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SPR's Inland Journal for January 19, 2025

As the Spokane Transit Authority searches for its new CEO and the city of Spokane gets ready to welcome its new director of transportation and sustainability, we’re devoting this week’s program to mass transportation.

Deputy Mayor of Spokane Valley Tim Hattenburg
Spokane Transit Authority
Deputy Mayor of Spokane Valley Tim Hattenburg

First, a conversation with Tim Hattenburg, deputy mayor of Spokane Valley, who sits on the STA's Board of Directors. He spoke with SPR's Owen Henderson about how Spokane Transit stacks up compared to its peers.

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Spokane Transit Interim CEO and Chief Planning and Development Officer Karl Otterstrom
Spokane Transit Authority
Spokane Transit Interim CEO and Chief Planning and Development Officer Karl Otterstrom

Second, STA Chief Planning and Development Officer Karl Otterstrom sat down with Henderson to talk about his work as an interim CEO at STA, how he came to work in transit, and how the agency is planning for the next decade.

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A zero emissions CityLine bus at the formal launch of the new rapid transit line on July 18,2023.
Rebecca White/SPR
A zero emissions CityLine bus at the formal launch of the new rapid transit line on July 18,2023.

The third conversation is with Spokane's incoming director of transportation and sustainability, Jon Snyder. He spoke with Henderson about the connection between transit and traffic safety efforts, plus how transportation can be a unifying issue in a divisive time.

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The above map shows the proposed routes for Spokane Reimagine's streetcar plan. The blue line represents Phase 1, the red lines represent Phase 2, and the green lines represent Phase 3.
Spokane Reimagined
The above map shows the proposed routes for Spokane Reimagine's streetcar plan. The blue line represents Phase 1, the red lines represent Phase 2, and the green lines represent Phase 3.

Erik Lowe, founder of Spokane Reimagined, talked to Henderson about what the future might hold for STA and mass transportation in Spokane, including his organization's plan to bring back one of Spokane's original modes of transit: the streetcar.

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Owen Henderson is a 2023 graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he studied journalism with minors in Spanish and theater. Before joining the team at SPR, he worked as the Weekend Edition host for Illinois Public Media, as well as reporting on the arts and LGBTQ+ issues. Having grown up in the Midwest, he’s excited to get acquainted with the Inland Northwest and all that it has to offer. When he’s not in the newsroom or behind the mic, you can find Owen out on the trails hiking or in his kitchen baking bread.