Multimodal Interchanges: A Template for Innovation
Multimodal Interchanges: A Template for Innovation
Supercharging safety and mobility while reconnecting the community at Pines Road
The City of Spokane Valley celebrated a major victory last month when it secured $22 million in federal “RAISE” grant funding to separate road and rail traffic at Pines Road. After decades of seeking funding to unclog this crucial regional arterial, the city can begin construction on a road underpass beneath the existing BNSF track. But what makes this project far from conventional is that it goes beyond “just” an underpass. The Pines Road project design incorporates road improvements, bike and pedestrian trails, electric vehicle charging stations, and will enable rail expansion - a truly innovative, multimodal project that should be a model for future projects.
Separating the Pines Road at-grade crossing will provide the multitude of local benefits associated with grade separation projects: less traffic congestion, fewer accidents, faster emergency response times, and less pollution, especially by nearby Trent Elementary School. The project will reconnect two portions of a community currently severed by 70 trains per day and open hundreds of mixed-use acreage for a growing community.
The Pines Road project has major regional impacts as well. The BNSF rail line and SR27 (aka Pines Road) are responsible for carrying billions of dollars’ worth of products to global and domestic markets annually. Slowdowns on these routes cost millions to our regional economy and further clog the supply chains. Grade separation projects like Pines Road must be part of a regional and corridor-wide strategy to ensure that rail-severed communities don’t suffer the burden of busy rail corridors, and to enable commerce to reach customers in a timely manner.
To help these and other key regional projects get across the finish line, US DOT created the Regional Infrastructure Accelerator demonstration program. Earlier this year, the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) was awarded one of five RIA designations in the US. Within its first weeks of operation, the new PNWER RIA team provided technical support to the City to aid in a new RAISE grant application, helped advocate for the project at the federal level, and will continue to do so as the project advances to construction and completion.
What the Pines Road story also represents is the success that can come from partnerships of leadership. From the $5 million recently secured by US Senator Patty Murray and $6.4 million pledged by the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, to the long-standing support from US Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, Sen. Maria Cantwell, the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, WSDOT, and the City of Spokane Valley, this project is a result of leaders working together to do something big for the region’s mobility.
The private sector was another key figure in making this happen, from generous land donations to the years-long cooperation from BNSF, who must now carefully coordinate its operations through this major construction project. These companies understand the value of investing in infrastructure to expand the economic potential of a community.
Looking forward, with further federal and state investment on the horizon, now is the time to explore the benefits of multimodal and regionally-focused infrastructure projects. We can use the example set by the City of Spokane Valley—and all regional partners—to make our communities safer, and more connected to economic opportunities and to each other.
This is certainly an important milestone for the City of Spokane Valley. Let’s continue to work together to foster renewed momentum for further improvements throughout the region, just like at Pines Road.