Spokane Valley completes roundabout expansion at 16th and Bowdish, but residents question effectiveness

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – Spokane Valley completed its fourth round of safety improvements at 16th and Bowdish on Thursday, expanding the roundabout’s inner circle and sidewalks, but residents say dangerous driving continues at the accident-prone intersection.

The intersection has had a history of accidents over the past few years, prompting the city to make major changes.

It used to be a four-way stop until the city of Spokane Valley opened the roundabout in the fall of 2024.

Neighbor Melinda Doan described the day the roundabout first opened.

“They took the last road closed sign down in mid-November of last year. The very next day, there was an accident,” Doan said.

The city hopes expanding the center and sidewalks will slow drivers down through this intersection.

But since the roundabout has re-opened, Doan says she’s seen people drive over the extended inner circle as well as the extended sidewalks.

“We’ve seen people go over the red circle already,” Doan said. “Drivers are far angrier. There’s a lot more horn honking than we’ve ever had. A lot more aggression.”

Doan says she’s seen several people driving recklessly through this intersection. She and her husband have even captured videos of a few drivers who have gotten stuck in the roundabout construction zone because they ignored the road closure signs.

“Typically, people on their phones are not stopping,” Doan said. “The rule-followers follow the rules; those who don’t — don’t. Nothing’s changed.”

The city of Spokane Valley hopes the updates will prevent future accidents. It also helped pay for a new fence that protects Doan’s front yard.

“They paid us for a little bit of our land, and then they took out trees for some part of the driveway and the fence that was here,” Doan said.

Doan said she thinks tickets would deter this kind of driving.

“If people start getting fined, I think it would take a month or two and the word would get out and hopefully people would slow down and people would drive less aggressively, be more patient,” she said. “I’m hoping this redesign does what they hope it does. But more than that, I hope drivers start considering other people.”