Transportation Chapter

Bellingham needs to work closely with WTA to ensure that bus routes go where people need them and do so efficiently. It feels to me that Bellingham does a lot of its planning around where WTA has existing routes. Take, for example, urban villages, which are zoned near existing transit routes. But it should be the other way around - The city should be able to designate certain areas as underutilized and upzone them, and then WTA should figure out how to provide the area with bus service.

Also, I'm not sure how realistic the city is being trying to discourage single-occupancy vehicle use. I agree, it would be great to live in a walkable community and rely on bikes to get around. But that's just not practical for lots of people, like those with mobility challenges, children to cart around, or who just don't want to get rained on. I'm in favor of reducing parking minimums, but not eliminating them entirely. It's better to provide positive incentives for doing something other than single occupancy vehicles instead of punishing those who do drive by turning the whole city into a parking nightmare.

Another thought - can we eliminate some of the on- and off-ramps to I-5? So much of the traffic and many of the accidents are just from the constant shuffling people do getting on and off. I'd suggest adding an inner lane in each direction, but I don't think that's practical and I'm not sure it would solve the problem. I was always taught (way back when) that the interstate is for longer trips and if you're only going a few miles, it's better to take surface streets, but the number of ramps we have make it tempting to take I-5 even if you're going just a mile or two.

I watched the YouTube video of the plans for redeveloping the Civic Field area and they are exciting! They mentioned that lakeway will someday get a buffered bike lane. I like to commute by bike for fun, exercise, and to reduce my car use. I also drive my car frequently. I support making a safer, protected corridor for bikes along Lakeway, as the current one feels very incomplete and very dangerous. However, I'd be very concerned if you would take away car lanes for bike lanes - we already get large backups and the city isn't done growing. Hopefully you plan to leave the car lanes and find additional space for the bike lane? Could bikes get routed around somehow? Also, where would the buffered bike lane lead? How would it connect to downtown - how will the bikes get under I-5 without needing to merge with traffic? The underpass is too narrow. Will bikes be routed around? Could you build a separate bike tunnel, like the I-90 bike tunnel? (But would it just become a place where people camped and left garbage and needles?) There is not an easy solution that i can see.

I can't tell what the city is doing to work with WSDOT and other agencies to improve I-5 through Bellingham. The onramps and offramps are terrible as a whole. There clearly needs to be a third lane throughout Bellingham. Advocating for improvements to I-5 should be a top priority as this is clearly a safety issue.

Slide 2 mentions eliminating or reducing parking requirements, but it is not mentioned anywhere else in the chapter overview. Where would that concept appear in the plan?

Holly Street! I drive down Holly street almost every week day in the morning (although I admit to sometimes avoiding it now). How many bikes do I see? Usually NONE! Sometimes 2. However, I have seen a few near misses. And NOW, we have the absurd Bay St. traffic revision! Visitors to our city -- and our residents who do not regularly travel on Holly St -- will be stunned at the traffic revision by Bay Street! I was... and I drive it multiple times a week. Who came up with this idea? There WILL be accidents at that location. Further, there will be bike vs. automobile accidents along the unsafe bike lanes.... and the City should be liable for it's crazy planning.

We would greatly benefit from the recreaction of the trolley system in the City of Bellingham. I know it would be costly but it's in Bellingham's legacy and will ease the growing congestion in the city.

I appreciate the difficulty of the problem and the city’s efforts to change traffic- related problems. That said, I have feedback about the downtown bike lanes and traffic revisions. I live in the Sehome neighborhood and have experienced negative impacts on my ability to safely walk the streets around my home. I witnessed an increase in the number of cars using surface streets since the revisions went into effect. During peak traffic times, drivers will use side streets to cut around traffic lines. I was nearly hit by a car involved in an accident on a side street that was the result of fast and inattentive driving. In addition, if I try to enter into traffic along Ellis or Samish Way at certain times of the day, the traffic is backed up and blocks feeder streets. On a more positive note, traffic speed has slowed overall during the day. I have noticed more bicycle use through the neighborhood.
Thank you.