City to help neighborhoods slow traffic

Thu., Sept. 16, 2004

By Mike Prager mikeprager15@gmail.com (509) 459-5454

Spokane neighborhoods that have problems with speeding cars or too much traffic can now ask City Hall for help.

The City Council on Monday unanimously approved a series of recommendations for improving traffic safety on neighborhood streets.

“Traffic calming devices” could be installed if 60 percent of residents living in a residential area support the improvement. Those devices might include traffic circles, diagonal diverters, partial intersection closures, curb extensions, raised intersections and landscape features.

Other options include traditional enforcement, education, a neighborhood speed watch or mobile radar display vehicle.

While the new city policy applies largely to neighborhoods, the city is going to allow businesses or commercial developers to use the techniques in some cases.

The Neighborhood Traffic Calming and Management Guideline for Residential Access Streets was developed through several years of work by residents and officials at City Hall. It lays out a detailed process for neighborhoods seeking to install calming devices, and safeguards to ensure that traffic problems aren’t simply moved from one section of the city to an adjoining neighborhood.

The application process includes a detailed rating system for determining which streets qualify for traffic calming.

Dallas Hawkins of the Rockwood Neighborhood was one of the chief proponents of the resolution approved on Monday. He said the requirement that 60 percent of residents in a neighborhood approve any changes will ensure there is broad support for any changes to streets.

Street Director Scott Egger said last week, “Just because someone feels there is a problem wouldn’t be sufficient to move that project forward.”

Councilman Al French said his neighborhood in northeast Spokane several years ago had sought to use community development grant money to install traffic circles near NorthTown Mall but was thwarted because the city had no policy for allowing them.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.