Spokane makes headway on bicycle infrastructure. Plus, Moscow murder trial moves to Boise; and the Pac-12 gets four more teams. I n 2017 , the city of Spokane adopted a "Bicycle Master Plan" that set ridership goals and a vision for an interconnected bike network that "guides cyclists of all ages and abilities safely throughout Spokane and its unique geography" by 2037. On Monday, city planners reported the city has completed 56 miles of bike lanes — a little over half of the 113 miles that are planned to be finished by 2037. Things are running behind schedule when it comes to building more neighborhood greenways, which are low-volume, low-speed streets optimized for bicycle and pedestrian travel. The goal is to complete 20 miles of neighborhood greenways by 2037, but only 1.95 miles have been finished. The city is ahead of schedule, however, when it comes to completing shared-use paths where bicyclists and pedestrians intermingle (picture Centennial Trail). Nearly 60% of the planned 85 miles of shared-use paths have been completed so far, city planner Colin Quinn-Hurst said during a Monday presentation to Spokane City Council members. The city’s bike plan also aims for 2.1% of Spokanites to be primarily commuting by bike by 2037. The current number is 0.7%. On Monday, Quinn-Hurst presented data from the Netherlands showing that many people will take short trips by bike when safe, protected bicycle infrastructure is in place. "That gives us an indication of what is possible," Quinn-Hurst said. (NATE SANFORD) […]
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