SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – Spokane Valley is considering expanding the Appleway Trail to enhance connections between Spokane Valley and Spokane. The proposal aims to provide residents with more options for walking, biking and staying active.
Braden Pogue, who frequently exercises on the trail, expressed his enthusiasm.
“I think it’d be pretty great. You know, I think we’ve got to connect the cities a little bit better. So I’m kind of in favor of it personally,” he said.
Pogue believes the expansion may inspire him to bike further into downtown Spokane and become more active.
“It would encourage me to get more cardio, walk a little more and stuff, so I think that’d be good to get me more active,” he added.
The Spokane Valley City Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday to begin planning the trail’s expansion. The trail currently runs along the old Milwaukee Railroad corridor, parallel to Sprague Avenue, and would connect at the Dishman Hills parking lot.
However, Councilman Al Merkel voiced concerns about the potential for increased crime and homeless migration.
“This is the most crime heavy area in the city,” he stated, attributing the crime to the existing homeless population. “We’ve had a lot of smash and grab break-ins that happen here in this parking lot, a lot of homeless encampments that happen right…right here in this area, and even just a little bit up the trail,” Merkel noted.
He warned that expansion without safety improvements could exacerbate these issues.
“Unseen by traffic, unseen by police, you know, especially if we’re not patrolling the trail,” Merkel emphasized.
Despite these concerns, trail users like Brayden Pogue see the expansion as a positive development for encouraging outdoor activity and fostering more connection between the cities.
“I think it would be a nice kind of pathway, for people to enjoy the trail a little longer,” Pogue said.
The next step for the Appleway Trail project is an action vote. Part of the funding could come from the state’s Climate Commitment Act.
