Advocating access

As he bikes across Spokane — up the steep South Hill, on the scenic Centennial Trail, through arterials on the north side and flanking motorists downtown — Grant Wencel watches the traffic, the signs, the crosswalks, even the pavement. He also never leaves home without Spokane’s new master bike plan. “I see great opportunity here,” said Wencel, the city’s first-ever bike and pedestrian coordinator. “We want to grow bicycling for everyone ¬ from experienced riders and commuters to beginners or people who haven’t ridden in years. My goal is to be an advocate, to improve safety and the environment so that more people want to walk or ride.” Although Spokane has a ways to go, it has already taken significant steps to protect and promote the needs of cyclists and pedestrians, he said. In addition to a Bicycle Advisory Board and a new master bike plan, Spokane has followed Portland, Ore., Boulder, Colo., and other cycling towns by designating someone in government to advocate for the policy, planning and design needs of bicyclists and pedestrians. By hiring Wencel, Spokane has shown a commitment to alternative transportation and sustainability, some say. There’s also hope his role can make Spokane more walkable and bikable — this can help build community, promote healthier lifestyles and reduce reliance on oil. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, there are roughly 73 to 85 million bicycle riders in the U.S., including 44.7 million over age 6 who rode more than six times in 2008. Bicycling for travel and commuting is experiencing a resurgence, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Federal funding for bicycling and walking projects increased from $23 million in 1992 to $416 million in 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Last year, about $541 million in federal funds was designated for pedestrian and bicycle facilities and programs. Washington spent an additional $24.3 million while Idaho allocated $7.8 million, according to the Federal Highway Administration. “Our biggest issue right now is to learn how to respect one another’s right to be on the streets,” he said. As motorists need to pay closer attention to pedestrians and cyclists, bicyclists need to obey laws, he said. On a roadway, a cyclist has the rights/responsibilities of a vehicle driver. Since June, Wencel has tried to learn more about local bike and pedestrian culture. Twice a week, he rides his road bike to City Hall from his Browne’s Addition home. At least once a week, he walks, and other days he drives a motor scooter. “It’s a way for me to experience how motorists are reacting, especially downtown,” he said. “I learn a lot just from crossing the streets.” Previously Wencel spent more than 20 years planning and creating outdoor spaces. After earning a landscape architecture degree from Kansas State University, Wencel worked with private firms designing golf courses. He started his own business as a golf course architect and has worked throughout the country – from Wichita, Kans., where he was born, to Atlanta, Denver, Chicago and Bend, Ore. Five years ago, he earned a master’s degree in urban planning, and served as a city planner in Redmond, Ore. Golf courses and public spaces have parallels. “It’s about creating a journey, a corridor, an outdoor space in a built environment,” said Wencel. “I’m very interested in streetscapes and how people move through a city. Bicycling and walking are part of that.” Already, he’s concluded that Spokane lags behind some communities. But there are good happening. “We have a lot of things in place ¬ my position is filled and the (master bike) plan is in place,” he said. “Now we focus on implementing the plan as money becomes available.” It’s a matter of “retrofitting” Spokane’s streets, he explained. To do that, he and others at the city must find funds through grants and other resources. The master bike plan, approved by the city in June, is a “living document,” Wencel explained which may take 10-20 years to implement. In the last few months, work on the Fish Lake Trail project, a paved bicycle route between Spokane and Cheney, has moved ahead along with shared bike lanes on 37th Ave. and Southeast Blvd. As funding becomes available, the plan includes signs, bike lanes, markings and more in downtown, minor arterials, Addison St. and Bernard St. A $600,000 Highway Safety Improvement enables the city to create bicycle lanes along a two-mile loop downtown, extending all the way to West Maxwell St. Wencel meets this month with the Spokane Police Dept. to learn how motorists and bicycles can share the road. He’s working with 50 volunteers on the third-annual bike and pedestrian count in downtown Spokane. Finally, he’ll soon begin discussing a master pedestrian plan, which can improve access and ensure the safety of walkers, joggers, runners and others. “I’ve heard people say that we are a car town, but I don’t know about that,” he said. “We can create incentives and opportunities for people to ride. My job is to help do that by improving the safety and environment for pedestrians and bicyclists.”