So how does Spokane commute?

Several years ago, the National Transportation Policy project said walkers account for 8.5 percent of trips locally and bicycles are used in 0.8 percent of trips. That compares with a rate of 1.4 r for bicycle use in other cities. (About one-third of Americans and 30 percent of Washingtonians do not drive at all.) The big shocker: Vehicles are still used 85 percent of the time in Spokane. The study concluded Spokane’s surface transportation system has not kept pace with the growth the area has experienced in the past several decades and the lower participation rates for pedestrians and mainly bicycles indicated an opportunity to obtain a significant shift from vehicle to non-motorized models.

Citizens are still using rideshare and STA. Through Spokane County, organizations that with a 100 or more employees must comply with state laws and participate in the CTR (Commute Trip Reduction).  According to Mycommute.org, “the CTR Program removes over 5,400 vehicle trips each day on Spokane County streets. To put this into perspective, if those 5,400 vehicles were lined up bumper to bumper, they would fill one lane of traffic beginning at Division Street and I-90 and continuing to the east side of Post Falls, Idaho; approximately 21 miles. Each year, the commute trip reduction program prevents 264 tons of air pollution from being emitted and reduces petroleum consumption by 434,000 gallons, saving Spokane citizens over $1.1 million in fuel costs alone.”

As growth in Spokane County is projected at more than 20 percent in the next decade, programs like CTR are needed.

But so is the need for infrastructure since that’s why Spokane residents do not bike or walk more frequently.

Also: Consider income levels. The State of Washington estimated that 4% of persons leaving welfare were not working due to inability to arrange for transportation. Only 75% of the individuals living at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level in Spokane County regularly use a personal vehicle for transportation. They are much more likely to use transit (11%), walk (10%), or ride a bike (4%).

Source: Down to Earth

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