Odd: Most would rather go shopping
Shopping is more popular than working.
Who would’ve thunk it?
Spokane County and Kootenai County residents move their bodies out the door more often for trips to the store than the office, according to the Spokane Regional Transportation Council’s recently released travel survey.
The survey, conducted this spring, found that 35 percent of trips are taken for shopping or errands compared to 15 percent for work.
It’s not quite as surprising when you realize that the average household generates almost 11 trips a day. You can only come and go from work so many times in a given day.
What’s really interesting about the scientific survey is the number of trips made by foot or bike, said SRTC Transportation Planner Ed Hayes – 10 percent.
And that’s even with each household averaging 2.14 cars for 2.44 people.
The nonmotorized trip numbers will help SRTC win grants for walking and biking infrastructure, Hayes said.
Bitter medicine
The work may be over, but people living near the newly completed Thor/Freya couplet project are worried their woes are only beginning.
The change from two-way traffic on stretches of both Thor and Freya to southbound movement on Thor and northbound driving on Freya will encourage more cutover traffic on the side streets, some of which are little more than unpaved alleys.
Recent detours point out the hazards, said Jimmy Marks, who lives on the southwest corner of Thor and Eighth.
Drivers crashed over several neighbors’ lawns in their attempts to escape traffic tie-ups, Marks said, adding that he predicted as much.
“How could I see the future, when they had millions of dollars and couldn’t see it?” he asked.
Well, Jimmy’s Gypsy family does specialize in that.
Fair warning
It’s so easy to let that speed crawl up as you cruise down the High Drive hill, where it turns into Cedar. Better not.
This week, the Spokane Police Department’s traffic unit will be conducting a patrol near 10th and Cedar, where the road splits and drivers can head north into the neighborhood, or continue on the main arterial toward the Maple Street Bridge.
Getting There knows the problems of this area first-hand, especially after watching a teenage girl miss the Y and crash her car into a light pole. (No one was seriously hurt. Thank goodness.)
Empire meets Orient Express
Taking the train just got a bit more luxurious.
In a bid to boost ridership on its Chicago-to-Seattle and Portland route, Amtrak is upgrading its first class Empire Builder service.
Those who have the cash to book a sleeping car rather than just a seat will be treated to champagne, wine and cheese tastings, fancy dinners, redecorated compartments and bed-time goodies.
What? No mints on the pillow?
Even everyday Joes won’t be left out. They’ll now be able to buy food and drinks at their seats and play games in the lounge car.
Slow going
While some projects are wrapping up, others are just hitting their stride.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is scheduled to pave the Newport Highway-Nevada Street intersection starting at 9 a.m. today and continuing through Thursday.
Highway 2 will also be affected Wednesday through Friday when crews working on the North Spokane Corridor revise Shady Slope Road. The work will reduce the highway to one lane in each direction. The same project is also slowing things on Perry Road between Center and the Inland Quarry, and Center from Pittsburg to Perry. Hawthorne is closed between Market and Parksmith.
Division and Ruby are being resurfaced from the Spokane River to Euclid. Most of the work will take place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Business access will remain open.
WSDOT is also resurfacing Division Street and the Newport Highway from just north of Francis to Center Road. Night grinding begins this week. Most work will occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Work to install fiber optic cable and traffic cameras for Interstate 90 will affect Jefferson and Maple from Third Avenue to I-90 over the next two weeks. Expect lane restrictions and sidewalk closures.
Roundabout construction at Bruce Road and Mount Spokane Park Drive is causing up to 30-minute delays. Traffic can cross the intersection only one direction at a time. Tractor-trailer rigs may not be able to make it through at all because of the limited space.
After being delayed last week, Highway 395 is being repaired from the Stevens County line to Loon Lake. Expect gravel and oil, plus single-lane traffic at times.
Post Street parking will no longer be available from Broadway to Mallon in order to keep one lane of traffic open in each direction during construction of the Upper Falls Condominiums. Hold on. The Monroe Street Bridge will open in less than a month.
Trent Avenue is down to one westbound lane from just east of Barker to Flora.
Expect lane closures on the Argonne Bridge. Argonne Road is closed from Old Argonne Road to Bigelow Gulch.
Maple Street is closed from Francis to Wellesley. Traffic is detoured to Monroe.
Washington Street is restricted to two lanes from Eighth to Third.
Greene Street is reduced to one lane in each direction between Mission Avenue and the Spokane River bridge.
Regal Street is under construction from 38th Avenue south to the Palouse Highway.
“A” Street is closed between Wellesley and Hoffman.
Park Road is under construction from Second to Eighth.
Country Homes Boulevard is under construction from Cedar to Division. Expect lane restrictions.
The Palouse Highway is closed from Valley Chapel Road to Dunn Road. A detour is in place.
Government Way is under construction from Greenwood Road to Aubrey White Parkway. Expect delays.
Crown Avenue is closed from Bannon Road to Best Road, and Bannon Road is closed from Crown Avenue to Wabash. Both projects are for Spokane Valley sewer work.
Spokane County is conducting repairs to the following roads this week: Monday, Cheney-Spokane from Cheney to Spotted Road; Tuesday, Cheney-Spokane from Spotted Road to Gardner; Wednesday, Cheney-Spokane from Gardner to Spokane, Flint Road from Highway 2 to Greenwood, Lucas Drive from Flight Drive to Highway 2, Flight Drive from Flint to south end; Thursday, 32nd from Highway 27 to Sullivan, Carnahan from Glenrose to Eighth. Expect delays.