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Airway Heights, WA is a city shaped by fast-moving traffic and car-centric design—but it’s also one of many communities pushing back against streets that prioritize speed over safety. With recent pedestrian fatalities underscoring the stakes, the city is taking steps to make its roads safer and more equitable for everyone who uses them.

Background

Airway Heights, WA—a young city just west of Spokane and bisected by U.S. Route 2—has long been shaped by car-centric infrastructure. With high-speed traffic, freight movement, and one of the region’s largest racetracks, the city’s design has historically prioritized speed over safety. But that’s beginning to change. In recent years, community leaders and residents have been working to make the city safer and more accessible for all. The urgency is clear: between July and December 2024 alone, three pedestrians were killed on Route 2, highlighting just how dangerous the current design can be.

Photos from the Airway Heights quick-build project

Getting started

Over the past five years, Airway Heights has made significant progress with creating family-friendly routes so that all members of the community can reach every day destinations. In 2019 the city participated in Smart Growth America’s Washington Complete Streets Leadership Academy, which allowed them to explore changes to their community through a quick-build project. Their goal was to slow traffic and encourage non-motorized travel in the area, and they succeeded. The response to the project, which included the use of artwork to create space for pedestrians and the addition of plants to a high-traffic area, was overwhelmingly positive. Over the course of a week, traffic slowed around the project site and over 100 families walked and biked into the demonstration project area in just one day.

Implementing proposed changes

Airway Heights took the momentum from this temporary project to inform permanent changes. The city is working to address the dangers presented by U.S. 2 through collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) on improvements to a segment of the highway to make it safer for those walking, biking, and rolling.

They are also currently working to redesign 6th avenue by integrating several Complete Streets elements like adding sidewalks, a shared use path, and transit stops. Airway Heights has several other Complete Streets projects planned, and are pursuing resources to fill any remaining gaps in funding so they can create a safe, efficient network for all road users.

Thanks to recent progress at the state level, Airway Heights is better positioned to work with WSDOT on implementing Complete Streets and building safer, healthier communities. In 2022, the Washington State Legislature passed the Move Ahead Washington package, which included a Complete Streets requirement directing WSDOT to “improve the safety, mobility, and accessibility of state highways” by embedding Complete Streets principles into projects costing over $500,000.

Airway Heights has also made policy progress at the local level to move Complete Streets work forward. In November 2024, Airway Heights updated their Complete Streets policy to support their current momentum and continue to make changes that address the needs of all community members. They are currently working to update their Comprehensive Plan to specifically prioritize development of an efficient multi-modal transportation network.

Key takeaways

A critical component of Airway Heights’ continued progress has been the collaborative approach they have taken. They engaged the community from the beginning, starting with their quick-build project. This allowed them to make sure the project reflected the wants and needs of the community. Starting with a temporary, low-budget project allowed the city to see how community members were engaging with the new facilities and gather data and lessons learned to inform a permanent solution. By updating its Complete Streets policy and Comprehensive Plan—and with efforts from state legislation—Airway Heights is building a stronger foundation for long-term success.

We look forward to seeing the results of what is currently in the works in Airway Heights, and what they will accomplish in the future!