Jordan Hayes-Horton

The Connect Spokane Comprehensive Plan for Public Transportation serves as a guiding policy document and roadmap for Spokane Transit Authority (STA), aiming to advance its mission of providing safe, inclusive, convenient, and efficient public transportation services and its vision of connecting everyone to opportunity for at least the next 30 years. The plan details principles and policies across critical service areas, including High Performance Transit, Fixed-Route, Paratransit, and Flexible Services, as well as system integration, transit equity and inclusion, infrastructure development, communications, revenue and fares management, performance monitoring, regional transportation and land use coordination, sustainability, and safety and security.

The meeting agenda includes a public hearing on the Connect 2035 Strategic Plan draft amendment. Action items involve the approval of financial vouchers, final acceptance of several public works projects including the Mirabeau Transit Center and Route 25 Downtown Layover, and resolutions regarding the Connect Spokane minor update and public records index. The meeting will also feature discussions on the Paratransit operating strategy, committee reports, a CEO report, and an executive session regarding real estate acquisition and collective bargaining strategies.

The Board Operations Committee meeting addressed several procedural and operational items. Key discussions included the review and approval of the committee agenda, committee chair comments, and the review/approval of the February 11, 2026, committee meeting minutes (noting the January 14, 2026, minutes were approved in that session). The committee reviewed the 2026 Board Operations Committee Work Program and discussed next steps for the anticipated review of the agency's bylaws. The agenda for the upcoming April 1, 2026, STA Board Workshop was reviewed. A resolution was presented for a determination that maintaining a public records index is unduly burdensome. Committee chair reports from Planning & Development and Performance Monitoring & External Relations were received. The draft agenda for the March 19, 2026, STA Board Meeting was reviewed for corrections/approval, as was the draft agenda for the next Board Operations Committee Meeting on April 8, 2026. The meeting concluded with a CEO Report and an Executive Session to consider real estate acquisition matters.

Connect Spokane is a comprehensive plan for public transportation by the Spokane Transit Authority, setting a vision and policy framework to guide decisions for at least the next 30 years. The plan focuses on providing safe, inclusive, convenient, and efficient public transportation services, and connecting individuals to opportunities within Spokane area communities. It is structured around key service areas including High Performance Transit, Fixed-Route Service, Paratransit, Flexible Services, and System Integration, alongside programs addressing Transit Equity and Inclusion, System Infrastructure, Communications and Public Input, Revenues and Fares, Monitoring and Improvement, Regional Transportation, Land Use, Economic Development, Sustainability, and Safety & Security.

The key discussion topics included the review of the 2026 Planning & Development Committee Work Program, which governs activities such as the development of the 2027-2032 Transit Development Plan (TDP) and updates on the Wellesley Corridor Development Plan and Connect Spokane minor updates. Other significant items involved receiving an overview of the 2027-2032 TDP process, a report on existing conditions for the Wellesley Corridor Development Plan, a draft review of the Connect Spokane minor update, an update on the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Pilot Project (identifying South Hill Park & Ride as the preferred site), and a presentation on the redistribution of Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 funds for 2021-2024. The committee also reviewed the upcoming February Board Workshop preview and discussed the draft agenda for the March 4, 2026, meeting.