Should Speed Limits Be Lower?
There are two kinds of neighborhoods - yours and the rest. Yours is a place to live. The others are areas you drive through on the way home.
Yours is a place where you slow down and watch for kids, pets, neighbors, loved ones. The others are shortcuts that help you avoid congested arterials so you can get home faster.
If your experiences bear this phenomenon out, “Bagpipes” wants to hear about them. The information at the end of this column tells how to share your views. (Please respond quickly so you can be included in Thursday’s column.)
The city of Spokane’s latest response to the twin issues of more and faster traffic on residential streets is a pilot program to lower speed limits on some streets and raise them on others.
Do reduced speed limits and other posted controls do any good?
People who live along Woodside, a popular shortcut between Indian Trail and Assembly in northwest Spokane, say motorists don’t obey the speed limits that are in place now.
Delivery trucks are banned in the neighborhood east of Division and north of Francis, but homeowners say trucks come through there anyway.
The infamous barrier on 29th Avenue has curbed some of the pass-through traffic along South Pittsburg, but ask residents along Garfield and other nearby escape routes where those vehicles have gone.
Without enforcement to back them up, speed restrictions rely on the honor system. Some neighborhoods have found that’s ineffective. What about yours?
Name familiarity piles up litter-ally
State Rep. Mark Sterk has announced he’ll run this fall for the 4th Legislative District seat to which he was appointed this year.
The Republican has a head start on name familiarity, not only because of his brief appointive tenure but also because some of the campaign signs from his unsuccessful race for Spokane County sheriff last fall are still out. One, for example, lies atop what appears to be a trash heap near 46th and Regal.
In fairness to Sterk, leaving campaign signs to blight the postelection landscape is a common transgression.
If you have examples to report, pass them along. Be sure to identify specific locations.
Candidates are coming; fire up the grill
Speaking of elections, keep sharing the issues you consider important for this fall’s city, county and legislative contests.
, DataTimes MEMO: “Bagpipes” appears Tuesdays and Thursdays. To respond to issues raised on Tuesdays: Call 458-8800, category 9881, from a Touch-Tone phone; or send a fax to 459-5098 or e-mail to celh27b@prodigy.com. Representative replies appear Thursdays. You also can leave Doug Floyd a message at 459-5577, extension 5466.