Information will be used in Link Spokane update to Comp Plan
Marlene Feist, Utilities Communications Manager, 509.625.6505
Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 10:39 a.m.
As citizens move around the City, they gain an appreciation for the good parts of the City's transportation system and the parts that need work. The City of Spokane is asking citizens to share that knowledge using a new online mapping tool that will help inform an update to the transportation and utility chapter of the City's Comprehensive Plan.
Using the mapping tool, the public can note locations, intersections, and stretches of street that are problematic and those that are working well. Directions on how to use the mapping tool are provided on the site, but essentially a user would navigate to a single point or draw a route and then provide comments about what's working and what's not.
“By using an interactive map that's accessible on the internet, we hope to encourage participation from those who would like to provide feedback but don't have the time to attend meetings,” says Scott Chesney, the City's Planning Director. “We are working to reach out to the public in new ways that fit better into their busy lives.”
The transportation and utility chapter update process, which was launched last fall, is called Link Spokane. Link Spokane will address the future needs of all transportation users, including vehicles, freight, transit, bicyclists, and pedestrians, while identifying opportunities to leverage coordinated utility infrastructure improvements.
The online mapping exercise complements other work already completed as part of Link Spokane. In February, workshop participants were asked to provide similar information during a mapping activity, and participants found significant value in providing that information.
The information collected earlier has been added to the mapping tool, and users of the tool will be able to read that information as well as new information that is added.
Two versions of the mapping tool are available, one for gathering information about all modes of transportation and another with a bike and pedestrian focus. The maps work best in the Google Chrome browser since the application is based on Google Map.
The Link Spokane process is only one part of the City's overall update to its Comprehensive Plan. The Plan is the one unified document that coordinates and guides all the City's departments in terms of future growth and development. The Plan charts 20 years of coordinated efforts that link transportation, sewer, water, stormwater, economic development, and land use planning for our neighborhoods and business districts. It serves as a community roadmap.
