In this week's cover story, we take a look at the state of Spokane's bus system, what's working, what isn't, and its future. A key piece our regional mass transit network going forward is the City Line, the long-awaited bus rapid transit project that will run high-frequency all-electric buses along a 6-mile route through downtown.
The bus route, which will run between Browne's Addition and Spokane Community College at intervals of around seven minutes, will also feature pre-board ticketing and new bus shelters. While the buses won't have their own dedicated lanes, the project is projected to garner 1 million rides annually, according to estimates from Spokane Transit Authority (STA). And with sufficient funding lined up — the agency was recently awarded a $53 million federal grant for the project — construction on the project is expected to begin in May. The City Line is slated to be complete by 2022.
And now we know what the all-electric buses for the City Line project will look like. STA has released design renderings of the new buses, as well as some of the bus shelter infrastructure that will dot the route. (More renderings have also been published online by STA.) Take a look below.
