CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

Safety

Safety:

-I feel safe when I can walk and run through town parks anytime day or night without the worry of who is living in the bushes or sleeping on the sidewalk.

-I feel safe when there is a low risk of car break ins when parked around town.

-I feel safe when there is protection and support for business owners in downtown from lawless actors.

-I don’t feel safe when I know the homeless do not have a number of different options for housing and support.

-I don’t feel safe when Bellingham doesn’t have clean streets and business districts.

-I dont feel safe when there are no or low consequences for theft, drug use, and break ins.

Safety on our roads

Progress and growth of a small town can bring both positives and negatives. Discovering Bellingham for the first time in 2003 while visiting WWU with our son, we found ourselves drawn to the lifestyle of a city of 60,000 people. The pace of life and feeling safety in a small community convinced us to purchase our home here.Returning in 2014 after retiring from a career that includes living in various international communities, we were amazed and somewhat disappointed to see what growth had brought with it. From our personal experience living and traveling around the world we are aware that…

Pedestrian and bicyclist safety

I would like to see Bellingham be much safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Physical dividers on bike lanes, intuitive crosswalks that stop traffic instead of just confusing many drivers, and more. Making our streets safer for non-motorized traffic will motivate more people not to drive, which is better for congestion and safety.

On December 15, 2025, Bellingham City Council approved the Bellingham Plan. You can learn more on the cob.org/comprehensive-plan. These pages are no longer being updated.