SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane residents have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the Division Street Bus Rapid Transit Project at a meeting tonight. The project aims to convert one lane in each direction on stretches of Division Street into bus lanes, adding rapid transit stops from downtown Spokane to the Hastings Park and Ride.
The Spokane Transit Authority (STA) plans to implement Phase 1 of the project, introducing 39 rapid transit bus stops with buses stopping every 15 minutes for 14 hours each day. This phase is scheduled to begin by 2028.
Phase 2 of the project depends on the completion of the North South Corridor due to its impact on traffic. The city is currently seeking a federal grant to cover the remaining costs of the $100 million budget.
Community members are invited to attend the meeting at the Wonder Building from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to share their thoughts. The city aims to gather feedback to make necessary adjustments.
Jon Snyder from the City of Spokane emphasized the importance of public input, saying, “So the stations kind of become the node, the catalyst for the new development, and those are some of the concepts that we’re gonna be previewing tomorrow night, and where we’d really love the public’s opinion to give us their feedback.”
Safety is a key concern for the city, with plans to improve walkways for pedestrians. This could involve adding barriers between roads and sidewalks, more lighting, or incorporating plants and artwork.
The biking community also seeks improvements, with discussions at tonight’s meeting expected to explore options for safe biking paths along Division Street.
Jon Snyder also highlighted the importance of revitalizing Division Street, stating, “I’ve lived in Spokane most of my life, and Division has just kind of been neglected for a long time. There are thousands of people who live on Division or just a couple blocks from Division, and this is a great opportunity to get that street the kind of attention it deserves.”
For more information on the Division Street Bus Rapid Transit Project, please visit the Spokane Transit Authority website.
