SPOKANE, Wash. — The city of Spokane is putting in its first Emergency Streets installation following a fatal motorcycle crash that happened Sunday.
The crash happened at North Ash Street and West Courtland Avenue on Sept. 20. The motorcyclist died from his injuries.
The Spokane County Medical Examiner identified the motorcyclist as 18-year-old Kiril Herlazhyi. The Medical Examiner’s Office said Herlazhyi died from multiple blunt force injuries and ruled his death an accident.
The city says the Emergency Streets program will provide a rapid-response approach to traffic safety by installing temporary traffic calming measures within 72 hours after a fatal crash.
Starting Tuesday afternoon, one lane of southbound Ash Street from Kiernan to Euclid will be closed for the next two weeks.
The Emergency Streets installation will include highly visible traffic cones, pink Emergency Streets signs and a speed feedback sign.
“A wicked problem requires multiple solutions,” said Jon Snyder, Spokane Director of Transportation. “The mayor and the council brought back the traffic unit in the police department, which was disbanded by the previous mayor. We have added 70 traffic cameras this year, we have increased our traffic calming budget, and now we are trying to do something new, which is raising the level of consciousness about how often this occurs in our community.”
The signs will be up for the next two weeks. During that time, the city will be collecting data on driving patterns to better understand how it can help reduce the number of accidents in the city.
“We are going to see how the behavior on the roadway changes before, after, and during the treatment,” Snyder said. “We’re testing all of our equipment, too. Everything from the type of signs to the type of paint that we are putting on the ground.”
The city says since the beginning of 2023, there have been 18 fatal motorcycle crashes in Spokane. Speed is a common factor in these crashes.
You can learn more about the program and provide feedback by clicking here.
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