointment?
This isn’t about making you get out of your car if you don’t want to. For those who WANT to bike, walk, or take transit for transportation (or who have to), making it safe means we cut down on collisions with drivers (everyone loses in those and your insurance rates go up) and we aren’t taking up the parking spot you had your eye on.
The next time you see a bus full of people, imagine the street ahead of you filled with every single one of those people in a car. (There’s a poster that will show you in my blog post at http://bit.ly/ptJTmK)
Now imagine that another block of cars ahead of you disappears because those people chose another way to get to work thanks to safe infrastructure.
I’m all for good streets. I pay for streets every day through property tax, sales tax, and the real estate transfer tax we paid when we bought our house. It’s not unreasonable to think that some of the infrastructure should support the modes I actually use.
misjustice on November 20 at 5:39 p.m.
I encourage everyone to take the survey which is in the sidebar above, at the beginning of the article. And also below at the same link:
spokaneplanning.org /pedplan.html.
BarbChamberlain on November 20 at 6:23 p.m.
Thanks, Misjustice—great reminder.
I meant to provide this link to another blog post: http://bikestylespokane.com/2011/11/12/dont-settle-for-incomplete-streets-2/
PlanB on November 20 at 10:15 p.m.
FYI - Many, many, many years ago Spokane did have plows with those “gates” that the driver could lower so they didn’t plow you in. Somewhere along the line someone decided it wasn’t important and got equipment appropriate only for plowing the interstate or an airport runway. Probably another one-term mayor.
Lking on November 21 at 9:11 a.m.
I am pictured walking on the shoulder, and yes there is a sidewalk nearby. Unfortunately, it has uneven spots at the corner which cause me to trip. Also, I was walking to cross Washington not walk north on that street. The opposite side of the street, while legal, is even more dangerous.
I work full-time, pay taxes just like everyone else. The sidewalks are not just for those of us with disabilities. But if Spokane ever wants to host the Veteran Wheelchair games again in the future, safe sidewalks will need to be in place.
misjustice on November 21 at 9:39 a.m.
LKing, please take the time to fill out the survey at the top of this story (if you haven’t already done so); it has a place to comment about problems like uneven sidewalks.
Thanks for your comments…they add clarity to the photo that accompanies this story!
waaaghboss on November 21 at 9:16 p.m.
I find it simply amazing that in 2011, we are actually arguing about whether or not we can “afford” sidewalks. One of the most important and fundamental pieces of urban infrastructure, and a tiny fraction of what we spend on roads, is unaffordable?
Pilewort54 on December 11 at 6:32 p.m.
can you believe the people bemoaning the lack if infrastructure are the always the same who rant against taxes and government?