The City of Spokane is working on a 4 year traffic calming and pedestrian/bike safety plan and input from neighbors is vital to creating a great plan. If you’d like to weigh in, join the meeting Wednesday, Aug. 3, 5:30pm at the Hive, rooms A & B, 2904 E Sprague.
Southgate Neighborhood Council 
I am out of town on Aug.3 and cannot attend this important meeting. I live in the Southgate neighborhood. As a cyclist, I would like to see more bike striping on existing roads to connect points of the south hill to other points. This means a pathway to connect high drive to chase middle school. It also means making a bike path from the University bridge up Southeast Blvd to Pittsburg and then continuing south to 57th. It could also include using the very old trolley passage that runs adjacent to Southeast Blvd. from Providence Hospital. Most needed is a trolley track pathway around that very dangerous curve around 18th to 20th street. Believe it or not, this trolley path is owned by the city and is available for development. Right now it looks terrible with weeds, trees, and bushes, but the pathway does exist and can be developed.
To ensure safety for walkers and cyclists, many intersections should have Hawk lights to allow safe passage. Similar to the light at Manito Park on Grand, these lights should be placed on Grand ave. at 33rd to allow children to pass safely to Sacagawea middle school. Another should be placed at Perry Street and Bernard for the same reason.
Image a safe bike, pedestrian pathway across the south hill from east to west, and another that would link the u district to the south hill all the way to 57th. I have ridden these routes and all of these are doable and sensible.
I will be available by cell phone if anyone wants to discuss this further. Call David 509 993 3496 East coast time zone.
Thanks for your comment. I am active in the SNC, ride 100 miles per week, mostly in south Spokane, will attend the meeting and be sure your comments are heard. 1) From 29th and High Drive west on 29th to Bernard, south to 37th, west to Chase will be the argument that another path is not needed. – please reply. 2) U bridge up Sherman to SEB, then east through the new Garden District, from the new entrance they are building at 33rd, then on to Pittsburg could be a N/S route, if striped for bikes. South from Pittsburg is problematic at 49th, maybe wiggle west to Madelia? (pls comment.) I disagree that 18th/20th is very dangerous on SEB – bike path is wide – but I understand your concern about drivers not obeying lines. SEB begins at 10th and Hatch, does not reach to hospital – need more info re old trolley route. I also looked at the aerial plat maps for that area and did not see clear ROW for development along old trolley route – need very specific labelled map clearly identifying route you have in mind. Agree re hawk light at 33rd / Grand. I was in the first class to attend Sacajawea in 1960. Where on Perry and Bernard do you request a hawk light – 33rd? Naysayers will point to 37th as adequate E/W bike path. I agree that an E/W path well north of there would be nice also – do you have any specific suggestion for a route? N/S Univ Bridge to SEB is Ok up to Regal, then gets sketchy, for sure. N/S on west side of S Hill is Maple or Cedar to High Drive as you know. Can you map out a more central route? – Andy Hoye, Treasurer and CA rep, Southgate Neighborhood Council.
This is as close as I can come to showing the old trolley track that goes up rockwood blvd. and onto SEB. Sorry, but the map is a bit obscure. I drove it the other day and I can see where the track was, but in other areas, it was difficult to assess. But, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the track could be restored along that section beginning with the curves around 17th ave and continuing up to the blending of Upper Terrace into Rockwood? Also, I think the bike paths that are striped with white paint would be enhanced greatly if the path was also painted a different color than the roadway dedicated to autos. I have seen this in Europe and the green with the white strip really stands out. David Adams
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I miswrote, I should have said Rockwood Blvd not SEB for the trolley track.