SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane may soon become more biker-friendly.
A new proposal would add 27 miles of bike paths to the city by 2027 that would help connect already established bike paths, such as the Centennial Trail, to other parts of the city.
This plan puts bike paths as far north as the Northwest neighborhood and all the way south to the Comstock neighborhood.
Bicyclists want this plan in place because they want it to be easier and safer to get to trails.
“The problem with all of these trails is they are disconnected from each other so you don’t really have a network,” said Erik Lowe, the founder of Spokane Re Imagined.
Lowe is an activist for bicycle safety.
“I got into bicycle activism because of taking my child on bike rides and seeing how dangerous the roads around my house were,” Lowe said.
The 27 by 2027 plan hopes to make the city feel safer for those walking and riding bikes.
“Connectivity is the key to success for ensuring we feel comfortable and getting new riders out in the street,” said Lowe.
The plan would use already established infrastructure like crosswalks and stoplights as well as creating curbs or adding flex posts to make clear paths through residential areas or busy streets so bikers can get from one place to another.
“We want to do it as efficiently as we can,” said Spencer Gardner, the director of planning services for the city. “Leveraging those existing projects where possible or finding lower cost methods to deliver the same level of comfort.”
Gardner said connectivity is the most important part when it comes to this urban mobility network.
“It’s not just a short stretch of bike lane near my house but I can actually ride that to other neighborhoods to get to my destination,” said Gardner.
The plan is currently under consideration by the city council. They are currently waiting on a vote to know whether to move forward.
Gardner said the planning commission will also be looking to get feedback from people in the community on the plan.
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