Take a no-driving road trip

Thu., July 22, 2010

By Pia Hallenberg piah@spokesman.com (509) 459-5427

More information

Fares

Two-hour pass: $1.25

A maximum of three children, ages 5 years and under, ride free when accompanied by a responsible person paying full fare.

Reduced two-hour pass (age 65 and over or those with qualifying disability): 60 cents.

Downtown shuttle: 75 cents (additional 50 cents needed to transfer)

Day Pass: $3 (no reduced fare discount)

Bicycles

It’s free to bring your bike on the bus and you no longer need a special permit. Each bus holds two normal, single-seat bicycles. There’s a short instructional video available on STA’s website at www.spokanetransit.com.

Bicycle lockers can be rented at Jefferson, Five Mile, Mirabeau, Valley Transit Center, South Hill, Liberty Lake and Hastings park-and-ride locations. Call (509) 459-7277.

Area sights

This summer we are reviving a popular feature from 2008: road trips around the Inland Northwest. Every week we will feature a new destination – some will be quirky and different, others will be tried and true favorites. The destinations will be within a day’s drive, out and back, and featured attractions will be low-cost or free. Each week’s story is archived with the destinations from 2008 at www.spokesman.com/sections/stay-and-play. Ideas are welcome – send them to piah@spokesman.com.

So you want to go on a road trip but you don’t have a car? Here’s an idea: take the bus. Obviously, Spokane Transit Authority doesn’t service Lake Coeur d’Alene – though that sure would be nice – but there are many other destinations around town it’s easy to get to on an STA bus.

If you are a first-time bus rider, the best thing to do is use Trip Planner on STA’s website and look up the best connection to your destination.

Let’s say you live on Francis Avenue and would like to go to the Spokane Valley Mall for a movie, lunch and some shopping at the stores out there.

First you enter your departure address and time – in this case a fictive 500 W. Francis Avenue – and an arrival address of 14700 E. Indiana Ave. The Trip Planner comes up with eight different ways you can get there in about an hour.

It looks like boarding the 24 bus route at Monroe and Francis, then transferring to the 74 route downtown, is the fastest way to go. It’ll take you to the mall in 60 minutes, and the Trip Planner even tells you that you’ll have 0.44 miles to walk to the bus stops.

If you’re looking for destination ideas, STA frequently lists special events on its website along with the bus connections that will get you there.

This weekend’s Skyfest 2010 featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds is served by the regular route 61, and STA is providing shuttle services on base for people with mobility challenges.

Most of Spokane’s parks and pools are served by buses. In Medical Lake, the bus will take you right to Waterfront Park.

Because of the way the bus system is structured, it’s easy to get downtown. If you are going out for dinner, check when the day’s last bus on your route leaves downtown before you get too comfortable – it varies depending on where you live.

Even for those who have a car, busing downtown will save parking headaches and parking tickets.

Museums such as the MAC and the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum are both on bus routes; so are the YMCA’s downtown and Valley facilities.

Bikes are welcome on STA buses, which can carry two on a first-come first-served basis. So it’s possible to go on a Centennial Trail ride almost no matter which direction you are coming from.

Taking the bus to explore a new neighborhood can make for a fun outing with kids. The Garland District, Browne’s Addition and the South Perry district all have bus service, easy access to parks and many small businesses and eateries.

All in all, the destinations are endless.