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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Perry neighbors seek traffic help

A car heads north on Perry Street near 10th Avenue on Tuesday. The posted speed limit is 20 miles per hour and neighbors and business owners worry about speeding in the area. (Dan Pelle)

 The South Perry District is often used as a good example of successful neighborhood development. Restaurants and businesses have filled almost every available storefront in the dedicated business corridor over the past 10 years.

 The business boom has brought in a lot of traffic to the chagrin of some neighbors, including 20-year South Perry resident Jim Ahasay, who lives just south of the business area.

 “The cars fly off the hill and they don’t slow down” when they come to the business district, which has a 20 mph speed limit, Ahasay said.

 Ahasay said he and other neighbors have contacted the city and the Spokane Police Department asking for better traffic enforcement.

 The South Perry Business and Neighborhood Association is working with the city on some of the traffic issues.

 At the group’s Tuesday evening meeting, Deb Conklin said the group asked the city for a flashing speed limit sign – the kind that tells motorists how fast they are going – but was told that traffic surveys on South Perry show that there aren’t enough speeders to justify such a sign.

 “I do feel like the city has not fulfilled its commitment to us,” said Conklin, who chairs the business and neighborhood association.

 She said the neighborhood has lost one STA route and has little or no bike connectivity.

 “That means most people get here by car,” Conklin said.

 The Spokane Police Department is planning to open a precinct office next to Two Wheel Transit and the Hi-Co gas station at Eighth Avenue and Perry. At Tuesday’s meeting Lt. David McCabe said the hope is to have the precinct open by fall. He also thanked Two Wheel Transit for making two bikes available for SPD bike patrols in the South Perry and East Central neighborhoods.