Council reviews $1.1 million Safe Routes sidewalk work near Francis Scott; principal raised outreach and safety concerns

City staff briefed the Spokane City Council on a Safe Routes to School sidewalk project near Francis Scott during the agenda review meeting, noting the low bid and outreach plans while council members reported the school’s leadership had questions about whether the project would improve safety.

Dan Buller, the staff member who briefed council, said the city received six bids and the low bidder was for $1,100,000. “Low bidder, 1,100,000.0, which sounds like a crazy amount for sidewalk,” Buller said, adding city staff had confirmed the result with the bidders. He described the project alignment as the east side of Rebecca and the north side of Hartson, and said the work includes bump-outs at several locations and some crosswalks.

Buller told the council that construction would not begin until school was out to limit disruptions and that the city had mailed letters to all properties along the alignment and planned to deliver door flyers two to three weeks before construction. He said sidewalk projects include more individualized outreach than typical street overlays, with project-specific notices and illustrations for affected properties.

But Buller also said council members, the communications director and staff had met with the Francis Scott principal, who told them the bump-outs “are really not making it any safer for the kids.” The principal said, according to staff, that the neighborhood has low engagement and that more in-person outreach might have produced additional ideas for safety improvements.

Councilmember Bridal said the principal did not oppose the sidewalk itself but wanted to see additional measures to address traffic safety. “They feel solving the issues of safety in the neighborhood with traffic along Hartson… could have been things differently,” Bridal said. Councilmember Navarrete, who said she lives a block from the school, urged the council to ensure the project will make crossings safer for children: “I just really hope that they are gonna be safer because cars don’t stop for the kids.”

Councilmember Dylan framed the sidewalk as one part of broader safety and neighborhood improvements, noting concurrent projects including East Fifth revitalization and other access work. Buller reiterated that the Safe Routes program’s intent is to “provide sidewalks for kids to get to schools.”

No final vote on the sidewalk was taken during the agenda review; Buller characterized the outreach measures the city used and said staff would continue to engage the school and neighborhood as the project proceeds.