Extending couplet a good place to start

In the eight years that my family has lived in the Spokane Valley, there have been many changes - most for the better.

We have seen the increase in traffic and watched as the shopping hub has shifted from the University City Shopping Center to the brand new Spokane Valley Mall.

Many people feel that Sprague Avenue has become somewhat of a second-class citizen, and that its future as the downtown area of the new city of Spokane Valley is in doubt.

To bring Sprague Avenue up to the level of "main arterial," several improvements need to be considered.

The first improvement would be to extend the Valley couplet by pushing Appleway Boulevard past University Road to at least Sullivan Road.

Think about it. The biggest reason that drivers and businesses do not like this couplet is because the couplet is not really complete.

To this day, many drivers still do not know exactly where the couplet begins and where two-way Sprague Avenue ends.

This has caused more than a few fender-benders. And it is this configuration that confuses people as to where certain businesses are located. Signs have been strategically located to inform couplet drivers just where to turn left to access the various business along Sprague Avenue.

After using the couplet a few times, I became quite adept at figuring out just where to turn for what business. And I still patronize all the stores that I used to patronize back when the Valley couplet was just a gleam in a traffic engineer's eye.

Extend the couplet, place those green locator signs along the way and watch as Valley drivers and businesses alike reap the benefits of smoother flowing traffic.

Hard to believe?

Look at Division and Ruby streets, from Spokane's downtown to the near North Side.

Where traffic is the heaviest, Division and Ruby are both one-way streets. And where most of the gridlock subsides, Division Street again becomes a two-way arterial.

Perfect.

The other major improvement that our poor old Sprague Avenue needs is a facelift in the form of landscaping. Let's face it. Most people find trees and grass pleasing to the eye.

A business that sports a nice "front lawn" effect seem to do better than the "cement city" counterparts.

But beyond that, I feel that it is very important for our new city of Spokane Valley to begin its life by improving in areas where improvement is sorely needed.

Sprague Avenue west of Argonne has long been a road devoid of aesthetic beauty. I am sure the fathers of Dishman would cringe if they could see their community's old movie theater today.

There are some areas where little can be done. But if we are going to extend the Valley Couplet, let's plant a few seeds along the way and make it a pleasant drive.

And then we can plant trees and lawns in front of the business along Sprague Avenue as well.

I am sure most drivers would agree that it is far easier to find a business when you are traveling on a four-lane one-way street.

Sprague Avenue is kind of notorious for having "hard to find" places.

Where Sprague is one-way, I find it easier to locate an unobtrusive sign. Probably the biggest plus for extending the couplet is simply the elimination of gridlock.

This affects the north-south streets that feed into Appleway and Sprague, as well as Sprague Avenue itself.

How many times have we been stopped at the light where Sprague crosses Pines? To me, Pines and Sprague epitomizes the gridlock that is starting to overtake our Valley.

Imagine if the couplet were extended beyond University.

The Spokane Valley has shown itself to be a leader in many areas. Extending the Valley couplet and getting serious about beautification along Sprague is an idea that would make our Valley a true leader in the area of civic pride and smooth traffic flow.

Copyright 2003 Cowles Publishing Company
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