Overall, 2026 is shaping up to be a good year when it comes to active transportation infrastructure that benefits us all, whether you ride two wheels or four.
A river crossing for Children of the Sun and an extension of a Sunset Highway path are on the books for construction in 2026, and this columnist/cyclist is quite excited for both. Experiencing some déjà vu? If so, it’s probably because I wrote a column a year ago that listed those same two projects as the ones I was most looking forward to in 2025.
Sadly, the Sunset Highway path wasn’t started at all and the Washington State Department of Transportation made a lot of progress on the Children of the Sun river crossing, but couldn’t get it over the finish line.
While those two projects remain at the top of my favorites list for 2026 (both are major capital projects and form crucial network connections) there are some other solid plans on deck that I can’t wait to ride.
Children of the Sun at the Spokane River. I hope the bridge – and importantly, the approaches on either end of the bridge – will be completed this year. Once it’s completed, this project will form the most consequential cycling interchange in our county, connecting the Children of the Sun to the Centennial Trail, the upcoming Millwood Trail and an underrated southside trail that parallels Riverton Avenue.
The Sunset Highway path project is split into two phases: phase 1 runs from Spotted Street to Royal Street. Phase 2 was also bumped a year, so it’s now scheduled for construction in 2027. While phase two reaches the Spokane city limits, the city of Airway Heights plans to pick up the mantle with its own bike and pedestrian projects along Highway 2 that will connect to the Spokane trails.
West Spokane. Phase 1 is scheduled for construction this year.
Fish Lake to Centennial Trail connection, phase 1. A trail network isn’t a network until the pieces connect. Currently, the Fish Lake Trail doesn’t connect to the Centennial Trail, the South Gorge Trail or the Sunset Highway Path, which is where this project comes in. Phase 1 will rebuild, widen and add a buffer to a narrow, cracked, overgrown asphalt path running along Government Way. It will also construct a spur connecting the Fish Lake Trail to Thorpe Road, giving trail users access to the residential developments in that area. Phase 2, which the city is hoping to start construction on this year, will wind down the bluff from Government Way to to Latah Creek.
Pacific Avenue greenway, phase 1. This phase constructs a bike-friendly route between Howard Street and Sherman Street, adding bumpouts, greenery and most importantly, enhanced crosswalks at Browne Street and Division Street – both major barriers to active transportation. I often refer to Howard Street as the bicycling north-south freeway, so it’s great to see a connection to it.
Downtown Spokane. Eventually, the Pacific Avenue Greenway will provide a pleasant east-west connection between the Ben Burr Trail and downtown.
Extending Riverside Avenue bike lanes between Monroe Street and Wall Street. The most interesting part of this one is the two-way cycle track on the north side of Riverside to take care of east-bound folks on bikes near the plaza. Today, those folks have no choice but to mix with the car traffic and the buses pulling in and out of bus bays.
A preliminary render of the cycle track steering clear of STA plaza bus bays.
A shared use pathon Wellesley Avenue from Freya Street to Havana Street. This is a good improvement to an area that’s redeveloping. I wish this had a better connection to the Children of the Sun Trail: the route will be indirect and involve some sidewalk riding, but it will be usable. This unfortunately does not connect directly with the path added to Freya Street last year, but it gets close.
Hillyard area paths. Things don’t quite connect optimally, but projects have to start and end somewhere. Bridging these gaps will take political will in the years to come.
Everything else on the books for 2026
- Traffic calming cycle 13, another smattering of crosswalks and bumpouts throughout all three districts.
- Designation of a few streets as neighborhood greenways. I’m hoping these projects are more substantial than paint and signs, but the meager budgets for each project don’t make me particularly optimistic.
- Cook Street between Illinois and Francis avenues in the Bemiss and Whitman neighborhoods ($52,000)
- Adams Street from 5th Avenue to 27th Avenue on the South Hill ($88,000)
- Four pedestrian hybrid beacons that were scheduled for 2025, but were delayed until 2026 for various reasons.
- A safe routes to school project for Flett Middle School, which includes wider bike lanes on Assembly Street and enhanced crosswalks in the area near the VA Hospital.
- Restriped, higher visibility crosswalks at a few dozen intersections across the city. These have been shown to boost safety and are now the recommended design by the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
- Stop lights where Rowan Avenue crosses Maple and Ash streets in the Shadle Park neighborhood.While stop lights are undoubtedly car infrastructure – they are only necessary because Maple and Ash are such busy roads – these two stop lights will ease the crossings for folks on bikes using Rowan as an east-west route and for Ridgeview Elementary students on foot. Unfortunately, the project could increase vehicle traffic on Rowan too, which would make the corridor less friendly for cyclists.
Assuming no projects get bumped to 2027, this year will be comparable to last year and keep us trucking toward better active transportation infrastructure.
What was built in 2025
While I’m still bummed about the Children of the Sun river crossing and Sunset Path delays, we did notch a handful of wins:
- A two-way, protected cycle track on Belt Street between Garland and Wellesley avenues
- Semi-protected bike lanes on Maxwell Avenue and Lincoln Street
- A greenway on Elm in West Central – the first 27x2027 segment by my estimate!
- A shared-use path on Freya Street next to Esmeralda Golf Course
- A contra-flow bike lane on Post in front of City Hall
- Protective barriers added to the Riverside Avenue bike lanes
- Traffic calming cycle 12: a smattering of crosswalks, bumpouts and sidewalk ramps across the city
If you find these topics interesting, check out my unofficial bike infrastructure project tracking tool for projects being done across the county by the various municipalities constructing them.
