Spokane mayor signs expansive transportation legislation

(The Center Square) – Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown signed an executive order on Wednesday implementing the city council’s “Safe Streets Now!” resolution and another transportation-related initiative.

Last week, the council voted to pass Councilmember Zack Zappone’s resolution , which directed Brown to implement adaptive design strategies that reallocate street space for pedestrian traffic.

Examples of adaptive design strategies include delineators, curb bump-outs, wheel stops, candlestick cones, speed cushions and painted crosswalks.

“Prioritizing the safety and accessibility of our roads for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists not only reduces accidents, but it also saves lives,” Zappone wrote in a news release. “Implementing these commonsense measures ensures that everyone can move safely and confidently through our shared spaces.”

The executive order also directs various departments to expand Spokane’s Automated Traffic Safety Camera program, the availability of street lighting and other traffic-calming measures, such as increased pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, according to the release.

Brown also signed legislation approved by the city council to create a new, all-encompassing Transportation Commission . Spokane previously had four transportation-related bodies; now, it’ll rely on the Transportation Commission as well as its Bicycle Advisory Board.

“Everyone has the right to get to work, school and their homes safely,” Brown wrote in the release. “We have the ability to proactively address safety risks that are built into the transportation system, and it is long past time that we start implementing these proven strategies. By adapting our design processes, we can ensure that everyone makes it to where they are going.”