Blog
Spokane City Scraps Plan to Charge Those Who Don’t Clear Sidewalks
There are three complaints I hear constantly when out talking to members of the public: potholes, the need for public transit all the way to Coeur d'Alene and how hard it is to get around by foot, or even reach bus stops, when there is snow on the ground. While there...
Holiday Closures
A reminder that area government offices, including SRTC, will be closed this Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23 and 24 for Thanksgiving. Spokane Valley's city business offices will close at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 22. Residents and visitors don’t have to plug parking meters...
Transit Company Apologizes for Train That Left Early- By 20 Seconds
Those Japanese; they're so polite. Officials at Toky's Tsukuba Express subway line actually issued an apology to customers when one of their trains recently left the station 20 seconds- yes 20 SECONDS- ahead of schedule. According to NPR, after passengers had boarded,...
The Swedish Approach to Road Safety
The United States has something called Vision Zero, a goal that, by the year 2024, Washington, DC will reach zero fatalities and serious injuries to travelers, through more effective use of data, education, enforcement, and engineering. Sweden has a similar campaign...
Man Forgets Where He Parks Car, Finds It 20 Years Later
I swear, this could easily be me. According to MSN, a German man reported his car stolen to police in Frankfurt in 1997. But it turns out it hadn't been stolen, he just couldn't remember where he parked it so thought it was taken. Twenty years later, the car has been...
No Riding Minneapolis’ Lightrail on Super Bowl Sunday Unless You Have a Ticket to the Game
There's already a scandal of sorts surrounding the Super Bowl, which doesn't even happen until February. Minneapolis' Metro Transit union workers voted Monday to strike during the big game, which could cause a logistical nightmare if a contract deal isn't reached...
Section of US 27 to Be Named After Freeman Shooting Hero
The Washington State Transportation Commission yesterday agreed to name a portion of U.S. Highway 27 after Sam Strahan, the 15-year-old Freeman High School student who was killed while confronting a school shooter. Seven-thousand, five hundred people signed a petition...
Electric Catenary System Curbs Freight Emissions
Freight is the number one source of smog-related emissions in the Los Angeles area, and a major source of smog production in other large cities as well. With projected US growth rates, those emissions could double by mid-century if not addressed, according to Ars...
Thousands of Drivers Received Warnings For Using Electronic Devices While Driving
Just how large is the cell phone use while driving epidemic? According to the Spokesman-Review, the Washington State Patrol has issued warnings to almost 4,800 motorists for DUI-E; driving under the influence of electronic devices like their cellphones. Starting in...
New Plan Would Phase Out Downtown Spokane Surface Parking Lots
There are 12,658 parking spaces and 74 parking lots in Spokane's core, according to the Spokesman-Review's Getting There column in today's paper. About 80 percent of those are off-street parking in private owned lots and garages. With a new emphasis on place making...