Free bus rides set for weekend
Gotta love getting something for free, so hop on the bus Friday, Saturday and Sunday and ride for nothing.
The Spokane Transit Authority is offering the free days while it upgrades fare boxes on all its buses.
Fares themselves won’t increase when the new system is in place next Monday, but there are some important changes.
First, the new machines won’t accept pennies or tokens.
Tokens can be exchanged for new two-hour passes, which are designed to take the place of transfers. Now instead of getting a transfer, a passenger will just request a two-hour pass to use on as many buses as necessary in that time period. For quick trips, those passes can also be used for a return fare.
So far STA has exchanged 12,225 tokens for two-hour passes, said Finance Director Jim Plaster.
That’s just a fraction of the $437,000 worth of tokens estimated to be in circulation.
Passengers interested in new “smart cards,” however, have been foiled.
STA hasn’t printed any yet because the shipment of paper to print them on was delayed.
Spokeswoman Jill Lamb said she expected them to be available this week.
The benefit of those cards is that they can be loaded and reloaded with any amount of money and registered so that if lost they can be replaced.
Monthly passes will still be available.
Sign upgrade
Some Spokane street signs show up better than others, but the Spokane Street Department is gradually working to change that.
As stop, yield, wrong way and other signs reach their 14-year expected life span, they are being replaced with new signs that are more reflective and easier to see. Newer signs may also be replaced if they are damaged.
All told, about 4,600 signs will be replaced – 1,500 of them over the next 2 1/2 years. Then just try arguing, “Officer, I didn’t see the stop sign.”
Spokane leaf pick-up
Leaves that naturally fall into the street are swept up. Do not rake your leaves into the street, and please move your vehicles off the street.
Here’s this week’s schedule, which is subject to change. Call (509) 456-2666 or go to www.spokanestreet department.org for updates.
Monday: North Shadle Park area, bounded by Francis, Wellesley, Maple and A Street; Hamblen area, bounded by 29th Avenue, High Drive/54th Avenue, Perry Street south of 37th/Cook Street north of 37th and Bernard; Rockwood area, bounded by Interstate 90, 29th Avenue, Southeast Boulevard and Grand Boulevard; Lincoln Heights area bounded by 29th Avenue, the southern city limits, the eastern city limits and Perry south of 37th/Cook north of 37th; Franklin Park area bounded by Francis, Wellesley, Division and Maple; South Freya area bounded by I-90, 29th Avenue, Havana and Southeast Boulevard/Ray.
Tuesday: North-south streets in Browne’s Addition, bounded by Riverside, Second Avenue, Maple Street and Coeur d’Alene Street; Shiloh Hills area bounded by Hawthorne Road, Francis Avenue, Nevada Street and Division Street; and the Hamblen, Rockwood and South Freya areas again.
Wednesday: East Sprague area bounded by Sprague Avenue, I-90, the east city limits and the Spokane River; Liberty/Lincoln area bounded by I-90, 20th Avenue, Southeast Boulevard and Ray Street; and Shiloh Hills and Rockwood areas again, plus East-West streets in Browne’s Addition.
Thursday: Lidgerwood area bounded by Francis Avenue, Garland Avenue, Perry Street and Division Street; and the East Sprague and Liberty/Lincoln areas again.
Friday: Garry Park area bounded by the Spokane River, Sprague Avenue, the eastern city limits and the Spokane River; Lidgerwood and Liberty/Lincoln areas again.
Slow going
Downtown Spokane
Spokane Falls Boulevard will be restricted Tuesday through Thursday near the Riverpoint campus. Expect some delays.
Post Street is restricted between the Post Street Bridge and Spokane Falls Boulevard. Expect slowdowns.
North Spokane
Market Street is routed onto temporary lanes near North Spokane Corridor construction.
South Spokane
Highway 195 pavement smoothing between Plaza and Rosalia could mean single-lane traffic and short delays.