Erin Hut, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 10:09 a.m.
City Thread, a national non-profit that helps better connect communities through transportation, announced that it has awarded the City of Spokane an Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) Technical Assistance Grant.
The grant requires a local $15,000 match. This contribution offsets the total $50,000 value of the grant. The program will help Spokane reach its transportation goals quicker through City Thread's network of support, including convening elected and community leaders, funders and engaged residents.
“We are excited to welcome Spokane into our cohort of cities prioritizing mobility projects,” said Sara Studdard, City Thread partner. “We look forward to providing Spokane with the guidance and strategies needed to achieve its transportation goals faster than thought possible.”
Along with Spokane, the second cohort of AMP Technical Assistance Grant recipients include Tampa, Baltimore and Salt Lake City.
City of Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown's recent signing of two pieces of legislation reinforces this commitment. The executive order introduces Safe Streets infrastructure, prioritizing pedestrian and bicycle safety in transportation investments. This initiative follows the Spokane City Council’s unanimous approval of the “Janet Mann – Safe Streets Now” resolution, which outlines expanded traffic calming, neighborhood Improvements, adaptive design projects, pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, and a new Transportation Commission.
“We are hopeful that developing an Accelerated Mobility Playbook with City Thread will help us reach our goals of creating a community where access to services, education, and employment opportunities is available to everyone, regardless of mobility options,” Brown said.
If anyone knows how important safe streets are, it's the city's Public Works Director Marlene Feist.
"Though the City has continually improved safety conditions for people walking and rolling, roadway collisions have been exacerbated by increasingly aggressive and distracted driving," Feist said. "The Accelerated Mobility Playbook grant’s goal of garnering broad-based community support for the implementation of multimodal infrastructure will further assist the City in meeting its goals.”
One of the cornerstones of City Thread's expertise is bridging the gaps between government, residents and industry advocates. The program works because of passionate advocates such as Priority Spokane Executive Director Ryan Oelrich.
“Priority Spokane’s mission, paired with the Accelerated Mobility Playbook’s goal of assisting communities to achieve the implementation of their planned mobility networks and creating effective partnerships, will be the catalyst for improving the transportation network in Spokane,” Oelrich said. “We look forward to partnering with the City of Spokane to work toward a future where community goals and transportation accessibility align.”
About the City of Spokane
The City of Spokane, home to more than 229,000 people, is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest. Our 2,000 employees strive to deliver efficient and effective services that facilitate economic opportunity and enhance quality of life for all our citizens. For more information, visit www.spokanecity.org and follow us @spokanecity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About City Thread
City Thread is a national non-profit organization that contributes to the well-being of communities by accelerating transportation projects that connect neighborhoods and help citizens move safely, efficiently, and equitably. Through its Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) and program framework, it engages city stakeholders to overcome obstacles and realize more connected communities, that benefit everyone, faster than ever before. City Thread’s work is actualized in cities all over the US and through the AMP Technical Assistance Grant Program, will continue to ignite systems change.
About Priority Spokane
Priority Spokane is an endeavor to create a vibrant future for Spokane County by implementing community-defined goals. It is through collaborative and focused efforts on improvements to economic vitality, education, the environment, equity, health, housing, and community safety that Spokane County will be a flourishing community for all who live and work in Spokane County.
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