Cover photo courtesy Bradley Bleck
One of the earliest articles I wrote for Out There, “The Politics of Urban Cycling in Spokane,” ran in December, 2005. Nearly 20 years on, it’s worth looking at what has and hasn’t changed. One significant change, according to census data, is bicycle commuting has risen from 0.8 percent to 1.4 percent of commutes, an increase of 75 percent. Much of this growth can be linked to expanded infrastructure and heightened appreciation for multimodal transport, including cycling. This can be traced to changes in attitude among the public, elected officials, and the city bureaucracy.
In 2008, early in my tenure on the Bicycle Advisory Board (BAB), bike lanes were added to Southeast Boulevard, one of the few developments in many years. Towards the end of my BAB tenure, the plans for the University Gateway Bridge, which opened in 2014, were in the works. Other instances of progress along the way include the City of Spokane deciding to repave streets from curb to curb when doing grind and overlay projects on bike routes. There are more bike lanes, greenways, and shared pathways than ever before. Unfortunately, some of these are more evident on maps and less so on the ground, the Manito Greenway being one example.
Indicative of improving attitudes, the City has the 2023 Vision Zero Action Plan, an effort to reduce traffic deaths and injuries among all roadway users. The action plan examines the conditions and locations where injuries and fatalities occur among road users, leading to a prioritization of mitigation efforts.
Sadly, much remains to be done. The recent death of scooter rider Danielle Littrell, where, according to police, the driver faces no charges despite having run a stop sign, indicates that many fail to prioritize the safety of vulnerable road users. Police stated there was “no negligence” on the part of the driver. This highlights the second-rate status accorded those who choose to get around by bike, foot, or scooter. Although much has changed, much more change is needed.
Bradley Bleck has been riding his bike all around the Inland Northwest, Oregon, and Montana this summer. He shared his chocolate-cream-cheese rice-cake recipe in the July/August 2024 issue of OTO. Bradley teaches English at Spokane Falls CC and continues to love nearly everything Spokane.
