Complete Streets
The Spokane Valley City Council adopted a Complete Streets Policy on Sept. 14, 2021 (Ordinance #21-012) which supports the practice of planning and building streets to accommodate all users, including pedestrians, transit users, cyclists and motorists.
View Complete Streets Ordinance 21-012
The Complete Streets Policy:
- Promotes healthy communities by encouraging walking, bicycling, and using public transportation for all ages, abilities, and economic levels, which benefits not only each user but also the vitality of the local economy.
- Considers multimodal transportation infrastructure, for all users including: pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit, automobiles, freight, and emergency services.
- Improves public safety by constructing sidewalks, dedicated bicycle facilities, medians, and pedestrian streetscape features.
- Protects the environment and reduce congestion by providing safe alternatives to single-occupancy driving.
- Preserves community character by involving local citizens and stakeholders to participate in planning and design decisions.
- Improves the quality and safety of City streets that do not meet the current City Street Standards for right-of-way width by promoting multimodal transportation infrastructure through the use of acceptable design deviations.
- Promotes the use of multimodal transportation to reduce traffic congestion and foster lower vehicular emissions by providing more effective use of public rights-of-way with expanded opportunities to use alternate transportation methods.
The policy requires that the city consider infrastructure components identified as feasible into existing public streets to create a comprehensive, integrated and connected transportation network. The city will work to incorporate these components into its early planning and design of transportation projects.
Components may include sidewalks and crosswalks, lighting, bicycle accommodations, transit shelters, signage and other infrastructure elements. There are some exceptions to Complete Streets principles, however, because not all roadways are suitable for these components. These exceptions are outlined in the policy.