Совет по планированию Спокэна одобрил план развития района Division Street

SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Transit Authority is moving forward with its Division Street Transit-Oriented Development Plan. If approved, the plan would mean new zoning laws and reconfigured streets along a nine-mile stretch of Division Street from the Spokane River to the Mead area. The city of Spokane says the street isn’t walkable and welcoming enough. Officials are trying to get a greater variety of buildings along the road and make it easier for people to get around. Approximately 50,000 cars travel Division Street daily. The plan includes improving crosswalks, reducing car lanes, adding bike lanes, extending sidewalks, and creating on-street parking. “As somebody who is trying to walk it today, it’s a little scary to try to cross the street — even with the lights — because of how much traffic and how fast the cars are driving,” Spokane resident Cindy Cooper said. Cooper supports some aspects of the plan but has concerns about others. “There’s a lot of traffic on Division, so reducing the lanes seems worrisome. But also, it’s not pedestrian-friendly, and I’m not sure how bike-friendly it is right now either,” she said. The city has already been investing money in the bus line on Division. Now it’s trying to make that investment more worthwhile by making Division a place more people want to go. The city says Spokane Transit Authority is the lead on this project and putting the money forward to get it done, if approved. In some areas, the plan would mean stricter zoning laws and more housing. The city says big box stores and drive-thrus make walking and riding the bus more difficult. “The goal is to develop these places where people feel like they live in a real neighborhood. And I think Division, right now, for most people, feels like an actual dividing line that’s hard to cross,” said Spencer Gardner, planning director for the City of Spokane. The city’s planning commission approved the plan Wednesday night. It is now onto the City Council for final approval. It could still be three or four weeks before the city council makes a decision. There will be chances for public comment. If approved, changes could start as soon as next year, but it would be decades before the plan is fully rolled out. COPYRIGHT 2026 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.