Four the Future - Oil and Methane

Today, methane sector air pollution is increasing, a massive methane leak is finally capped, there's limited information on oil train bridges, but some first responders are receiving new information in Washington.

• Air Pollution from Natural Gas Industry in Pennsylvania on the Rise
  Source: Planetizen; August 27, 2016
  Summary: As methane (natural gas) production increases, so does the amount of pollution this sector of the energy industry creates. This includes sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, this is more than balanced out by improvements in emissions by the switch to natural gas from coal.
  Opinion: I've addressed fracking in the Marcellus Shale in the past. Lately, the EPA is moving to tighten methane emissions standards in the oil sector, where methane emission is a byproduct of oil production. There has been increased interest in regulation of fuel production at more than just the federal level....


• New oil train rule will give emergency responders advance notice of shipments
  Source: Spokesman-Review; August 26, 2016
  Summary: Beginning in October, the State of Washington's emergency responders will receive notice of crude oil shipments through their communities.
  Opinion: Ecology's has set up a webpage concerning the new rule on the Oil Movement by Rail and Pipeline Notification web page. It is critical for public safety that the first responders have the information they need to manage an emergency situation.


• California Declares State Of Emergency Over Months-Long Gas Leak
  Source: National Public Radio; January 7, 2016
  Summary: Methane was leaking in Southern California for months by the time of this article (which includes an audio story and video of the leak). The leak was originally detected on October 23, 2015. The operator stated that they finally stopped the leak on February 11, 2016.
  Opinion: Methane is an odorless, colorless gas, but the article contains great video of what the leak actually looks like through an infrared camera. People had been driven from their homes due to the odor (the hydrogen sulfide added by utility companies) and cases of nausea.


• Railroads keep most bridge inspection data secret
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 5, 2016
  Summary: Federal law requires that railroads provide information on their bridges to local governments, but the information provided is limited. The bridges are inspected by the railroads based on the railroads "strong financial incentives" to keep them functional. Some of the bridges look unsafe, but what the bridges look like isn't important, just whether the bridge is safe or not.
  Opinion: While it's probably true that the bridges' appearance isn't telling, the fact that the railroads won't explain how they are evaluating the bridges is telling. These organizations are dismissive of the public. They believe they're above examination. After events like the recent oil train derailment in Mosier, Oregon, they're going to find that the harder they resist input from the public, the harder the push back will be. They're almost guaranteeing that the hammer will come down harder on them in the end.

Four the Future - Energy Generation

• Wind farm proposed on Palouse
  Source: Spokesman-Review; October 27, 2010
  Summary: Even though the Palouse is not as well suited for wind turbines as the Columbia gorge, a ridge near Oakesdale is and a permit has been requested to create a $170 million wind farm which will meet the needs of 25,000 homes.
  Opinion: The saddest part of the article reads as follows: "[The Palouse has] been farmed for over 100 years, so it doesn’t have great wildlife habitat left. It’s pretty well suited for development." I hope that wind power is the only development it attracts.
• Harnessing the wind
  Source: Ashland Daily Tidings; December 22, 2010
  Summary: Smaller cylindrical wind turbines are quieter than bladed windmills and can take advantage of winds closer to the ground. That makes them safer for birds, too. These Michigan-manufactured windmills cost, including installation, around $11,000 early last year, but demand is making for long delivery times, and have driven the cost up to $15,000 now. However, Oregon and federal tax credits shaved $7,500 of the cost of each.
  Opinion: The earlier concerns about noise and extremely large towers are partially mitigated by this turbine format. They also have the advantage that it doesn't matter from which direction the wind blows, as it doesn't need to turn to face into it.
• PGE's coal-fired Boardman plant gets approval to close in 2020, with fewer pollution controls
  Source: Oregonian; December 9, 2010
  Summary: A coal-fired plant in Boardman, just south of the Columbia River in eastern Oregon, avoided adding $500 million in additional pollution controls by receving permission from Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission to close by December 31, 2020. Instead, $60 to $90 million in pollution controls will be installed. The plant produces 4 million tons of greenhouse gases and more than 25,000 tons of other pollutants each year, including acid rain and smog producing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. A Sierra Club lawsuit is attempting to close the Boardman plant earlier, asserting that more pollution controls should have been installed upon initial construction. The agreement still requires EPA approval. If approval is given, the Boardman plant will be the youngest coal-fired plant to be closed due to environmental concerns.
  Opinion: There will be more stories like this, but not necessarily due to environmental concerns. A great number of coal fired plants will get old enough to be abandoned anyway, and we must either find a way to replace the energy they produce or reduce our demand. The second is preferable, being the more resilient position.
• Interest in algae's oil prospects is growing
  Source: Los Angeles Times; September 17, 2010
  Summary: While we here in Washington are trying to get rid of algae, there are nearly 300 Californians who are raising it on purpose in order to create liquid fuel. $176 million was invested in one year to develop biofuel from algae, but what it currently produces is exceptionally expensive, between $20 to nearly $33 per gallon (and some estimate rise as high as $60 per gallon). Kai BioEnergy Corporation claims that it can currently produce 20 gallons per minute and just needs to get to 300 gallons per minute to become economically viable.
  
  
  
  Opinion: If they reach their price point at a 300-gallons-per-minute daytime average, and considering solar obliqueness in the morning and evening, they’d be making around 144,000 gallons per day. The United States currently consumes nearly 900,000,000 gallons per day. Thousands of such facilities would be necessary to make a significant dent in the problem.
  

Four the Future - October 14

Four stories on reducing the cost of housing for those most in need.

• New Hillyard apartment offers hope
  Source: KREM-TV; October 13, 2010
  Summary: Market Street Station is a new housing development in Hillyard for people making no more than 50% of the county’s median wage. They are single bedroom and studios. While funding has fallen through on several occasions, the current funding sources all have at least 40 year commitments.
  Opinion: The piece points out some of the issues associated with providing access to housing for those who don’t have a lot of cash. I've heard city council members actually attempt to convince people that if the market sensed a need for workforce housing, then the market would supply it. So, there is a significant amount of ignorance, willful or not, about housing financing.
  
• Habitat building 114 low-cost homes in Deer Park
  Source: Spokesman-Review; October 10, 2010
  Summary: Habitat for Humanity is building 114 houses in Deer Park for people making less than 30% of the county’s median income. The houses are less expensive to pay for because they depend on volunteer labor, including 500 hours of labor from the families who occupy the homes. The project costs about $12 million. The homes have energy efficient appliances, heating, cooling, and windows. Deer Park was chosen because nearly 40% of the households within 1 mile of the site qualified based on income.
  Opinion: That housing is averaging $105,000 apiece, which is quite a bargain. I have two comments. First, is Habitat actually arguing that they placed the housing way out in Deer Park because there are already lots of low income people there? If they argue that the locals will just move, what will happen to the old homes? Will they sit empty, or will even more low-income folks move out to Deer Park to occupy them? Either result is bad. Don’t get me wrong: I think Habitat provides a vital service to the community when many people around here would just prefer to assume that people with low incomes are just lazy and deserve what they get anyway. But, what am I missing here in choosing Deer Park? Wouldn't Spokane or Spokane Valley be better? (Actually, I think the problem is more insidious, and related to general developer's denial that they have any responsibility in this problem, see below.)
  
  And, second, is America such a small-minded place that our dream is nothing more than owning a house? It’s not my dream. My dreams are not so materialistic, and I bet that it's not everyone else's number one goal in life either. Not even close. It's time to retire that tired marketing slogan.
  
• Green revolution comes to urban neighborhoods
  Source: Los Angeles Times; September 3, 2010
  Summary: Up to now, the "green movement" has been marketed almost exclusively to people with money. Low income neighborhoods don’t have financial access to solar panels, hybrid cars, and energy-efficient appliances. Programs are now in place to help disadvantaged youth to learn the skills necessary to go back and help their communities to save money through better energy management.
  Opinion: This is great, especially when you’re creating jobs in a neighborhood which provides a positive feedback by reducing the costs of living in a neighborhood which may help people get in a better economic position. There are other things to be aware of, however. A planner I spoke to once told me that they had run into issues with improving the conditions of rental homes. When they'd get a grant to improve the facility, the intent was to reduce the cost of living in those units. However, with the building in better condition and with lower utility costs, the landlord would inevitably kick out the low income renters in order to get higher rents for the better accommodations. It's important to know who you're trying to help, and build the intentions into the plan. If money is used to improve the living conditions of people with low incomes, then there must be a requirement to keep the rents low even after the improvement.
  
• Face Time: Advocate discusses efforts to reduce homelessness
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 27, 2010
  Summary: Cindy Algeo answers questions about the current state of the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium. While the inventory of housing accessible to people with low incomes has increased, but there are times when we go backwards, as in 2007. There are still 1,200 homeless people in Spokane County. A recent survey of Spokane County voters showed that people are aware that there is a problem that government should solve, but do not support raising taxes to solve it. More than 50% of Spokane County voters know someone who’s having difficulty paying their rent.
  Opinion: Clearly there is a deficiency of available housing. There is a potential long-term fix that I’ve devised, but it involves Spokane County and other local jurisdictions recognizing the developers have a responsibility to have a hand in solving it, so it won’t happen any time soon. The base concept is simple: require each development to have its fair share of low-, moderate- and average-cost housing. Allow limited exchange of this “responsibility” between developers, which would create a market for buying and selling the credits. The sale price for the credits would help subsidize the cost of low income housing. That doesn’t solve the immediate problem, but it would prevent the problem from returning if anyone had the courage to fix it in the first place.
  

Four the Future - October 8

An energetic Four the Future! Solar, wind, and stimulating efficiency.

• Courthouse, post office getting energy upgrades
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 17, 2010
  Summary: Spokane's Federal courthouse and downtown post office are getting energy upgrades courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or "the stimulus"). The goal is to reach silver LEED status with a 30 percent energy savings. The upgrades cost $45.9 million over the course of 20 months.
  Opinion: It would have been nice to know how much money that 30% energy savings is. What's wrong with this town that they don't seem to understand investment? All investments include cost and benefit.
  
• Here comes the sun: White House to go solar
  Source: Yahoo! News; October 5, 2010
  Summary: The White House will be fitted with solar panels over the living quarters. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush installed solar energy collectors previously. The photovoltaic cells will generate approximately 19,700 kilowatt hours, saving an estimated $2,300, per year. The solar hot water heater will save about $1,000 per year.
  Opinion: Carter’s photovoltaic panels were removed by President Reagan. It was there making free energy, and it was taken down. Any comments about attitude here or the mind-set which contributed to Reagan's deficit? I'd love to hear any rational justification.
  
• Missoula may allow urban wind turbines
  Source: Spokesman-Review; October 4, 2010
  Summary: Missoula is considering allowing wind turbines in the city limits, provided they are not taller than the maximum height for the zone. To get a taller tower, a special use permit would be necessary.
  Opinion: We talked about this story in Dr. Zovanyi's class on Tuesday. The types of issues that come up for these kinds of issues include aesthetics, public safety (proper installation to make sure it can’t fall or shed pieces), and noise. Also, it was noted that it would be unusual to require a special use permit (which allows an activity at a place that wouldn't normally be allowed, but the use is already allowed). Normally, a variance procedure is used (which allows construction outside the normal regulations because of unusual conditions of the particular lot).
  
• 1,000 megawatts of solar power approved for California desert
  Source: Los Angeles Times; September 29, 2010
  Summary: The California Energy Commission approved two new solar power stations, one of 250 megawatts, and one of 709 megawatts. In just a little more than a month, the commission has approved the construction of 3,000 megawatts worth of projects. California has a goal of 20% of its energy from renewable sources by the end of this year, and 33% by 2020. The projects will generate 2,000 construction jobs and 200 permanent jobs. Some of the solar projects have been approved despite environmental attempting to protect the flat-tailed horned lizard and the desert tortoise. One project was changed to avoid dry creek beds which flood periodically.
  Opinion: The solution of our energy issues will be a combination of strategies. Efficiency is the most important, but beyond that, there are the simple reduction in energy use (waste not, want not), and alternative energy sources. My other thought, though, was: why did someone have to get a concession out of a company to not put their equipment in the path of a flood? Do the people designing these things really lack common sense, or did they purposefully propose putting it in the creek so that they could say they made concessions?
  

Four the Future - September 23

Today: Jefferson Elementary update, reducing energy costs, courthouse parking, and skateboarding!

• Board votes unanimously to move Jefferson Elementary
  Source: The Spokesman-Review; September 23, 2010
  See Also: Jefferson Elementary Public Forum
  Summary: The Spokane School Board unanimously voted to move Jefferson Elementary to the west, reducing impacts on the children and saving $4 million.
  Opinion: Unanimous. Apparently the board thought it was that clear. Of course, when public services are chronically underfunded, in this case they had no idea where more than half of the $4 million would come from, you don't even get to talk about the right and wrong of it. So is this right or wrong? Without the full public debate resulting in a neighborhood consensus, we'll never know.
  
• No heating necessary
  Source: The Olympian; September 22, 2010
  Summary: A house is being built in Olympia which is designed to use 75 less energy for heating by capturing sunlight, reducing heat loss from unintended ventilation, and extensive insulation. While it increased the construction cost by 7%, the savings from reductions in utility bills will pay off that difference in about 4-1/2 years.
  Opinion: The payoff time is less than the term of a standard mortgage so, in effect, if you were to do this you'd actually be making money on the larger loan.
  
• Parking garage planned near courthouse
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 23, 2010
  Summary: As part of the development of Kendall Yards, the area near the Spokane County courthouse may get a new parking garage. While there are property ownership issues to be resolved, the construction might begin as early as 2011.
  Opinion: The only thing more legendary about the courthouse than the lack of fiscal responsibility by two of the county commissioners is the lack of parking in the area, the overdependence on surface parking lots, and the long walks through the adjacent neighborhoods associated with street parking. This is a wise move by Greenstone, who can tap an existing market for parking while creating an asset for bringing new businesses to the development.
  
• LL teen skates for record
  Source: Liberty Lake Splash; September 22, 2010
  Summary: Last weekend, Cohl Orebaugh skateboarded the most blunt-to-fakies in an hour to create a new category in Guinness Book of World Records.
  
  
  
  Opinion: This is not even something the council remotely contemplated when we approved the construction of the skate park in Pavillion Park. No, this is unlikely to change the world, although, it is always nice to hear of someone setting a goal then achieving it. What's more important to realize is that human behavior is not linear. The council was just trying to create a safe place where local kids could enjoy themselves. Whatever people do when they plan for the future, they must also accept that things will not turn out as planned. They might, indeed, turn out better. Besides, this is your chance to find out what a blunt-to-fakie is. You should look just to know what it means that Cohl averaged one every 4.5 seconds for a full hour.
  

Four the Future - September 20

Today, the Great White Way becomes more lively, speed bump woes, studded tire destruction, and preparing for EV's.

• Not So Broadway
  Source: New York Times; September 3, 2010
  Summary: Broadway in Manhattan has been narrowed over the last few years by adding pedestrian and bike lanes. From 59th to 42nd, three quarters of the sidewalk chairs which used to be part of the road were occupied between 2 and 2:30 PM. In Herald Square, 93 of 111 chairs were occupied.
  Opinion: Broadway has become a place for people rather than just cars. Turns out, retail is benefited by pedestrians. Very few businesses get a buck out of a car that just drives by. Where is your neighborhood people place?
  
• Speed bump bothering South Burlingame residents
  Source: The Oregonian; September 10, 2010
  Summary: A speed bump the width of a crosswalk was installed adjacent to an elementary school. It is marked only as a sidewalk, however, and people are slamming into the bump, disturbing the neighbors with the noise.
  
  
  View Larger Map
  Opinion: Speed bumps a troublesome for multiple reasons. First, public safety personnel hate them. Here, there is also the concern that they hamper snow removal. But, it seems to me that if there are so many people speeding along this road, the drivers are getting some feeling that it should be faster. Other traffic calming options may be in order, such as narrowing the street at this intersection, as in actually widening the sidewalk so that
  1. there is a visual cue that there's a tight spot ahead
  2. the distance the children must cross is shortened, and
  3. it will encourage children to cross at the proper location
  By the way, if you read the comments on that story, you’ll see just how passionate people can be about these things. It degenerates into name calling pretty quickly.
  
• Editorial: Driving on studded tires taxes roads and budgets
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 15, 2010
  Summary: The Spokesman-Review editorial board urges you not use studded tires. They're not as safe as snow tires, and the money used to repair the roads of the damage they cause would be better used for other road projects.
  Opinion: I mentioned this a couple days ago. Not only do they give a false sense of security, they cost tax dollars for the repair of the roads, and make the roads more dangerous because the ruts can force a car to move unpredictably and water in the grooves can cause a car to hydroplane.
  
• Buzz Kill? Running electric vehicles not as simple as plug and go
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 19, 2010
  Local companies getting prepared for electric cars
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 19, 2010
  Summary: While plug-in electric vehicles may be capable of being recharged at normal household voltage (120V), it's faster if you use a charging station running at 240 volts, which requires a licensed electrician to install. The cost of the dock and labor is around $2,200. Adding a second meter may require up to a 45-day delay for installation. People who do not have garages also have other concerns. Avista says it has available capacity for the vehicles, predicting that nearly 20% of all electrical use will be for this purpose by 2035.
  Opinion: Running an EV in the northwest will be less expensive than in other areas of the country due to lower dependence on fossil fuel fired plants. But, if electrical demand goes up, that advantage will go away. So, to switch from gasoline to electrical vehicles will require that we reduce power usage for our homes and businesses through higher efficiencies.
  

Four the Future - September 17

Today, all about making better buildings: healthier, cooler, warmer, and efficient.

• Green buildings may make employees feel better, a study finds
  Source: Los Angeles Times; September 8, 2010
  Summary: Green building isn't merely about environmental concerns, but also with the productivity and well-being of building occupants. The University of Michigan studies two groups of workers who moved into a green office building. It was found that absenteeism due to "asthma, allergies, depression and stress" decreased. Productivity increased. The study appears in the September edition of the American Journal of Public Health.
  Opinion: Green building reduces operating costs, reduces the burden on the environment, and improves worker productivity. More study will have to be done to quantify the effect, but it was already a valuable thing even if you don't care about the quantified increase in worker well-being.
  
• Air Conditioning Using 90 Percent Less Power
  Source: Miller-McCune; September 9, 2010
  Summary: Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have invented a swamp cooler which uses a desiccant (like the little packets found in consumer electronics and some pharmaceuticals that say "do not eat") to reduce the amount of energy necessary to cool a building. In dry climates, the newly developed cooler uses only 10% of the energy of high efficiency compressor systems. In wetter climates, it uses 50% less. Power consumption can be reduced more by using solar heating to drive off the absorbed water. Cooling systems currently use 14% of all energy in the United States. Commercially available units could be on the market in two or three years.
  Opinion: New technologies could make great strides. If this research pans out, this is one solution could vastly reduce the amount of energy a building uses. And, because air conditioners are used during peak energy time of day, it will disproportionately reduce our dependence on carbon emitting energy production from gas and coal.
• Body Heat to Warm Up French Apartments
  Source: TriplePundit; September 10, 2010
  Summary: Subways get hot due, in part, to all the people in them. On average, each passenger generates approximately 100 watts of energy per ride. So, French engineers in Paris are using the principles of geothermal, 17 apartments will be heated using a heat exchange. A link already exists between the subway and the apartment, so it's feasible in this situation, but it’s currently too expensive to retrofit it in other locations. But, other cities are looking at the concept for their systems.
  
  
  
  Opinion: Using cold air from an apartment to cool passengers while using warm air to heat the apartments. Imagine that. Two problems, when seen as part of a system, can become its own solution. This type of systems thinking is what is driving the sustainability movement. Nothing exists isolated from everything else.
  
• Climate-change study: Today's power plants aren't the problem
  Source: Christian Science Monitor; September 9, 2010
  Summary: Current sources of greenhouse gases are bad enough, but pale in comparison to the carbon emitters of the future. Creating sources of energy which prevent the creation of new carbon-emitting plants must be emphasized. We’re not going to start switching out the emitters we already have. Technological innovation is necessary to prevent their spread. If the each plant in the current inventory of emitters is allowed to operate for its full design life, global average temperatures would remain below the 2 C (3.6 F) threshold.
  Opinion: Creating more efficient buildings, and retrofitting current ones with advanced technologies, is necessary to prevent the construction of many more emitting plants when new buildings are being constructed all the time. The new buildings may be necessary, but the emissions from their energy use must be avoided.
  

Four the Future - September 12

Today: Grass-waste-to-energy plant, energy audits, historical preservation, and an environmental public survey.

• Biofuel project in Spokane County wins $90,000 grant
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 9, 2010
  Summary: A local company was provided a $90,000 USDA grant to automate the conversion of bluegrass straw into fuel. A 2,000 acre farm could produce enough fuel to recoup the cost of the system in 3-4 years. These electrical generators will become available in about 18 months.
  Opinion: That's a 25% return on investment. You tell me an industry, other than private medical insurance companies and other financial scams, that can do better than that! And now you don't have to burn the straw in the fields. Sounds like an excellent investment in grant monies.
  
• Energy audit can lead to big savings
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 12, 2010
  Summary: Energy audits can save a great deal of money by reducing your need energy without sacrificing comfort. Audits can cause several thousand dollars, and retrofits can cost several thousand more. However, the return on investment can be high, paying off in just a few years. Grants are available to help reduce the cost. You can reduce that cost by reading up.
  Opinion: There are links to other web sites and a book suggestion on the Spokesman site. I know it's hard to contemplate investing thousands of dollars in your home during a recession, especially in a recession focused on the value of your home. But if you still have some equity in your house, this is a good investment to make, since it could potentially save you money each month, and it should only take a few years to pay it off. And it's all money in your pocket after that. You can learn more about starting your own home assessment at the Energy Star web site.
  
• Historic preservation chapter will be added to city's plan
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 11, 2010
  Summary: The City of Millwood has added a historic preservation chapter to its comprehensive plan. Greg Mott said, "We are helping to preserve our community."
  Opinion: Millwood is known for its neighborhood-style physical environment. If the city were to ignore it, nothing in the resulting rules would support it. Soon, main street would be torn down and replaced by a Wal*Mart, simply because the community had failed to say it was important to prevent it. They could make that choice, of course, but it should be a choice, not an oversight. Simply failing to have a historical preservation element in your comprehensive plan is just the same as having one that says, "Tear it down, boys!"
  
• State, tribe conducting survey on lake water
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 12, 2010
  Summary: The State of Idaho and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe are conducting an online survey to see how knowledgeable residents are on water quality and permitting processes. The survey might result in a public education effort.
  Opinion: I know you're all responsible, but merely as a public service announcement, please don't go answer the questions unless you actually live there. Here are some sample questions:
  • What agencies or entities can you think of that have some kind of jurisdiction over activities that affect lake water quality? (multiple choice)
  • What do you know about the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality’s efforts regarding Coeur d’Alene Lake? (essay question)
  • Excess phosphorus and nitrogen flowing into the lake from rivers and streams are a water quality concern (rate 1 to 5)
  Generally, this is the appropriate use of surveys. Personally, I think it's wrong to govern based on opinion polls, but they can be useful to gauge the public's perception of issues.

Four the Future - September 3

Today: Conservation Futures, public safety with a sunny disposition, and energy efficiency projections.

• Proposed park could preserve LL-area hillside
  Source: Liberty Lake Splash; August 18, 2010
  Summary: The failure of the Marshall Chesrown's Legacy Ridge development has left the property in the hands of AmericanWest Bank. The bank has proposed that it be sold to the county through the Conservation Futures program for $2.6 million. It could include a trail system over the hillside between Liberty Lake and Saltese Flats.
  
  
  
  Opinion: Full disclosure: as a city councilmember for Liberty Lake, I lobbied to deny this area’s entry into the urban growth area (which would have allowed it to be developed), and that effort was successful. So, I’m naturally drawn to making it a protected area and preventing it from being developed. County Commissioner Mark Richard even came to Liberty Lake to threaten the city with legal action if we didn’t support bringing it in. So, to have Commissioner Richard making the decision? I seriously doubt it will be protected. On the other hand, this next story indicates it’s unlikely to happen anyway....
• Open space designation fields many nominees in county
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 2, 2010
  Summary: Thirty-six parcels have been nominated to be acquired by Spokane County under the Conservation Futures program. Conservation Futures is funded through a special property tax dedicated to the purchase and preservation of threatened open spaces. The Spokesman-Review web site is making a map and specific parcel list available.
  Opinion: According to purpose of the Conservation Futures program is to "maintain, preserve, conserve and otherwise continue in existence adequate open space lands for the production of food, fiber and forest crops, and to assure the use and enjoyment of natural resources and scenic beauty." The county maintains a statement and park locator. The fact that there are some worthwhile properties available which exceed the available annual funding is more proof that the purchase of the YMCA building in Riverfront Park was unwise. And this unfortunate funding restriction will persist for 20 years unless the park property is repurchased using unrestricted funds and Conservation Futures is refunded.
• Solar panels provide backup power for Liberty Lake police
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 2, 2010
  Summary: The City of Liberty Lake has installed 60 solar panels on the roof of the police station/library building. The police department has a bank of batteries which can power its servers and communications equipment. The solar panels will keep the batteries available for up to 72 hours during a power outage. During normal operation, the solar panels will reduce the amount of energy purchased from Avista. Excess power will be sold back to Avista.
  Opinion: Proof that sustainability and resilience are two sides of the same coin. People who are opposed to sustainability: please explain how losing data access and communications is good for public safety.
• Doing More While Using Less Power
  Source: New York Times; September 1, 2010
  Summary: Energy efficiency is not the same as energy conservation. With conservation, you make do with less. Efficiency means that you can do more with what you already have. Appliances have become more efficient—like refrigerators have, on average become 4% more efficient each year since the 70’s, yet are larger. Light duty vehicles could double their efficiency by 2035. Buildings could use 60% less energy by installing present technologies. One researcher says that the United States could reduce its projected energy needs by 88 percent by 2050.
  Opinion: Reduce by 88 percent. No, I checked. That’s not a typo. As is observed in the article, this is easy stuff but industry seems to be "utterly uninterested." Yes, it can take upfront investment, but what doesn’t? And with up to 40 percent return on investment, there is a serious disconnect here. Perhaps Mayor Newsom’s building efficiency audits would help. It might even help more if the stockholders were informed of ways to make those kinds of margins. Or, better yet, disinvest in poorly performing companies and invest in businesses (and regions) which are more efficient and better prepared to succeed in tight markets.

Four the Future - August 29

• Risk-Taking Rises as Oil Rigs in Gulf Drill Deeper
  Source: New York Times; August 29, 2010
  Summary: Oil rigs have been built farther and farther out into the Gulf of Mexico. However, risks do not increase with increasing depth of drilling, but, instead with greater complexity. While the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon was only a drilling rig, Shell's Perdido rig "can drill and pump oil from wells across 30 miles of ocean floor. Below it is a subsea cityscape of pumps, pipes, valves, manifolds, wellheads and blowout preventers...." Undersea drilling had been deemed safe due to a limited number of reported accidents. But, according to a former industry executive, "Our ability to manage risks hasn't caught up with our ability to explore and produce in deep water."
  Opinion: The issue here is not that they're drilling deeper, but that our energy consumption isn't linked to the risks being experienced. If the nation's petroleum users are willing to take those risks, that's fine, but it should be a conscious decision. Additionally, the full costs associated with those risks should be borne by their consumers. The BP oil spill proves that this nation is not fully allocating those costs, not doing enough to mitigate those risks, nor prepared to deal with the consequences when those risks are realized. Ultimately, when someone argues that it's too expensive to deal with those issues, they're admitting that this nation is not willing to pay the price of our current petroleum addiction.
• Free parking isn't free
  Source: The Spokesman-Review; August 29, 2010
  Summary: Editor Gary Crooks discovers Donald Shoup's "The High Cost of Free Parking." He makes an estimable stab at the topic, laying out the problem with the hidden costs of "free" parking built into everything we buy, and into every time we travel.
  Opinion: the problem is not that it costs money to park, but that local government, through its land use code, has forced such a massive oversupply of parking that it's literally worthless in most places. In addition to being a massive waste of space, it moves every place you want to get to farther apart, necessitating the ownership of a car to get around. You can check it out from the Spokane City Library. Predictably, it's not available at Spokane County or Liberty Lake libraries.
• Homebuilders hope boomers beat a new path to their doors
  Source: The Spokesman-Review; February 7, 2010
  Summary: Homebuilders are pleased that the baby boomers are aging and wanting to downsize their homes. A quarter of the US population will be 55 or older in 2014. While 60 percent want to stay in their homes, the remainder want alternatives. More than 75 percent of these potential homebuyers want to live in the suburbs. They're only wanting to pay $190,000, though--a far cry from the $287,000 the builders want.
  Opinion: They can't live in the suburbs. For the past 50 years, governments have been making rules (which the baby boomers wanted) to prevent this kind of development. They want 1,900 square foot houses, which means that they're only paying $100/square foot which means either: 1) lower quality finishings, which they won't like because they compare unfavorably from what they came from, or 2) less land between the houses, which is not suburbia. They're also likely to be looking for homes with just one floor to make getting around easier. But, that also takes more land for the same space. Plus, they don't have as much equity as they think. If so many baby boomers want to move, the massive number of houses on the market will push prices down. Elected officials have been told this was going to happen for at least a decade, and it takes that long to get substantial change in the land use patterns. But, I guess, at least I'm happy that while the solution has been staring Spokane and the region in the face for a long time, at least there's an article in the newspaper which shows that someone has gotten up to noticing that there might be a problem. (By the way, Liberty Lake has a development on Appleway which may help with this problem despite significant opposition on the council and a self-defeating limit on density.)
• Seattle may create transportation taxing district
  Source: The Seattle Times; August 10, 2010
  Summary: Seattle is considering the creation of a transportation benefit district (TBD) to fund transportation projects within the city. TBD's are permitted to charge a $20 car tab fee without a vote of the people, and up to $100 with a public vote. Additionally, the TBD may also charge 0.2 cent sales tax and property taxes with a public vote.
  Opinion: This is the same type of district that the City of Spokane is considering for its well documented transportation woes (not congestion because the concept of congestion in Spokane is laughable, but asset preservation). There is another TBD in Spokane County already--the Liberty Lake Trails TBD which built a number of trails connecting throughout the community, and, with the help of the city, the pedestrian bridge over the freeway. However, that was an older version of the TBD statute which only authorized a property tax. The $20 car tab fee is new.

Four the Future - January 28

For today: Pearl District, energy efficiency jobs, stimulated tarmac, and high-speed rail.

• What's next for Portland's Pearl District?
  Source: The Oregonian; January 9, 2010
  Summary: Retailers are beginning to move out of northwest Portland's Pearl District. It's not unusual for retails to reassess their positions during a recession, but the Pearl is so new, it feels unusual. The Pearl District was caught up in the bubble--too many condos, too many retailers, high lease rates. The executive director of the business association feels that this has more to do with national trends than local ones. Seventy-five percent of the retailers are local, and their numbers are increasing. Currently, space in the Pearl is going for mid- to high 20 dollars per square foot per year, which is typical of some other neighborhoods in Portland, and lower than on Northwest 23rd. National retailers are looking for rents around $16, however. The Pearl is perceived as a "hoity-toity" neighborhood, but local retailers say it's not.
  Opinion: I saw the Pearl just as it was starting to get off the ground. It was a promising concept. Prior to its renovation, the Pearl District was a warehouse district of little use. Now it has opportunities, the trolley system, and the legacy of a number of property owners who thought they'd make a fortune, and were disappointed because they limited the size of the market through fabulously high prices. Now that the market is correcting, actual middle class and young families will be able to move into downtown Portland. Again, the speculation, the casino capitalism, bit some people. Now it's time to rejuvenate the community by making a neighborhood for regular folks.


• Demand for upgraded energy efficiency at home is weak
  Source: USA Today; January 6, 2010
  Summary: With home construction lagging, companies are looking to upgrade existing houses. But, lacking financial incentives and a sluggish economy, homeowners are not taking them up on it. Last December, President Obama asked for a "cash for caulkers" program which would help reduce energy usage and get jobs for construction workers. On average, 150,000 homes are upgraded each year, mostly on programs to help people with low incomes. The research director for Change to Win says that there are up to 100,000,000 homes which could be improved.
  Opinion: First of all, I'm sceptical about that 100 million figure. With an average of 2.56 people per household (Census, 2007), and a population of 308,563,298 (US Census here and updated continuously), there are only 120.5 million households total in the US. Nevertheless, it is substantially larger than 150,000 that normally get upgraded. Avista provides energy efficiency rebates, so that's one incentive many people can take advantage of. I heard of a proposed program a couple years ago in which people could receive a loan in the amount of the upgrades, but rather than reduce the energy bill right away, the utility would pay back the loan with the reduction in energy costs. The benefits of reduced energy generation is felt immediately, and the cost of providing energy to the residence would eventually go down. Now you can add the benefit of putting people back to work during a recession. And, when the loan is repaid, it replenishes the pool for more upgrades. Hey, maybe Kiva could get involved--they need more people to lend to!


• Stimulus paves the way
  Source: The Spokesman-Review; January 7, 2010
  Summary: Spokane International Airport (GEG) got a rebuilt tarmac courtesy of $14 million of federal stimulus cash and otherwise-unemployed construction workers. According to Senator Patty Murray, a second stimulus bill is being considered. The airport's receipt of the stimulus funding will allow GEG to complete four years worth of projects in just two. TSA has brought in two canine teams which will be used throughout the airport, and full body scanners are on the way.
  Opinion: Accelerating capital projects often saves money because the increase in the cost of construction goes up faster than inflation. (That is a major argument to built light rail now, by the way: it's actually cheaper to build it and operate it than it is to wait until later.) And creating those jobs in a weak economy sure does help not only the construction workers, but also anyone he buys things from. Oh, and regarding the increased security measures...did I mention that you're 200 times more likely to be struck by lightning than be on a plane with someone intent on destroying it?


• Washington to get $590 million for high-speed rail improvements
  Source: The Seattle Times; January 27, 2010
  Summary: Federal stimulus funding will improve passenger rail travel times between Portland, Oregon, and Blaine, Washington, at the U.S.-Canadian border. Only 2 of 3 trips between Portland and Seattle are on time. These improvements are in the hopes of getting that up to 90%. The full corridor is Eugene to Vancouver, British Columbia. Five round trips run from Portland to Seattle each day. Washington and Oregon run Talgo trains capable of 125 miles per hour. Deficiencies in the track, street crossings, and congestion constrain them to only 79 mph.
  Opinion: These are important upgrades to our national infrastructure. The projects produce high wage jobs, support communities, and will be used to leverage private investment. All-in-all a much better investment of deficit dollars than giveaway tax breaks to the richest 1% of our nation.

Four the Future - January 27

In this issue: Wind power, Valley street work, dark skies, and greenhouse lawns?

• Wind Power Grows 39% for the Year
  Source: New York Times; January 26, 2010
  Summary: Due in part to the federal economic stimulus package, wind power generation is up by 9,900 megawatts last year, about 40% of all new generation capacity. Almost 2% of the U.S.'s power comes from wind now; that's behind Europe which is at 5%. Denmark has already reached the European Commission's goal of 20% by 2020, and occasionally produces more wind power than it can consume. About half of the components necessary are produced in the United States, creating 85,000 jobs. Lack of long distance transmission lines hampers development, as the wind is generated mainly in the Midwest and Texas while most energy is consumed on the coasts. Wind could generate five times more energy by 2020. Washington is the fourth-largest producer of wind energy in the United States.
  Opinion: Generating wind power creates electricity from a renewable resource. It creates thousands of jobs, potentially hundreds of thousands. It does not take away food to turn into fuel. It does not release carbon into the atmosphere. The cost is mostly in the construction and installation of the towers and turbines; maintenance is minimal, so it produces exceptionally cheap energy after the initial investment. The disadvantage? It's unpredictable, so some kind of energy storage mechanism must be devised. Creating fuel from electricity anyone?



• Spring will bring more street work to Valley
  Source: The Spokesman-Review; January 25, 2010
  Summary: Three construction projects will hamper auto traffic in the eastern end of the City of Spokane Valley. The intersections of Sprague and Sullivan and Sullivan and Broadway, and the widening of Broadway from Lowe's to Flora will be staged throughout the spring and summer. The intersections will be paved with concrete and partially funded by Spokane Transit Authority. The intersection of Broadway and Flora will be upgraded to a roundabout. There have been complaints about roundabouts, but traffic engineers say they are safer. (The article goes on to say, in a different section, that Bike to Work Week is May 16-22. Organizers are hoping for 1700 participants. It goes on to a third section which says that season weight restrictions are in place due to thawing, and this is earlier than normal.)
  Opinion: Welcome to the era of unending road construction. The reason why Spokane Transit is paying helping pay for the concrete intersections is due to a dubious claim that they are responsible in part for the degradation of the roads they turn on. It was a bribe, coordinated by the members of the Spokane Regional Transportation Council and Spokane Transit board to shift federal transit-only dollars into roads. Jurisdictions are permitted to "flex" monies from highways and transit. Spokane is the only jurisdiction in the United States which was bizarre enough to shift transit dollars to highways. The federal government has looked down on Spokane ever since. This replacement "program," called Cooperative Transit Funding, has shifted literally millions of dollars out of STA into city and county coffers. Then Attorney General Christine Gregoire issued an opinion on whether STA could use the money in this way. She concluded that as long as it was "providing tangible and accountable public transit benefits" it was legal. Let me ask you: what tangible benefit does transit get for the materials in the roadway? (I'll address the other issues another time in more detail, but I did want to say two quick things. 1: get over it people, roundabouts are safe; and 2: yay! bike to work!)


• California Town Receives Rare Award for Fighting Light Pollution
  Source: TriplePundit; December 25, 2010
  Hat-tip: CJ Tyler-Watson
  Summary: The City of Borrego Springs, California, has received a very unusual title: that of International Dark Sky Community. It was granted that distinction by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). A group of volunteers convinced local government, residents, and businesses change their lighting or simply turn them off to help reduce light pollution. Some cities can be seen from 200 miles away because of the glow they cast in the night sky. Borrego Springs is only the second city to receive this honor.
  Opinion: I remember as a child in Odessa, Washington, that just a mile out of town was a spot where no lights could be seen. It was only then that I understood that the Milky Way was very well named. It was stunning! Now, very few children in America know what it looks like. There are other reasons to adopt stronger lighting standards. The American Medical Association has come out in favor of dark skies for medical and public safety reasons. The IDA has a page with a number of lighting standards which can be adopted by local jurisdictions here. The City of Liberty Lake adopted stricter light trespass regulations. Others should consider the same for the safety and health of their residents, even if they couldn't care less about why the Milky Way is named as it is.


• Lawns may contribute to global warming
  Source: The Christian Science Monitor; January 22, 2010
  Summary: While grass is capable of capturing CO₂, four times more carbon is released into the atmosphere due to the production of fertilizers, mowing, leaf blowing, and irrigation. Parks were studied for this particular effort, but it applies equally to home lawns. Results for athletic fields were worse due to the harder use and the need for replanting. Currently, 2% of the continental US is planted in grass.
  Opinion: Yet another reason to cut down on our grass habit. I support highly shared grassy spaces, such as parks. But underutilized personal grassy spaces are expensive to maintain and irrigation has been reducing water quantities in the Spokane River. You can help reduce your water footprint by reducing your grassy area. If you can't do that because of the social pressure, make sure you do not water your grass during the heat of the day during which up to 50% of the water you use evaporates, and don't use more water than is absolutely necessary. Auto-turn-off sensors can be installed in your yard which allows you to eliminate irrigation cycles when it's not necessary. And one last thing: if you go to Seattle during the summer, the grass is brown. Water, water everywhere...but not a drop to waste.

Four the Future - January 25

On Tap: Building demolition, county sued again, smart meters (audio!), and avoiding stimulus funding.

• Bid to save warehouse fails
  Source: The Spokesman-Review; January 24, 2010
  Summary: A warehouse on the southeast corner of Riverside and Division will be demolished to make way for an extension of Riverside Avenue. Developer Dan Spalding attempted to save the building, but Washington State University and the City of Spokane are moving forward to preserve the availability of federal transportation dollars and to prevent the loss of parking for SIRTI. Alternatives were considered and found to be unfeasible. Historic preservation advocates say the process was not respected. The new road, to be called Martin Luther King Jr. Way, will connect Riverside to Trent.
  Opinion: First of all, I have to say that I don't have the skills to determine the historical value of this building. However, I should point out that what this building is in the way of is greater automobile use in downtown Spokane. I'm not sure that's of a very high priority. On the other hand, there is an underutilized area between Trent and the rail line. Let's make this even more complex. Part of the conceptual engineering of the light rail also determined that the building to be demolished was also in the way of that project. All in all, a mess. But, I don't think there's anyone here with bad motives. I have found that it is possible in planning that there are two goods which are incompatible with each other. I have also found that early participation in the process is the most effective way of making sure your voice is heard in the final product. Governments need to be better at letting people know what's going on, yes, but each citizen also has a responsibility. If your circle of concern includes historical buildings, then you have a responsibility to make sure you're involved. Because once they're gone, they're gone.
• Plan change appealed to state hearing board
  Source: The Spokesman-Review; January 21, 2010
  See Also: Four the Future - December 23
  See Also: Four the Future - December 12
  Summary: Spokane County is being sued by Community Addressing Urban Sprawl Excess (CAUSE) in response to the county's recent rezoning of a property near Liberty Lake. The county's comprehensive plan declares the area rural, but Commissioner Mark Richard and an unnamed commissioner voted to allow 6 units per acre, with an additional condition of approval that it not be greater than 5 units per acre.
  Opinion: The unnamed commissioner is Todd Mielke. I'm sure the people up on the south hill would be interested to hear that the commissioners suddenly believe in conditions of approval. To the main point, however: Mielke and Richard ignored the law which only allows one house per 10 acres and now they're being sued for it. No one should be surprised about this. Even Mark Richard knows which way the wind blows when he said that the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board "has a tendency to decide against the county." Well, duh, Mark. When you ignore the comprehensive plan, that happens. And now he'll be using your tax dollars to defend himself in a losing battle because he wants to make a point to developers that he'll do whatever it takes to help them. But, the citizens of this county should learn a lesson, too: that Mielke and Richard are willing to use your resources against you.
• Debate: Do Smart Meters Curb Energy Use?
  Source: National Public Radio; January 8, 2010
  Summary: Google is pushing a new device which can track your energy use, and alert you in real time on your desktop. Using it, a person can see what appliances in your house are driving up your energy costs. (Energy is delivered in an odd way. Imagine that when you went into a grocery store, nothing had a price tag on it. Then, at the end of the month, you'd get a summary bill without any itemization.) The theory is that if you were aware of how much energy you were using, you would reduce. However, the debate comes in when one notices how cheap energy prices are. So, perhaps, you would actually use more. The offered solution? Have a machine make those decisions for you.
  Opinion: Energy prices are low to many people, but part of that is only because there are massive externalities (carbon emissions, habitat destruction, etc. which energy companies are not required to mitigate) and federal subsidies which make it cheap. For commercial buildings, at least, I think it's a pretty good idea to have automated energy usage decision making. I also think that energy companies should be allowed to charge based on the time of day so that our peak energy usage can be reduced (although, still regulated!).
• What We Learned From The Stimulus
  Source: Smart Growth America; retrieved January 25, 2010
  Summary: The amount of work generated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was twice as great per dollar for transit than for highway infrastructure. For every billion dollars spent by the federal government, the Surface Transportation Program (STP) created 8,781 job-months and public transportation dollars created 16,419 job-months. Far more dollars were spent on the "shovel ready" STP projects. Texas received six times more STP funds than transit funds, yet transit created 15 percent more jobs. Transit creates more jobs because they spend less money on land and more on people, projects are more complex, and they buy and maintain vehicles.
  Opinion: A lost opportunity for Spokane. Spokane was ready to build a light rail system. Indeed, construction could have been underway as we speak. But certain "conservative" members of the STA board--most egregiously Al French--and STA CEO (and anti-transit activist) E. Susan Meyer used public dollars to withhold information from the public and purposely failed to educate the public about the light rail vote that they had deliberately obfuscated. (Why conservative in quotation marks? They're not actually conservative in this matter. They're anti-transit, which is much different. Many conservatives embrace light rail because it's more efficient than buses and better for economic development. See Paul Weyrich, for example.) In the end, what did they do? They redirected transit funding to other cities, and left people here unemployed. Way to go, "conservatives!"

Four the future - December 23

Today: energy-neutral housing, energy savings grants, County zoning change, and Spokane GTEC.

You may notice that I'm slowly adding new sources to the report. This edition features four different sources: Wall Street Journal, Sightline Daily, Liberty Lake Splash, and the Spokesman-Review. The Pacific Northwest Inlander, Greenstone, The Lands Council, Spokane Councilmember Jon Snyder and others have contributed in the past. I know The Oregonian is coming up in a future "Four." Stories related to planning are everywhere. If you find one, please comment with it or let me know so I can put it in a future edition.

• Builders Zero In on New Goal of Energy-Neutral Housing
  Source: Wall Street Journal, 091222
  Summary: In the past five years, developments featuring near or zero net grid energy use have sprung up. 40% of US energy usage comes from buildings. They are more expensive to build, the premium is up to 15% for a zero-net building. However, with incentives, return on investment is 12 years. Rural Development Inc. has reduced the cost of energy for their homes to $700/year from $2,700/year. Robert and Monica Fortunato are reducing energy costs by installing insulation which includes paraffin wax which melts and solidifies to moderate temperatures.
  Opinion: Energy is a particularly interesting planning topic because it's as close planners get to physics--where politicians don't get to change the laws no matter how much their campaign contributors complain. One of the restraining issues is that the energy that travels through the wire must be used the very moment it is created--no delay, not even a nanosecond. Since these housing developments use energy at a time unrelated to the time they generate energy (who needs light fixtures on during the day for solar powered houses?), they contribute to the grid. Then they withdraw from the grid when they are underproducing. The advantage of a huge energy infrastructure is that a small group of people can use it as an "energy bank." But what happens when everyone does this? There will be a time when we need to be able to store energy reliably and efficiently. We're not there now. But, at least there is a known path. When there's too much energy entering the grid, we should either create fuels which can store the energy chemically or decommission other energy sources as we take up more base load with alternatives. This is just another challenge that we have in planning. And since this will be highly expensive, we're facing the consequences of inappropriate energy source usage, and we can't simply change the laws to cover our embarrassment, we need to commit to planning and implementing right away.


• A Teachable Moment
  Source: Sightline Daily, 091222
  Summary: Buildings and be energy-efficient, but ultimately they are used by people who need to learn how to use their buildings properly. Grant monies are available to local governments in the State of Washington. Washington State University has Resource Conservation Managers (RCM) who can teach people how to use their buildings in the best way. Olympia School District (OSD) spent $110,000 to support an RCM for two years, and has saved $444,061, leaving $334,000 for educational purposes--very important during lean times. Local governments have until January 15 to apply for grant of up to $75,000.
  Opinion: Not all organizations are as large as OSD, so the grants are for groups of governments to get together and apply. I wonder if any local governments in the Spokane area will band together to save money. There's no shortage of politicians who talk about saving money. Who will walk the talk and become a hero for fiscal responsibility and the environment?


• County approves zone change
  Source: Liberty Lake Splash, 091223
  See Also: Four the Future - December 12
  Summary: A parcel near Liberty Lake has been changed from rural traditional to low density residential. The change was opposed by the Spokane County Planning Commission. The increase allows 5 units on the property, rather than the original 1. Commissioner Mark Richard will "ask the family to consider limiting building height to one-story on the property." The opposition to the change is organized, and has announced its intention to utilize the legal system to enforce the comprehensive plan.
  Opinion: Planning is an inherently political process. While there was an effort to reform planning to make it less political (with the establishment of planning commissions, for instance), politicians opposed to local neighborhood planning don't even bother with the fig leaf anymore. Richard, whose last job was as the lobbyist for the Spokane Home Builders Association, is a prime example with this quote from the article: "I would say they [the Planning Commission] are (sic) advisory, and just like we take input from all over the county, the planning commission is one form of input." That wasn't the intent of the establishment of planning commissions. The planning commission is tasked with accepting the input, then make a decision to take out courthouse politics. But, with elected officials who believe that their power comes from being in the position of decision maker rather than through the moral authority that comes from doing the work of the people, the purpose of the governmental authority matters little. Oh, and asking the family to keep it to one story? Please spare me the nonsense, commissioner. Your opinion doesn't matter outside the courthouse.


• City benefits as commute miles driven take a dive
  Source: Spokesman, 091223
  Summary: The Spokesman-Review editorial staff opines that it's good that Spokane has been recognized for reducing wasteful driving activities--good for economic development, its image, and our health. Spokane formed a Growth and Transportation Efficiency Center (GTEC) and committed to reducing the drive-alone rate by 1,000 within 4 years. It did so in 10 months. Spokane used to have some of the most foul air in the nation, but it's off the worst offenders list since 2005. Originally, efforts to reduce single-occupancy vehicle use was only for rush hour travel, but now it's for all times. There are always calls of "socialism" when bike racks are installed or bus passes are distributed. But, Spokane's methods have worked, despite Spokane's conservative nature.
  Opinion: The GTEC in downtown Spokane is an excellent example of the work of Spokane County Commute Trip Reduction Office. They've always done a great job because we have an countywide program and the staff is so energetic and committed. The reason the original CTR program focused on rush hour was that part of the purpose is to reduce the number and size of roads that need to be constructed--we can save an immense amount of highway dollars by not stuffing all the cars on the road at the same time. But as other concerns like climate change take front stage, reductions in total vehicle miles will be required. There is a misperception in the opinion piece, however. The linkage between conservative opinions and unwillingness to reduce vehicle miles is not real. True conservatives don't mind saving money and being healthy. In fact, the leader of the people who want to build a regional light rail system is staunchly conservative. Please: there is a difference between being conservative and being lazy, self-centered, and childish! I hope that as the economy recovers, we can maintain this great progress.