Short Friday Ride

Bradley and I took a ride around town today. Bradley is another BABer. This shot was taken on Rockwood, on one of the nice clear spots we rode. Man it's tiring slogging around in this kind of snow.

We went out to the old Playfair site, which is just a cool spot for something. I don't know what exactly. The city owns that site. Or is buying it. Or selling it?

I do know that the little bridge over the tracks (top right corner in the map below) could be a part of a good connection out to the east part of town, and that if the city retains ownership of this land a multi-use path could go here and connect the east part of down town into the Liberty Park area and eventually into the Iron Bridge and Ben Burr extension.

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What else do you see there? I see a race track. Maybe before the city or who ever rips that area up we should attempt some bike races out there. It's a hard track. Not hard, as in "hard packed," but hard as in, sandy with erosion and wash outs.

A week or so ago I wrote a post on how Brad Stark has put forth a resolution to get some money for Bike stuff in Spokane. I've since learned that this is not the best approach. Basically, it's a wedge in the 11th hour. It's hard not to rally and scream and just demand some money after years of nothing, but I think it's best to think longer term and assume the best of the new administration, which I have nothing but high hopes for, and figure out how to get what we need.

We are building the master bike plan. That is the essential piece right now; we have staff; we have forward movement on that. We should have a good draft hopefully by summer or fall at the lastest. With the MBP, we can then point to specifics for our money asks.

This doesn't mean that you should stay home on Monday night if you were planning on attending the council meeting. Any time cyclists show up and are counted at city events, it's a good thing and there may be some money in the budget regardless. If nothing else, the council meetings appear to be great entertainment lately.