05/19/2026
I think we can all agree that major roadway changes need to be made openly, with transparency and meaningful public input. These decisions can impact arterial congestion, neighborhood livability, business access, commute times, pedestrian and cyclist safety, emergency response, parking, and future growth in different ways. Simply requiring any staff or Transportation Commission-proposed lane reductions/road diets or one-way to two-way conversions to be included in the City’s annually updated six-year street plan before projects are too far along ensures the public has a real chance to understand the tradeoffs and meaningfully weigh in, while placing the final decision with the City Council, the elected body most directly accountable to the public.
In February, an unelected commission unilaterally voted to remove two travel lanes from Grand Boulevard, one of the city’s busiest corridors. Increasingly, the same body seems poised to do similarly to Spokane Falls Boulevard, while also converting a section into a two-way road.
