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

Citizen advisory committee to provide input on remake of North Monroe

A citizen advisory committee is being appointed to guide plans for a remake of North Monroe Street from north of Indiana Avenue to the top of the North Hill.

The Spokane City Council is being asked to approve an eight-member committee at its Monday meeting.

The committee includes Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood residents and business owners along Monroe.

They will help city planners and engineers fine-tune a project to convert Monroe from a four-lane arterial to two through lanes and a center turn lane from north of Indiana to Cora Avenue.

The $4.1 million project will be funded by a pair of grants.

Up for appointment to the Monroe Corridor Advisory Board are Ed Arliss, Megan Kennedy, Dale Westhaver, E.J. Ianelli, Brianna Musser, Mike Trautman, Chris Bornhoft and Mike Wallace.

“Folks just really want to have a part in the discussion,” said Councilwoman Karen Stratton, who has called for greater community involvement in the project since late 2014.

“I think it will be a real good beginning to sit down and talk about this project,” she said.

Concerns range from backups during rush hour – especially behind buses – to access to a drive-through lane at one of the businesses.

Traffic accidents, including two fatalities several years ago, led to the city winning the grants for safety reasons.

“The proposed project calls for an enhanced pedestrian environment to include a three-lane section with a center turn lane, decorative pedestrian lighting, benches, transit shelters, new sidewalks, curb bumpouts, pedestrian refuge islands, street trees, pavement rebuild and stormwater management, among other things,” according to a city briefing paper.