One of Spokane’s oldest streets is set to undergo a major remodel. The city council is now seeking recommendations on what should be changed. One question to be answered is whether a section of the one-way street from Riverfront Park to the First Interstate Center of the Arts should be converted to a two-way street.
Spokane Falls Boulevard, just south of the Spokane River, borders City Hall, the famous downtown park, the Spokane Convention Center and other major facilities.
Sewer pipes, first installed in the 1890s when the then-unpaved street was still called Front Avenue, still run beneath the asphalt. Upgrading these and other underground infrastructure will require some intensive rehabilitation work on the street itself, and city planners want to take the opportunity to consider radical changes to the street itself.
These changes could include wider sidewalks, safer crosswalks, better amenities such as benches and trees, and additional and better protected bike lanes. Existing parking spaces along Spokane Falls Boulevard will also be considered.
In an unusual move, the city is also considering converting a section of the road between Washington and Division streets from one-way to two-way, which planners say could improve pedestrian safety and accessibility to facilities such as performing arts or convention centers and hotels. The road east of that section is already two-way, while the one-way section west of Washington is considered difficult to convert because of its narrowness and its connection to other long-standing facilities, such as the ramp to the downtown mall parking garage, said city Planning Department spokeswoman Kirstin Davis.
The last comparable change occurred in 2013, when the Post Street Bridge was converted from a two-lane northbound road to a one-way street.
Residents, visitors and other users of the street have the opportunity to help decide which improvements are a priority and offer suggestions about the future of one of downtown Spokane’s streets. The city has launched a short, three-question survey on its website that will remain open until at least Sept. 13.
City officials were prompted to consider these changes at least in part because of increased pedestrian activity around the street, particularly following the redevelopment of Riverfront Park and increased interest in walking to restaurants and events north of the river, Davis said.
Recommendations made now could impact a project that is not expected to be completed for four years.
The first planning phase of the project will last until the end of the year. Design work is expected to continue until 2026. Construction is tentatively scheduled to take place between 2026 and 2028.
