US 395 – Division Wye to Wandermere – Paving – Complete Streets

As noted on the History & Background  tab, this project is required to address gaps in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure between Country Homes Boulevard and Farwell Road to achieve a Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) of 1 or 2 (to learn more about LTS, please see WSDOT’s Level of Traffic Stress flyer). It must also improve crossings, including connections to infrastructure on cross streets. This tab goes into detail about the design strategies that have been selected and those still under consideration for along and across the project corridor. This includes what considerations that went into developing the strategies, why selected strategies were chosen, and visual examples of what the final design could look like. They are split between the following sections: 

• Corridor-Based Strategies

• Crossing-Based Strategies

• Other Strategies

This information will be presented at the April 2, 2025 Complete Streets Open House. Feedback specific to these strategies can be provided via survey question links embedded in the text throughout this tab. 

Corridor-Based Strategies

This section reviews proposed bicycle and pedestrian improvements for along the US 395/Division Street project corridor.

Corridor-Wide 

Bicycles and pedestrians must be separated from the motor vehicle traffic in order to achieve LTS 1 or 2 on this corridor due to the number of traffic lanes, traffic speeds, and traffic volumes. Separation can be accomplished in many ways including shared use paths or a combination of separated bike lanes and sidewalks. Because right-of-way space is limited and there are numerous driveways along the project corridor, separated bike lanes with adjacent sidewalks was selected as the baseline (minimum standard) to achieve Complete Streets along the project corridor. 

Separated bike lanes, also known as protected bike lanes, are physically divided from motor vehicle traffic by barriers. For this project, the team recommends sidewalk-level separated bike lanes in both directions rather than other forms of separated bike lanes. This places the bike lane at the same elevation as the sidewalk but is physically separated from both pedestrians and vehicles. A concrete curb will be used to separate the roadway from the bike lane while a buffer, such as patterned concrete, will separate the sidewalk from the bike lane, providing cyclists with a dedicated and more comfortable space. This design enhances comfort by distancing cyclists from traffic and reducing conflicts with pedestrians, while also being easier and less costly to maintain over time. 

The image below provides a general example of the cross-section the project has selected for along the project corridor.  

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This consists of the following for both directions of US 395/Division Street: 

• Adding 6-foot sidewalks where sidewalks are missing, in poor condition, or substandard and keeping existing sidewalks that are at least 5 feet wide and in good condition. 

• Adding a 5-foot separated bike lane at sidewalk level, between the back of curb and sidewalk, with an additional 2-foot buffer between the bike lane and sidewalk. Keeping all general purpose through lanes (2 in each direction, with the existing third northbound lane starting at the southern Fred Meyer entrance being kept as well), but narrowing to 11 feet. 

• A 2-foot curb and gutter with a potential white stripe. This will not be part of the 11 feet of the adjacent travel lane and will be treated as a buffer between the travel lane and separated bike lane at sidewalk level. 

• Keeping the center left turn lane, but narrowing it to 10.5 to 12 feet. Exceptions include leading up to and across the bridge over Whitworth Drive, where a center lane is not needed, and possibly in front of Fred Meyer (see question below about this section). 

Based on feedback from the community in the fall of 2024, the design team is looking at ways to enhance the space between the separated bike lane at sidewalk level and the travel lane. Challenges such as available right-of-way and drainage limit the ability to add more space, but the following strategies are being investigated: 

• Reducing the 2-foot buffer between the sidewalk and bike lane to a 1-foot buffer and adding a 1-foot buffer between the bike lane and back of curb. 

• Using a rolled curb rather than a flat curb, which is wider and occupies more of the 2-foot “curb and gutter” space, effectively enhances another 1-foot of the gutter to be more of a buffer. The rolled curb is the same height as a regular curb and also allows for a bicycle that goes past the curb to potentially correct course without falling into the street, while still serving as a curb against vehicles. 

• Running a solid white stripe along the edge between the gutter and travel lane to reinforce that the gutter is not part of the travel lane. 

The bridge over Whitworth Drive is wide but also has some unique considerations for implementing the general cross-section described above. Below is a concept cross-section image that shows how the corridor’s proposed bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is planned to be maintained across the bridge. 
 

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This cross-section consists of the following: 

• The west side (southbound) will keep the existing sidewalk and jersey barrier that separates it from the traffic lanes, as it is built into the bridge and must be kept in place. A minimum of a 5-foot bike lane plus up to 5 feet of buffer will be added atop the bridge deck (street level) on the other side of the jersey barrier and will be separated from the traffic lanes by a curb with tubular markers on top. 

• The east side will stripe a 6-foot pedestrian area, 2-foot buffer, and 5-foot bicycle lane atop the bridge deck (street level). These will be separated from the traffic lanes by a curb with tubular markers on top. 

• To add in the above infrastructure, traffic lanes will be narrowed to 11 feet and the center left turn lane will be removed. A 2-foot shoulder will be provided between the outside lanes and the curbs with tubular markers noted above. The centerline may be raised on a curb over the bridge. 

Curb with tubular markers was selected across the bridge because jersey barrier could result in too much weight on the bridge and would require additional shoulder space per the WSDOT Design Manual, which would result in not enough space to fit all needed features on the bridge. 

North of Hastings Road, the west side of the corridor (southbound) will keep the existing asphalt path that is set back from the roadway and widen it to 12 feet instead of adding sidewalk and separated bike lane. The east side (northbound) will have the sidewalk and separated bike lane described above. 

The map below lays out the bicycle and pedestrian improvements as described above.

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South of Hastings Road section 

Not enough space within the existing right-of-way exists along the east side (northbound) of the project corridor south of Hastings Road between the two driveways of Fred Meyer shopping center to add the selected cross-section of separated bike lane and sidewalk while keeping the rest of the roadway as-is. To fit these needed improvements, WSDOT developed a baseline concept that fits within the existing right-of-way, as shown in the diagram below. 
 

 

This option, as shown in the concept above: 

• Keeps all three northbound general travel lanes but shifts them west by eliminating the center-left turn lane between the driveways. 

• Moves the start of the third northbound general travel lane from near the golf course to north of the southern Fred Meyer shopping center driveway. 

• Adds a concrete median curb between the directions of US 395/Division Street to prevent left turns in and out of the Fred Meyer shopping center on the east side and businesses on the west side because the center left turn lane is eliminated. 

• Adds the separated bike lane and sidewalk. 

• Maintains all turn lanes at the US 395/Division Street & Hastings Road signal. 

Benefits of this option include: 

• Does not involve acquiring additional right-of-way to build the separated bike lane and sidewalk, saving funds that can be used towards other projects. 

• Shifts traffic, which contributes to managing speeds in a busy area. 

• Enhances safety by addressing a history of crashes involving turning vehicles at the driveways by eliminating the ability to turn left into and out of the shopping center and businesses on the west side, which simplifies decision-making and removes turning conflicts. 

Tradeoffs for this option include: 

• Vehicles that want to turn left out of the shopping center onto US 395/Division Street will need to use driveways on Hastings Road, while those turning left out of the businesses on the west side will only be able to turn right and will need to find an alternative route. 

• Vehicles that want to turn left into the shopping center from southbound US 395/Division Street will need to turn left onto Hastings Road and turn right into the shopping center, while those turning left into the businesses west of US 395/Division Street will need to find an alternative route. 

This design is set as the baseline strategy by WSDOT for this section because it uses existing space, reduces costs, and targets observed crash patterns at the driveways. 

Crossing-Based Strategies

This section reviews proposed bicycle and pedestrian improvements for intersections and other crossings of the US 395/Division Street project corridor. 

Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs) 

A Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) – otherwise known as a HAWK signal – is a type of traffic signal designed specifically for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross busy wide streets with high speeds. It's particularly useful at locations where there is demand for pedestrians to cross, but a traditional traffic signal is not warranted or would be too disruptive.   

A PHB improves the ability of pedestrians and bicyclists to cross by giving them a clear and protected time to cross while minimizing disruption to traffic flow when no one is crossing. When no one is crossing, the PHB stays off, and traffic flows normally. When someone presses the button to cross, the PHB goes through several phases:  

• Flashing yellow light: Alerts drivers that the light is about to change.  

• Solid yellow light: Tells drivers to prepare to stop – similar to the yellow phase of a traditional traffic signal.  

• Solid red light: Requires drivers to stop, allowing pedestrians to cross.  

• Flashing red light: After a few seconds, the light flashes red and is treated like a stop sign, allowing drivers to proceed if the crosswalk is clear.  

WSDOT is planning to install PHBs at the following intersections, as traffic volumes and speeds are too high and the width of the roadway too great to place a crosswalk without a signal:  

• Holland Avenue  
  Identified in the Spokane Regional Transportation Council’s DivisionConnects plan, this PHB will help connect homes with nearby businesses including grocery stores. It will also help crossings for Spokane Transit Authority’s (STA) planned bus rapid transit (BRT) stops on Division Street at this intersection while also improving access to existing bus stops nearby on US 2. The PHB will be added to the south leg, which will require eliminating northbound left turns at this intersection. 
   

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• Westview Avenue  
  Identified via the project’s community engagement, this PHB will help connect homes with several destinations that are popular to visit on foot, including a coffee shop, convenience store, and church. Which leg the PHB will be added to (north or south) is still being considered; however, WSDOT prefers the north leg. See below for additional information and a chance to provide input. 

• Graves Road  
  The Spokane Regional Transportation Council’s DivisionConnects plan suggested this location for a traditional traffic signal to help with pedestrians crossing; however, the vehicular traffic here does not justify this level of investment. A PHB will help connect neighborhoods, Holmberg Park, and the US 2 corridor. Which leg the PHB will be added to (north or south) is still being considered; however, WSDOT prefers the south leg. See below for additional information and a chance to provide input. 

• Regina Avenue  
  Identified via the project’s community engagement and analysis of historical crash data, this PHB will help connect neighborhoods, including a new apartment complex east of Division St., with several destinations, including a church, coffee shops, and the Fred Meyer shopping center. The PHB will be added to the north leg, which will require eliminating southbound and eastbound left turns at this intersection. 

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  As noted above, which leg of the intersection the PHB will be located at both the Westview Avenue and Graves Road intersections is still being considered. The map below illustrates the combination of options between the two intersections and the impacts they have on left turns, access to adjacent properties, and traffic on alternative routes as a result of restricting some left turns. The analysis also took into account the PHB proposed at the Holland Avenue intersection, which will eliminate northbound left turns at that location. 

  

  
  In summary, the options and their tradeoffs are:

  Option 1: Both on North Legs 
  This would require the elimination of southbound left turns at both intersections, as well as eastbound left turns from each side street. Adjacent properties would keep driveway access on US 395/Division Street, minimizing impacts. However, because no southbound lefts would be allowed between Hawthorne Road and Holland Avenue, traffic on Colfax Road to the east would likely increase to compensate. 

  Option 2: On Westview North Leg, Graves South Leg – WSDOT Preferred 
  This would eliminate northbound plus westbound left turns at the Graves Road intersection and southbound plus eastbound left turns at the Westview Avenue intersection. Combined with the PHB at Holland Avenue, this option would create an alternating effect of closing left turns. This would likely result in less traffic diversion on Ivanhoe Street and Colfax Road compared to other options. Adjacent properties would keep driveway access on US 395/Division Street, minimizing impacts. This option may also calm traffic on Graves Road to the west, which connects with Wall Street. 

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Option 3: Westview South Leg, Graves North Leg 
This would eliminate southbound plus eastbound left turns at the Graves Road intersection and northbound plus westbound left turns at the Westview Avenue intersection. Combined with the PHB at Holland Avenue and possible restrictions at Hoerner Avenue, no northbound left turns would be allowed between Country Homes Boulevard and Graves Road, likely leading to some additional traffic for longer stretches of Ivanhoe Street and Colfax Road. Adjacent properties would keep driveway access on US 395/Division Street, minimizing impacts. However, the property at the southwest corner of Westview Avenue does not have a driveway with US 395/Division and would not be directly accessible by northbound traffic, which would need to loop around via Graves Road. 

Option 4: Both on South Legs 
This would require the elimination of northbound left turns at both intersections, as well as westbound left turns from each side street. Combined with the PHB at Holland Avenue and possible restrictions at Hoerner Avenue, no northbound left turns would be allowed between Country Homes Boulevard and Hawthorne Road, likely resulting in all impacted trips using Ivanhoe Street. Adjacent properties would keep driveway access on US 395/Division Street, minimizing impacts. However, the property at the southwest corner of Westview Avenue does not have a driveway with US 395/Division and would not be directly accessible by northbound traffic, which would need to use Ivanhoe Street to Westview Avenue to access. This is likely the most impactful option to circulation in the area. 

Protected Intersection

A protected intersection is designed to make intersections less stressful and reduce conflicts with motor vehicles for all road users, especially pedestrians and bicyclists. The main idea is to separate different users (cars, bikes, and pedestrians) and give everyone their own space to move through an intersection, which is often the most stressful part of a walking, biking, or rolling trip.   

Key features include:  

• Separate and dedicated bicycle and pedestrian spaces: Both bicycles and pedestrians have their own spaces, including separate crossing spaces. For bicycles, this means left turns can be accomplished by traveling through the intersection and then across rather than having to share a left turn lane with motor vehicles. Bicycle space is often delineated with green pavement markings to further increase their visibility and communicate the separation of all modes.  

• Corner islands: These are small, raised areas at each corner of the intersection. They help protect cyclists by keeping them separate from cars turning right, and they make it easier for pedestrians to cross in a straight line. For this project, with bike lanes already being separated at sidewalk level, the corners of the protected intersections will be behind the curb, which will be expanded into the intersection to give more space to bicycles and pedestrians and slow vehicular traffic around the corners. 

• Set-back crossings: Crosswalks and bike crossings are set back from the main intersection. This means cars turning have more time and space to see and yield to people that are walking or biking.  

WSDOT intends to construct protected intersections at the signalized intersections along the corridor. The following images and text describe what each protected intersection might look like. 

Country Homes Boulevard 

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Country Homes Boulevard has conventional bike lanes, but they do not reach/start at the intersection with US 395/Division Street. However, the protected intersection will be designed to allow the bike lanes to be extended in the future and connect with the protected features. In the meantime, bicyclists will either use the sidewalk or take the traffic lane to bridge the gap. 

The existing raised medians on the north and west legs of this intersection will also be extended to form a median refuge for crossing bicyclists and pedestrians. 

Hawthorne Road

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Hawthorne Road has conventional bike lanes that the protected intersection will connect with. This intersection also has a dedicated right turn lane known as a “slip” lane for those traveling westbound on Hawthorne Road and turning north onto US 395/Division Street. Protected intersections typically do not incorporate slip lanes, as these lanes are usually provided to allow right turning traffic to do so quickly, which creates a conflict with crossing bicycles and pedestrians. However, traffic volumes making this movement are high at this intersection and removing the slip lane would create significant congestion for westbound Hawthorne Road. 

To provide a more comfortable crossing of the slip lane, the lane will be narrowed and made sharper to slow down traffic using it. Additionally, either the crosswalk across this lane will be raised (called a speed table) to slow down traffic or the lane will be signalized with a right turn arrow, stopping traffic at strategic times to allow bicycles and pedestrians to cross freely. 

Hastings Road

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Hastings Road has conventional bike lanes that the protected intersection will connect with. Any future improvements to the bicycle lanes can also be designed to connect with the protected intersection. 

Farwell Road

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The Farwell Road protected intersection design will focus on providing an improved connection to the Children of the Sun trail and incorporating the widened shared use path that will be along the west side of US 395/Division Street between Hastings Road and Farwell Road, as no bike lanes currently exist on Farwell Road. However, future bicycle improvements on Farwell Road could be connected into the intersection. The protected intersection design will also add a crossing of the south leg of this intersection where there is not one currently. 

Signal-Related Changes 

How traffic signals are programmed and timed can be used to reduce conflicts between motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists and make pedestrians and bicyclists more visible. Specific strategies being considered at all signalized intersections include:   

• Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI): Signal timing strategy giving pedestrians a head start at intersections before vehicles are allowed to move, making pedestrians more visible to turning vehicles. 

• Protected Left Turns: Allow left turns only when a green arrow is present and provide a red arrow to prevent turns when pedestrians and cyclists are crossing. When the crossing button has not been activated, left turns may be allowed with a flashing yellow arrow rather than a full green circle to reinforce to turning vehicles they must yield to oncoming vehicles and crossing pedestrians. 

• Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS): At each corner of a signalized intersection, separate crossing button poles with audible directions are spaced apart to help pedestrians with visual impairments identify which direction is active to cross. 

Additionally, “No Right Turns on Red” restrictions or right turn signalized arrows may be used in strategic locations to prohibit vehicles from making right turns at red lights to reduce conflicts with pedestrians and cyclists crossing the street. 

Other Strategies

This section provides other strategies selected or being considered to provide a corridor that better supports active transportation users on the US 395/Division Street corridor between Country Homes Boulevard and Farwell Road.

Access Control

In addition to the section of the corridor south of Hastings Road, other locations are being considered for eliminating left turns in and out to reduce conflicts with passing bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles. Locations include: 

• Hoerner Avenue (just north of Country Homes Boulevard) 

• Humboldt Drive (just north of Hawthorne Road) 

• Select driveways that are very close to signalized intersections 

Hoerner Avenue is used by Spokane County Fire to travel north on US 395/Division Street during an emergency call. Any restrictions at this intersection will be designed to keep this route open for fire response vehicles. 

Speed Management

Speed is a primary element of bicycle and pedestrian comfort and often a major contributor to serious crashes. The current speed limits for the corridor were set when the corridor was less developed, and adding improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure will further change the character of the corridor. Although the infrastructure proposed for this project is meant to achieve LTS 2 or better, managing speeds to be at or below the posted speed limit further contributes to achieving that level of comfort and reducing the severity of crashes. Strategies being considered for speed management include: 

• Chicanes: Curving of the roadway combined with raised curb and medians that shifts traffic in a manner so it must slow down. Chicanes are used at the entry points of roundabouts to slow entering traffic. 

• Removing tapers: Tapers are sloped widenings of the roadway at driveways that allow right turning vehicles to quickly exit the travel lane into the driveway, which creates a conflict with bicycles and pedestrians traveling across the driveway. Tapers will be removed along the corridor and replaced with a typical curbed corner or, for busy driveways, a dedicated right turn lane where space allows. 

• Tightening corner radius: Similar to tapers, wide sweeping corners allows for vehicles to turn right quickly at driveways and intersections, which creates a conflict with crossing bicycles and pedestrians. Corners along the project corridor will be analyzed to potentially reduce their radius to slow entering traffic. Types of vehicles will be taken into consideration at each location using special software to models large vehicle turning patterns. Curb that can be mounted by such large vehicles will also be considered in design. 

• Raised driveways: Creating a steeper slope at the entry of driveways, and placing the crossing bike lane and sidewalk at the peak of the slope, forces entering and existing vehicles to do so slower. Since this requires the curving of bike lanes from along the street to behind the driveway, it also can slow crossing bicycles, enabling both vehicles and bicycles to better see each other. 

These strategies may allow for the reduction of the speed limit in the future. Independent of this project, lowering the 50 mph speed limit north of Hawthorne Road to 45 mph is being considered. Additional speed limit reductions will be explored after this project is constructed. 

Visibility and Awareness Improvements 

Other improvements that will be incorporated into the project to improve the visibility of bicycles and pedestrians include: 

• Pavement markings including green pavement markings for bicycles at intersections, major driveways, and potentially busier more densely developed sections of the corridor. Special materials and application techniques will be used to reduce maintenance of these markings and keep them visible longer. Crosswalks will also be replaced using these types of materials. 

• Signing to draw attention to drivers that there may be crossing bicycles and/or pedestrians. 

• Lighting, particularly at new/improved crossings, will be added/improved. Specific locations will be identified in the design phase. 

These improvements also bring greater awareness to vehicles that bicycles and pedestrians may be present. 

Project-Specific FAQs 

Q: What are WSDOT’s plans for maintaining a snow-free bike lane?

A: WSDOT as an agency is researching how to address snow removal and general maintenance for separated bike lanes and other bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure, including what equipment would be best for different situations. Currently, WSDOT Eastern Region lacks the appropriate equipment and faces significant budget challenges for staff to clear bike lanes and shared use paths that are separated from roadway. However, the sidewalk-level separated bike lanes were selected in part because WSDOT maintenance staff noted this facility would be easier to maintain, particularly as additional equipment is obtained. In short, WSDOT cannot guarantee to keep the bike lanes free of snow once the facility is constructed; however, is investigating options to try and get to that point in the future. 

Q: Has a hardened barrier, like a jersey barrier, been considered to separate vehicle traffic from the bike lane?

A: Yes, WSDOT considered various barrier options including the jersey barrier and the emerging Toronto barrier. However, barriers create maintenance challenges, especially when they separate the roadway and pedestrian/bicycle facilities. For the roadway, it is difficult to clear snow over barriers and the space available leaves no room for snow to store around the barrier, while also making it more difficult for maintenance staff to enter the bike lanes and sidewalks they protect to clear them from snow and debris that accumulates behind the barrier. Additionally, barriers require more space, particularly at higher speeds, which is not available for much of the corridor. And the bridge over Whitworth Drive may not have enough load capacity to add barriers. 

Q: What are your strategies to coordinate with state and local law enforcement to enforce speed limits along the corridor, especially on some portions that may have speed reductions from the present speeds of 50 mph and 45 mph?

A: The team is engaging with state and local law enforcement as part of this project. Our agency coordination group includes law enforcement representatives and will continue collaborating as the project progresses. Specific strategies being explored to promote the adherence to reduce speeds include narrowing lane widths, pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs), and raised medians in strategic locations such as for median refuges at crossings. Additional strategies to influence speeds are also being investigated. 

Q: Can more space be provided between the roadway and sidewalk-level bike lane? 

A: Space within WSDOT’s right-of-way is limited for much of the corridor, with the current design utilizing nearly all available space once factoring in drainage and slope constraints. However, the project team is reviewing the corridor to see if more space can be provided in select areas. 

Other questions   

Q: When will the North Spokane Corridor be finished?   

A: This is a major project that has been in development for many years, with construction currently active. To date, 7 miles have been completed, with only 3.5 miles remaining. The expected project timeline is to be completed in the early 2030's. For more detailed timeline information and the latest updates, visit the North Spokane Corridor project webpage.