The FLSRV Trails system continues to grow and enhance our community. There is a new addition to our non-motorized pedestrian trail. Twenty-plus years ago the Friends of the Little Spokane Valley Board of Directors and its trails subcommittee dreamed of and designed a trail system throughout the Little Spokane River Valley. The community was invited to participate which it did wholeheartedly. The community wanted trails, it wanted places to walk with connections with schools, neighborhoods, churches, malls, parks, etc. The Board did too! At that time Spokane County included our plans for walkable trails in its Comprehensive Plan.
All these years later, our non-motorized trail system has extended from zero to more than 25 miles. Donations, memberships, grants, and pure hard labor by many volunteers have made the trails vision a solid reality – and pretty darn special, safe and healthful as well. (A downloadable map of the trails is available here.)
Have you seen the new, separated-from-the-road asphalt pathway? It begins at Wandermere Rd. East along the northside of Little Spokane Connector Road down to the current pathway at Little Spokane Drive. The new trail has been built right under our noses without our designing, permit applying, building, or fund- raising. It is foot-ready. It is gorgeous. It replaces a significant missing gap in the trail system. The trail can now be circumnavigated from the Aquatic Center on N. Hatch Rd. to the Little Spokane River at Wandermere Bridge, on past Pine River Park, continuing upstream to Midway Road. (Soon the trail will be extended along Little Spokane Drive beyond the juncture of Little Spokane Dr./ Midway Rd. north to Colbert Rd. which is partially completed.)
Who do we thank? The project was submitted for grant funding by Spokane County with the support of Friends of the Little Spokane River Valley in 2015. According to Brandi Colyar P.E., Capital Projects Program Manager for Spokane County Public Works: “Your ability to demonstrate community support by showing that it was included in your master plan was beneficial to the project selection” The Spokane Regional Transportation Council set aside funding and received more funding from the Surface Transportation Block Grant. The county contributed additional funding. Total cost for this project: $542,100. FLSRV’s logo of the striding, hiking- booted Blue heron is animated as the bird raises both wings in salute to the project’s many contributors! And our community of humans salutes all involved with a glad “thank you” too!
