When a fatal crash happens, the road is usually cleared, traffic returns to normal and the incident quickly becomes another entry in a crash report.

Spokane, Washington, is trying a different approach.

The city has launched an Emergency Streets pilot program that will bring temporary traffic-calming measures to the site of a fatal crash within 48 to 72 hours, according to KREM. The goal is to slow drivers, draw attention to what happened and give the city time to study the location before deciding what longer-term safety improvements may be needed.

The program comes as Spokane continues to deal with serious traffic safety concerns. From 2021 through 2025, the city recorded more than 100 fatal crashes and more than 500 serious-injury crashes. In 2025 alone, 22 people died in traffic crashes, including 12 pedestrians, according to the city.

What Happens After a Fatal Crash?

Under the pilot, city crews can quickly install highly visible treatments at a crash site. Those could include traffic cones, bright pink Emergency Streets signs, roadway markings and speed feedback signs.

The temporary setup is expected to remain for about two weeks.

During that time, city staff will monitor traffic conditions, collect speed data and gather feedback from people who live and travel near the site. The city also plans to use the information as part of its broader review of fatal crashes and potential safety improvements.

The idea is simple: Instead of waiting months or years for a permanent project, Spokane wants to make an immediate change while the details of a fatal crash are still fresh.

That could mean narrowing a travel lane, adding visual cues or using other temporary measures designed to encourage drivers to slow down. Earlier plans for the program called for treatments aimed at bringing vehicle speeds closer to 20 mph.

Why Speed Is a Focus

Spokane officials say speed is one of the biggest factors affecting how severe a crash becomes.

Even when a crash cannot be prevented entirely, lowering vehicle speeds can reduce the likelihood that someone involved will suffer a fatal or serious injury. The Emergency Streets program is built around that principle, combining temporary engineering changes with public education and community outreach.

The approach also changes the way the city thinks about a fatal crash.

Rather than treating it as an isolated event that ends once the roadway is reopened, Spokane is treating the crash as a warning that something may need to change.

“The goal of Emergency Streets is to get folks to slow down and understand how safety is a shared responsibility,” Jon Snyder, Spokane's director of Transportation & Sustainability, said in announcing the program.

A Temporary Fix With a Bigger Goal

The installations are not intended to replace permanent safety projects.

Instead, the city sees the two-week deployments as an opportunity to test changes, collect information and start conversations with residents while longer-term solutions are considered. Community members near a treatment site will receive information and be invited to provide feedback through surveys and other outreach.

The pilot is part of Spokane's Vision Zero efforts to eliminate traffic deaths and is scheduled to run through June 30, 2027. Funding comes from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission Speed Management Advisory Cooperative and the Cooper Jones Active Transportation Safety Council, with additional support from the Spokane Regional Health District and other partners.

For Spokane, the bigger question is whether a temporary response can help prevent the next crash.

If the program can identify dangerous conditions sooner, change driver behavior and provide useful data for permanent improvements, a few weeks of cones, signs and markings could become more than a reminder of what happened. They could help point the way toward what needs to happen next.

Source: KREM