Holly Street Bike Lane Pilot

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Starting in May, the City of Bellingham will be piloting a new bike lane on Holly Street from Ellis to Bay Street to improve safety, mobility, and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians to and through downtown. (Image above is a visualization of the proposed project at Holly Street and Railroad.)

The pilot will include:

  • Changes to the traffic lights to make pedestrian crossings safer
  • Protected bike lanes between Ellis Street and State Street
  • Parking protected bike lanes between State Street and Bay Street

The bike lane installation will take away one lane of traffic through the corridor but will not result in any changes to the number of parking spots downtown.

Public Input

This project is a pilot test to understand the impacts to biking behavior, perceived safety, and impacts to traffic downtown. Throughout the summer, Public Works will be collecting traffic data to understand the impacts to bikers, drivers, and pedestrians. The City is also collecting feedback from the community about how safe the bike lanes make moving on Holly Street feel for all users. This information will be evaluated in the early fall to decide the final design of a capital project.

The Survey is now closed. A draft report is available to review here.

The Details

  • Pilot Period: May - Fall 2024 to evaluate effectiveness through a summer season.
  • Lane Configurations:
    • Ellis to State St.: Buffered bike lane with striped buffer zone separating cyclists from traffic.
    • State to Bay St.: Parking protected separated bike lane with physical barrier between parked cars and cyclists (maximized safety).
  • Traffic Flow:
    • Reduced driving lanes: 2 lanes (Ellis to Commercial)
    • 1 lane (Commercial to Bay) to accommodate bike lanes
    • No changes to on-street parking availability
  • Safety Enhancements:
    • Leading Pedestrian Indicators (LPIs) at intersections for improved pedestrian & cyclist visibility during crosswalks.
    • Traffic studies to analyze traffic flow and speed impacts.

Starting in May, the City of Bellingham will be piloting a new bike lane on Holly Street from Ellis to Bay Street to improve safety, mobility, and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians to and through downtown. (Image above is a visualization of the proposed project at Holly Street and Railroad.)

The pilot will include:

  • Changes to the traffic lights to make pedestrian crossings safer
  • Protected bike lanes between Ellis Street and State Street
  • Parking protected bike lanes between State Street and Bay Street

The bike lane installation will take away one lane of traffic through the corridor but will not result in any changes to the number of parking spots downtown.

Public Input

This project is a pilot test to understand the impacts to biking behavior, perceived safety, and impacts to traffic downtown. Throughout the summer, Public Works will be collecting traffic data to understand the impacts to bikers, drivers, and pedestrians. The City is also collecting feedback from the community about how safe the bike lanes make moving on Holly Street feel for all users. This information will be evaluated in the early fall to decide the final design of a capital project.

The Survey is now closed. A draft report is available to review here.

The Details

  • Pilot Period: May - Fall 2024 to evaluate effectiveness through a summer season.
  • Lane Configurations:
    • Ellis to State St.: Buffered bike lane with striped buffer zone separating cyclists from traffic.
    • State to Bay St.: Parking protected separated bike lane with physical barrier between parked cars and cyclists (maximized safety).
  • Traffic Flow:
    • Reduced driving lanes: 2 lanes (Ellis to Commercial)
    • 1 lane (Commercial to Bay) to accommodate bike lanes
    • No changes to on-street parking availability
  • Safety Enhancements:
    • Leading Pedestrian Indicators (LPIs) at intersections for improved pedestrian & cyclist visibility during crosswalks.
    • Traffic studies to analyze traffic flow and speed impacts.

Questions

Ask questions about the project to the project team. To give feedback about the bike lane pilot, please take the survey.

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  • Share In answer to your response about the “streateries ”..why does there need to be evaluation about the best path forward?? We need our streets and sidewalks back. Those restaurants do not own the streets and the sidewalks and should not be allowed to do business on them!! I certainly would not be allowed to set up a tent and sell wares or food!!! on Facebook Share In answer to your response about the “streateries ”..why does there need to be evaluation about the best path forward?? We need our streets and sidewalks back. Those restaurants do not own the streets and the sidewalks and should not be allowed to do business on them!! I certainly would not be allowed to set up a tent and sell wares or food!!! on Twitter Share In answer to your response about the “streateries ”..why does there need to be evaluation about the best path forward?? We need our streets and sidewalks back. Those restaurants do not own the streets and the sidewalks and should not be allowed to do business on them!! I certainly would not be allowed to set up a tent and sell wares or food!!! on Linkedin Email In answer to your response about the “streateries ”..why does there need to be evaluation about the best path forward?? We need our streets and sidewalks back. Those restaurants do not own the streets and the sidewalks and should not be allowed to do business on them!! I certainly would not be allowed to set up a tent and sell wares or food!!! link

    In answer to your response about the “streateries ”..why does there need to be evaluation about the best path forward?? We need our streets and sidewalks back. Those restaurants do not own the streets and the sidewalks and should not be allowed to do business on them!! I certainly would not be allowed to set up a tent and sell wares or food!!!

    Nom de plume asked 5 months ago

    The streateries were issued permits. We are working on the best path forward for the function of the street and for the downtown community. 

  • Share So 12000 cars use Holly a day. And how many bikes? 12? 120? And how many of those bikes pay road taxes and licensing fees? Once again a whiny vocal minority who do not contribute a dime screw those paying the way. Waiting for Atlas to shrug... on Facebook Share So 12000 cars use Holly a day. And how many bikes? 12? 120? And how many of those bikes pay road taxes and licensing fees? Once again a whiny vocal minority who do not contribute a dime screw those paying the way. Waiting for Atlas to shrug... on Twitter Share So 12000 cars use Holly a day. And how many bikes? 12? 120? And how many of those bikes pay road taxes and licensing fees? Once again a whiny vocal minority who do not contribute a dime screw those paying the way. Waiting for Atlas to shrug... on Linkedin Email So 12000 cars use Holly a day. And how many bikes? 12? 120? And how many of those bikes pay road taxes and licensing fees? Once again a whiny vocal minority who do not contribute a dime screw those paying the way. Waiting for Atlas to shrug... link

    So 12000 cars use Holly a day. And how many bikes? 12? 120? And how many of those bikes pay road taxes and licensing fees? Once again a whiny vocal minority who do not contribute a dime screw those paying the way. Waiting for Atlas to shrug...

    Poppy L asked 5 months ago

    We will be doing counts at the end of the pilot to see if there has been a change in the number of bikers on Holly Street. 

  • Share "Thank you for that feedback. We will make sure this comment is included in the final report. we will definitely be taking into account how much the new bike lane is actually getting used." No...you won't listen and change unecessary road closures!...every single lane closure, road diet that the COB has implemented is still being forced on the citizens. Bike riders now have 50% of road capacity...I am tired of COB saying they are gpoing to change the weather (climate change) by creating MORE traffic congestion in a GROWING city....stop this bike lane nonsene. STOP closing traffing lanes! on Facebook Share "Thank you for that feedback. We will make sure this comment is included in the final report. we will definitely be taking into account how much the new bike lane is actually getting used." No...you won't listen and change unecessary road closures!...every single lane closure, road diet that the COB has implemented is still being forced on the citizens. Bike riders now have 50% of road capacity...I am tired of COB saying they are gpoing to change the weather (climate change) by creating MORE traffic congestion in a GROWING city....stop this bike lane nonsene. STOP closing traffing lanes! on Twitter Share "Thank you for that feedback. We will make sure this comment is included in the final report. we will definitely be taking into account how much the new bike lane is actually getting used." No...you won't listen and change unecessary road closures!...every single lane closure, road diet that the COB has implemented is still being forced on the citizens. Bike riders now have 50% of road capacity...I am tired of COB saying they are gpoing to change the weather (climate change) by creating MORE traffic congestion in a GROWING city....stop this bike lane nonsene. STOP closing traffing lanes! on Linkedin Email "Thank you for that feedback. We will make sure this comment is included in the final report. we will definitely be taking into account how much the new bike lane is actually getting used." No...you won't listen and change unecessary road closures!...every single lane closure, road diet that the COB has implemented is still being forced on the citizens. Bike riders now have 50% of road capacity...I am tired of COB saying they are gpoing to change the weather (climate change) by creating MORE traffic congestion in a GROWING city....stop this bike lane nonsene. STOP closing traffing lanes! link

    "Thank you for that feedback. We will make sure this comment is included in the final report. we will definitely be taking into account how much the new bike lane is actually getting used." No...you won't listen and change unecessary road closures!...every single lane closure, road diet that the COB has implemented is still being forced on the citizens. Bike riders now have 50% of road capacity...I am tired of COB saying they are gpoing to change the weather (climate change) by creating MORE traffic congestion in a GROWING city....stop this bike lane nonsene. STOP closing traffing lanes!

    BellingHamster asked 6 months ago

    We have been listening to comments and have been making changes to try and make the pilot run more smoothly. The direction for increasing the biking network and opportunities for alternative transportation stem from our Comprehensive Plan, Climate Plans, and the Bike and Ped Master Plans. We are going to take the community feedback into account on this project to make sure that the final design works well for the corridor. 

  • Share Has a counter been installed to track how many bikes are using the lane on a daily bases? We count cars all the time, shouldn't we count bikes to see if the impact on vehicle traffic is worth having the bike lane? If the usage is low, then why have a lane? Just welcome bikes on the road with cars. Speed is low in the downtown corridor. on Facebook Share Has a counter been installed to track how many bikes are using the lane on a daily bases? We count cars all the time, shouldn't we count bikes to see if the impact on vehicle traffic is worth having the bike lane? If the usage is low, then why have a lane? Just welcome bikes on the road with cars. Speed is low in the downtown corridor. on Twitter Share Has a counter been installed to track how many bikes are using the lane on a daily bases? We count cars all the time, shouldn't we count bikes to see if the impact on vehicle traffic is worth having the bike lane? If the usage is low, then why have a lane? Just welcome bikes on the road with cars. Speed is low in the downtown corridor. on Linkedin Email Has a counter been installed to track how many bikes are using the lane on a daily bases? We count cars all the time, shouldn't we count bikes to see if the impact on vehicle traffic is worth having the bike lane? If the usage is low, then why have a lane? Just welcome bikes on the road with cars. Speed is low in the downtown corridor. link

    Has a counter been installed to track how many bikes are using the lane on a daily bases? We count cars all the time, shouldn't we count bikes to see if the impact on vehicle traffic is worth having the bike lane? If the usage is low, then why have a lane? Just welcome bikes on the road with cars. Speed is low in the downtown corridor.

    Cecelia asked 5 months ago

    We did counting ahead of the project and are planning a second count this summer to see if there has been any change to the number of bikers on the street when we do the final analysis. 

  • Share A ridiculous use of tax dollars with poor planning, lack of common sense and failure to solicit feedback before implementation. And before you cite that "[T]his project actually stems from the community-built Bicycle Master Plan," read back through the comments to discover that the Bicycle Master Plan must be devoid of common sense and a serious lack of public input. I'm skeptical that this plan had more than 4 contributors in its development. By increasing the number of cars idling at poorly timed lights (has anyone made it down Holly through more than ONE stoplight?!?), you've contributed to more pollution being belched into our atmosphere than before this stupid revision. COB talks a great game in making it seem a climate friendly city, then implements plans/revisions/ordinances that negate any potential benefit. And this project will likely have a detrimental impact on downtown businesses as shoppers avoid the headache of driving down Holly. Who cares that the project didn't impact the number of parking spaces available to shoppers? It's going to negatively impact the number of shoppers downtown. Period. Kill this ridiculous project before the pilot program ends. We need a strong dose of common sense injected into our city government. on Facebook Share A ridiculous use of tax dollars with poor planning, lack of common sense and failure to solicit feedback before implementation. And before you cite that "[T]his project actually stems from the community-built Bicycle Master Plan," read back through the comments to discover that the Bicycle Master Plan must be devoid of common sense and a serious lack of public input. I'm skeptical that this plan had more than 4 contributors in its development. By increasing the number of cars idling at poorly timed lights (has anyone made it down Holly through more than ONE stoplight?!?), you've contributed to more pollution being belched into our atmosphere than before this stupid revision. COB talks a great game in making it seem a climate friendly city, then implements plans/revisions/ordinances that negate any potential benefit. And this project will likely have a detrimental impact on downtown businesses as shoppers avoid the headache of driving down Holly. Who cares that the project didn't impact the number of parking spaces available to shoppers? It's going to negatively impact the number of shoppers downtown. Period. Kill this ridiculous project before the pilot program ends. We need a strong dose of common sense injected into our city government. on Twitter Share A ridiculous use of tax dollars with poor planning, lack of common sense and failure to solicit feedback before implementation. And before you cite that "[T]his project actually stems from the community-built Bicycle Master Plan," read back through the comments to discover that the Bicycle Master Plan must be devoid of common sense and a serious lack of public input. I'm skeptical that this plan had more than 4 contributors in its development. By increasing the number of cars idling at poorly timed lights (has anyone made it down Holly through more than ONE stoplight?!?), you've contributed to more pollution being belched into our atmosphere than before this stupid revision. COB talks a great game in making it seem a climate friendly city, then implements plans/revisions/ordinances that negate any potential benefit. And this project will likely have a detrimental impact on downtown businesses as shoppers avoid the headache of driving down Holly. Who cares that the project didn't impact the number of parking spaces available to shoppers? It's going to negatively impact the number of shoppers downtown. Period. Kill this ridiculous project before the pilot program ends. We need a strong dose of common sense injected into our city government. on Linkedin Email A ridiculous use of tax dollars with poor planning, lack of common sense and failure to solicit feedback before implementation. And before you cite that "[T]his project actually stems from the community-built Bicycle Master Plan," read back through the comments to discover that the Bicycle Master Plan must be devoid of common sense and a serious lack of public input. I'm skeptical that this plan had more than 4 contributors in its development. By increasing the number of cars idling at poorly timed lights (has anyone made it down Holly through more than ONE stoplight?!?), you've contributed to more pollution being belched into our atmosphere than before this stupid revision. COB talks a great game in making it seem a climate friendly city, then implements plans/revisions/ordinances that negate any potential benefit. And this project will likely have a detrimental impact on downtown businesses as shoppers avoid the headache of driving down Holly. Who cares that the project didn't impact the number of parking spaces available to shoppers? It's going to negatively impact the number of shoppers downtown. Period. Kill this ridiculous project before the pilot program ends. We need a strong dose of common sense injected into our city government. link

    A ridiculous use of tax dollars with poor planning, lack of common sense and failure to solicit feedback before implementation. And before you cite that "[T]his project actually stems from the community-built Bicycle Master Plan," read back through the comments to discover that the Bicycle Master Plan must be devoid of common sense and a serious lack of public input. I'm skeptical that this plan had more than 4 contributors in its development. By increasing the number of cars idling at poorly timed lights (has anyone made it down Holly through more than ONE stoplight?!?), you've contributed to more pollution being belched into our atmosphere than before this stupid revision. COB talks a great game in making it seem a climate friendly city, then implements plans/revisions/ordinances that negate any potential benefit. And this project will likely have a detrimental impact on downtown businesses as shoppers avoid the headache of driving down Holly. Who cares that the project didn't impact the number of parking spaces available to shoppers? It's going to negatively impact the number of shoppers downtown. Period. Kill this ridiculous project before the pilot program ends. We need a strong dose of common sense injected into our city government.

    Gobsmacked asked 6 months ago

    Thank you for your comment. The Bicycle Master Plan was developed with a lot of feedback opportunities and input from the community. Thank you for your comments- we will include it in the final report. 

  • Share I would like to know how to find out if the Council was presented with the possible downsides of this project before they unanimously approved it? It seems to have made my driving experience more dangerous and unpleasant than I could have imagined. It seems much more unsafe for bike riders (I've already seen one close call). Please undo. on Facebook Share I would like to know how to find out if the Council was presented with the possible downsides of this project before they unanimously approved it? It seems to have made my driving experience more dangerous and unpleasant than I could have imagined. It seems much more unsafe for bike riders (I've already seen one close call). Please undo. on Twitter Share I would like to know how to find out if the Council was presented with the possible downsides of this project before they unanimously approved it? It seems to have made my driving experience more dangerous and unpleasant than I could have imagined. It seems much more unsafe for bike riders (I've already seen one close call). Please undo. on Linkedin Email I would like to know how to find out if the Council was presented with the possible downsides of this project before they unanimously approved it? It seems to have made my driving experience more dangerous and unpleasant than I could have imagined. It seems much more unsafe for bike riders (I've already seen one close call). Please undo. link

    I would like to know how to find out if the Council was presented with the possible downsides of this project before they unanimously approved it? It seems to have made my driving experience more dangerous and unpleasant than I could have imagined. It seems much more unsafe for bike riders (I've already seen one close call). Please undo.

    achester asked 6 months ago

    Council did receive a presentation before implementation. Your feedback is noted and will be included in the final report. 

  • Share Do you consider the needs and wants of all Bellingham citizens when making decisions on very important transportation works? Or just the 3% of people like me who like to ride a bike into or thru downtown? I bike all over town, and I think the changes to Holly Street are incredibly naive. You've taken THE MAJOR road thru the center of B'ham, that connects the South/East neighborhoods to the North/NW, and reduced it down to 2 lanes, and then 1 lane!!!!! Let me say that again, what was once THREE lanes from Ellis to Bay streets is now 1 or 2 lanes. So you have in effect reduced the vehicle capacity by more than 50%. I like to bike, but not down streets that are bumper to bumper with cars for many hours of the day. I much prefer to bike on streets that are NOT a major arterial. When I have biked down Holly Street in the past, I would prefer to be in the vehicle lanes, riding with traffic and making sure all vehicles can see me. Now I don't want to bike down Holly Street, The bike lanes are awkward at best, dangerous at worst. In the past, and now, I much prefer to bike on Magnolia, Ellis, Cornwall, the trail along Whatcom Creek, Railroad, etc., depending on where I'm going. There are many options for biking. As a bicyclist, I don't need to be on the same roads that were designed to move motor vehicles efficiently thru an area. You negatively effected 1,000's of drivers to please a couple hundred bicyclists. Probably less. I drive, ride the bus, and pedal thru and near Holly St, you have made all options worse. I know there are bicyclists that applaud any traffic work that has the work "bike" in the definition. But these bicyclists are only looking at it from their perspective. A perspective that is only shared by a very small % of the citizens. More people are not going to bike on Holly St because of the changes. But you have made driving and riding the bus take longer. Yes, the bus. I like to ride the bus too, but now it takes buses longer to get down Holly St. The money spent on the bike lanes on Holly St would have been much better spent on fixing streets, offering bus service later at night, offering more frequent buses, preemptively replacing the bridge on Electric Ave. Wow, that whole bridge needs replaced. The traffic impact of having that street closed is going to drastically impact Woburn, Lakeway, and Alabama. Negatively effecting 1,000's of drivers per day. You want to see how 1,000's of people feel about the Holly St bike lanes? Put a big banner across the street, with a very short message asking people to go to a website and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to the changes. A rationale and realistic gov't is what the people want. ps, You keep the restaurant dining on the streets so Holly squeezes down to 1 lane?? Does someone in the Public Works Dept have a relative that owns one of those restaurants? on Facebook Share Do you consider the needs and wants of all Bellingham citizens when making decisions on very important transportation works? Or just the 3% of people like me who like to ride a bike into or thru downtown? I bike all over town, and I think the changes to Holly Street are incredibly naive. You've taken THE MAJOR road thru the center of B'ham, that connects the South/East neighborhoods to the North/NW, and reduced it down to 2 lanes, and then 1 lane!!!!! Let me say that again, what was once THREE lanes from Ellis to Bay streets is now 1 or 2 lanes. So you have in effect reduced the vehicle capacity by more than 50%. I like to bike, but not down streets that are bumper to bumper with cars for many hours of the day. I much prefer to bike on streets that are NOT a major arterial. When I have biked down Holly Street in the past, I would prefer to be in the vehicle lanes, riding with traffic and making sure all vehicles can see me. Now I don't want to bike down Holly Street, The bike lanes are awkward at best, dangerous at worst. In the past, and now, I much prefer to bike on Magnolia, Ellis, Cornwall, the trail along Whatcom Creek, Railroad, etc., depending on where I'm going. There are many options for biking. As a bicyclist, I don't need to be on the same roads that were designed to move motor vehicles efficiently thru an area. You negatively effected 1,000's of drivers to please a couple hundred bicyclists. Probably less. I drive, ride the bus, and pedal thru and near Holly St, you have made all options worse. I know there are bicyclists that applaud any traffic work that has the work "bike" in the definition. But these bicyclists are only looking at it from their perspective. A perspective that is only shared by a very small % of the citizens. More people are not going to bike on Holly St because of the changes. But you have made driving and riding the bus take longer. Yes, the bus. I like to ride the bus too, but now it takes buses longer to get down Holly St. The money spent on the bike lanes on Holly St would have been much better spent on fixing streets, offering bus service later at night, offering more frequent buses, preemptively replacing the bridge on Electric Ave. Wow, that whole bridge needs replaced. The traffic impact of having that street closed is going to drastically impact Woburn, Lakeway, and Alabama. Negatively effecting 1,000's of drivers per day. You want to see how 1,000's of people feel about the Holly St bike lanes? Put a big banner across the street, with a very short message asking people to go to a website and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to the changes. A rationale and realistic gov't is what the people want. ps, You keep the restaurant dining on the streets so Holly squeezes down to 1 lane?? Does someone in the Public Works Dept have a relative that owns one of those restaurants? on Twitter Share Do you consider the needs and wants of all Bellingham citizens when making decisions on very important transportation works? Or just the 3% of people like me who like to ride a bike into or thru downtown? I bike all over town, and I think the changes to Holly Street are incredibly naive. You've taken THE MAJOR road thru the center of B'ham, that connects the South/East neighborhoods to the North/NW, and reduced it down to 2 lanes, and then 1 lane!!!!! Let me say that again, what was once THREE lanes from Ellis to Bay streets is now 1 or 2 lanes. So you have in effect reduced the vehicle capacity by more than 50%. I like to bike, but not down streets that are bumper to bumper with cars for many hours of the day. I much prefer to bike on streets that are NOT a major arterial. When I have biked down Holly Street in the past, I would prefer to be in the vehicle lanes, riding with traffic and making sure all vehicles can see me. Now I don't want to bike down Holly Street, The bike lanes are awkward at best, dangerous at worst. In the past, and now, I much prefer to bike on Magnolia, Ellis, Cornwall, the trail along Whatcom Creek, Railroad, etc., depending on where I'm going. There are many options for biking. As a bicyclist, I don't need to be on the same roads that were designed to move motor vehicles efficiently thru an area. You negatively effected 1,000's of drivers to please a couple hundred bicyclists. Probably less. I drive, ride the bus, and pedal thru and near Holly St, you have made all options worse. I know there are bicyclists that applaud any traffic work that has the work "bike" in the definition. But these bicyclists are only looking at it from their perspective. A perspective that is only shared by a very small % of the citizens. More people are not going to bike on Holly St because of the changes. But you have made driving and riding the bus take longer. Yes, the bus. I like to ride the bus too, but now it takes buses longer to get down Holly St. The money spent on the bike lanes on Holly St would have been much better spent on fixing streets, offering bus service later at night, offering more frequent buses, preemptively replacing the bridge on Electric Ave. Wow, that whole bridge needs replaced. The traffic impact of having that street closed is going to drastically impact Woburn, Lakeway, and Alabama. Negatively effecting 1,000's of drivers per day. You want to see how 1,000's of people feel about the Holly St bike lanes? Put a big banner across the street, with a very short message asking people to go to a website and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to the changes. A rationale and realistic gov't is what the people want. ps, You keep the restaurant dining on the streets so Holly squeezes down to 1 lane?? Does someone in the Public Works Dept have a relative that owns one of those restaurants? on Linkedin Email Do you consider the needs and wants of all Bellingham citizens when making decisions on very important transportation works? Or just the 3% of people like me who like to ride a bike into or thru downtown? I bike all over town, and I think the changes to Holly Street are incredibly naive. You've taken THE MAJOR road thru the center of B'ham, that connects the South/East neighborhoods to the North/NW, and reduced it down to 2 lanes, and then 1 lane!!!!! Let me say that again, what was once THREE lanes from Ellis to Bay streets is now 1 or 2 lanes. So you have in effect reduced the vehicle capacity by more than 50%. I like to bike, but not down streets that are bumper to bumper with cars for many hours of the day. I much prefer to bike on streets that are NOT a major arterial. When I have biked down Holly Street in the past, I would prefer to be in the vehicle lanes, riding with traffic and making sure all vehicles can see me. Now I don't want to bike down Holly Street, The bike lanes are awkward at best, dangerous at worst. In the past, and now, I much prefer to bike on Magnolia, Ellis, Cornwall, the trail along Whatcom Creek, Railroad, etc., depending on where I'm going. There are many options for biking. As a bicyclist, I don't need to be on the same roads that were designed to move motor vehicles efficiently thru an area. You negatively effected 1,000's of drivers to please a couple hundred bicyclists. Probably less. I drive, ride the bus, and pedal thru and near Holly St, you have made all options worse. I know there are bicyclists that applaud any traffic work that has the work "bike" in the definition. But these bicyclists are only looking at it from their perspective. A perspective that is only shared by a very small % of the citizens. More people are not going to bike on Holly St because of the changes. But you have made driving and riding the bus take longer. Yes, the bus. I like to ride the bus too, but now it takes buses longer to get down Holly St. The money spent on the bike lanes on Holly St would have been much better spent on fixing streets, offering bus service later at night, offering more frequent buses, preemptively replacing the bridge on Electric Ave. Wow, that whole bridge needs replaced. The traffic impact of having that street closed is going to drastically impact Woburn, Lakeway, and Alabama. Negatively effecting 1,000's of drivers per day. You want to see how 1,000's of people feel about the Holly St bike lanes? Put a big banner across the street, with a very short message asking people to go to a website and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to the changes. A rationale and realistic gov't is what the people want. ps, You keep the restaurant dining on the streets so Holly squeezes down to 1 lane?? Does someone in the Public Works Dept have a relative that owns one of those restaurants? link

    Do you consider the needs and wants of all Bellingham citizens when making decisions on very important transportation works? Or just the 3% of people like me who like to ride a bike into or thru downtown? I bike all over town, and I think the changes to Holly Street are incredibly naive. You've taken THE MAJOR road thru the center of B'ham, that connects the South/East neighborhoods to the North/NW, and reduced it down to 2 lanes, and then 1 lane!!!!! Let me say that again, what was once THREE lanes from Ellis to Bay streets is now 1 or 2 lanes. So you have in effect reduced the vehicle capacity by more than 50%. I like to bike, but not down streets that are bumper to bumper with cars for many hours of the day. I much prefer to bike on streets that are NOT a major arterial. When I have biked down Holly Street in the past, I would prefer to be in the vehicle lanes, riding with traffic and making sure all vehicles can see me. Now I don't want to bike down Holly Street, The bike lanes are awkward at best, dangerous at worst. In the past, and now, I much prefer to bike on Magnolia, Ellis, Cornwall, the trail along Whatcom Creek, Railroad, etc., depending on where I'm going. There are many options for biking. As a bicyclist, I don't need to be on the same roads that were designed to move motor vehicles efficiently thru an area. You negatively effected 1,000's of drivers to please a couple hundred bicyclists. Probably less. I drive, ride the bus, and pedal thru and near Holly St, you have made all options worse. I know there are bicyclists that applaud any traffic work that has the work "bike" in the definition. But these bicyclists are only looking at it from their perspective. A perspective that is only shared by a very small % of the citizens. More people are not going to bike on Holly St because of the changes. But you have made driving and riding the bus take longer. Yes, the bus. I like to ride the bus too, but now it takes buses longer to get down Holly St. The money spent on the bike lanes on Holly St would have been much better spent on fixing streets, offering bus service later at night, offering more frequent buses, preemptively replacing the bridge on Electric Ave. Wow, that whole bridge needs replaced. The traffic impact of having that street closed is going to drastically impact Woburn, Lakeway, and Alabama. Negatively effecting 1,000's of drivers per day. You want to see how 1,000's of people feel about the Holly St bike lanes? Put a big banner across the street, with a very short message asking people to go to a website and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to the changes. A rationale and realistic gov't is what the people want. ps, You keep the restaurant dining on the streets so Holly squeezes down to 1 lane?? Does someone in the Public Works Dept have a relative that owns one of those restaurants?

    Downtown Bound asked 6 months ago

    Thank you for this feedback. I will make sure it is in the final report. 

  • Share I have already taken the survey, but wanted to provide some feedback post-parking removal leading into intersections. As a daily commuter down Holly, I was comfortable biking on Holly prior to the bike lanes, but appreciate the dedicated space. Yesterday I saw an adult with a child around 5 on a co-pilot bike which made me smile - this is exactly the demographic the bike lane is for! I also occasionally lead group rides and pre-bike lanes on Holly we would avoid that street all together. Since having the bike lanes installed, we have done three group rides that went down Holly! I drive down Holly about once or twice a week and haven't been too impacted by congestions. Instead of getting stopped by a light lower on Holly, I find that I get stopped at one light higher up on the Street but travel time is still the same. As for on a bike, my travel time is faster! Thank you for this pilot project and the dedication to adding bike lanes throughout Bellingham. I hope the pilot project turns into a permanent solution. on Facebook Share I have already taken the survey, but wanted to provide some feedback post-parking removal leading into intersections. As a daily commuter down Holly, I was comfortable biking on Holly prior to the bike lanes, but appreciate the dedicated space. Yesterday I saw an adult with a child around 5 on a co-pilot bike which made me smile - this is exactly the demographic the bike lane is for! I also occasionally lead group rides and pre-bike lanes on Holly we would avoid that street all together. Since having the bike lanes installed, we have done three group rides that went down Holly! I drive down Holly about once or twice a week and haven't been too impacted by congestions. Instead of getting stopped by a light lower on Holly, I find that I get stopped at one light higher up on the Street but travel time is still the same. As for on a bike, my travel time is faster! Thank you for this pilot project and the dedication to adding bike lanes throughout Bellingham. I hope the pilot project turns into a permanent solution. on Twitter Share I have already taken the survey, but wanted to provide some feedback post-parking removal leading into intersections. As a daily commuter down Holly, I was comfortable biking on Holly prior to the bike lanes, but appreciate the dedicated space. Yesterday I saw an adult with a child around 5 on a co-pilot bike which made me smile - this is exactly the demographic the bike lane is for! I also occasionally lead group rides and pre-bike lanes on Holly we would avoid that street all together. Since having the bike lanes installed, we have done three group rides that went down Holly! I drive down Holly about once or twice a week and haven't been too impacted by congestions. Instead of getting stopped by a light lower on Holly, I find that I get stopped at one light higher up on the Street but travel time is still the same. As for on a bike, my travel time is faster! Thank you for this pilot project and the dedication to adding bike lanes throughout Bellingham. I hope the pilot project turns into a permanent solution. on Linkedin Email I have already taken the survey, but wanted to provide some feedback post-parking removal leading into intersections. As a daily commuter down Holly, I was comfortable biking on Holly prior to the bike lanes, but appreciate the dedicated space. Yesterday I saw an adult with a child around 5 on a co-pilot bike which made me smile - this is exactly the demographic the bike lane is for! I also occasionally lead group rides and pre-bike lanes on Holly we would avoid that street all together. Since having the bike lanes installed, we have done three group rides that went down Holly! I drive down Holly about once or twice a week and haven't been too impacted by congestions. Instead of getting stopped by a light lower on Holly, I find that I get stopped at one light higher up on the Street but travel time is still the same. As for on a bike, my travel time is faster! Thank you for this pilot project and the dedication to adding bike lanes throughout Bellingham. I hope the pilot project turns into a permanent solution. link

    I have already taken the survey, but wanted to provide some feedback post-parking removal leading into intersections. As a daily commuter down Holly, I was comfortable biking on Holly prior to the bike lanes, but appreciate the dedicated space. Yesterday I saw an adult with a child around 5 on a co-pilot bike which made me smile - this is exactly the demographic the bike lane is for! I also occasionally lead group rides and pre-bike lanes on Holly we would avoid that street all together. Since having the bike lanes installed, we have done three group rides that went down Holly! I drive down Holly about once or twice a week and haven't been too impacted by congestions. Instead of getting stopped by a light lower on Holly, I find that I get stopped at one light higher up on the Street but travel time is still the same. As for on a bike, my travel time is faster! Thank you for this pilot project and the dedication to adding bike lanes throughout Bellingham. I hope the pilot project turns into a permanent solution.

    Andrea asked 6 months ago

    Thank you for the comment! We will make sure it is in the final report. 

  • Share Are you considering removing the parking which is the stated of most people feeling unsafe, rather than removing the Bike Lane altogether? I love the lane and personally have no feelings of unsafety as a biker. I can see how drivers would think it is unsafe, but I think they are lacking the perspective of having used the lane on a bike. It is very hard for me to imagine a cautious biker getting right hooked by even a minimally cautious driver without at least some time to react. It may be hard for cars to see the bikes (because of the parking), but it is not at all hard for bikes to see the cars. The only time I have been bumped by a car turning out of a driveway was when I was traveling west on Magnolia St, on the sidewalk, because I was avoiding Holly St. on Facebook Share Are you considering removing the parking which is the stated of most people feeling unsafe, rather than removing the Bike Lane altogether? I love the lane and personally have no feelings of unsafety as a biker. I can see how drivers would think it is unsafe, but I think they are lacking the perspective of having used the lane on a bike. It is very hard for me to imagine a cautious biker getting right hooked by even a minimally cautious driver without at least some time to react. It may be hard for cars to see the bikes (because of the parking), but it is not at all hard for bikes to see the cars. The only time I have been bumped by a car turning out of a driveway was when I was traveling west on Magnolia St, on the sidewalk, because I was avoiding Holly St. on Twitter Share Are you considering removing the parking which is the stated of most people feeling unsafe, rather than removing the Bike Lane altogether? I love the lane and personally have no feelings of unsafety as a biker. I can see how drivers would think it is unsafe, but I think they are lacking the perspective of having used the lane on a bike. It is very hard for me to imagine a cautious biker getting right hooked by even a minimally cautious driver without at least some time to react. It may be hard for cars to see the bikes (because of the parking), but it is not at all hard for bikes to see the cars. The only time I have been bumped by a car turning out of a driveway was when I was traveling west on Magnolia St, on the sidewalk, because I was avoiding Holly St. on Linkedin Email Are you considering removing the parking which is the stated of most people feeling unsafe, rather than removing the Bike Lane altogether? I love the lane and personally have no feelings of unsafety as a biker. I can see how drivers would think it is unsafe, but I think they are lacking the perspective of having used the lane on a bike. It is very hard for me to imagine a cautious biker getting right hooked by even a minimally cautious driver without at least some time to react. It may be hard for cars to see the bikes (because of the parking), but it is not at all hard for bikes to see the cars. The only time I have been bumped by a car turning out of a driveway was when I was traveling west on Magnolia St, on the sidewalk, because I was avoiding Holly St. link

    Are you considering removing the parking which is the stated of most people feeling unsafe, rather than removing the Bike Lane altogether? I love the lane and personally have no feelings of unsafety as a biker. I can see how drivers would think it is unsafe, but I think they are lacking the perspective of having used the lane on a bike. It is very hard for me to imagine a cautious biker getting right hooked by even a minimally cautious driver without at least some time to react. It may be hard for cars to see the bikes (because of the parking), but it is not at all hard for bikes to see the cars. The only time I have been bumped by a car turning out of a driveway was when I was traveling west on Magnolia St, on the sidewalk, because I was avoiding Holly St.

    Jake901 asked 6 months ago

    Thank you for the feedback. This is something that we will look at in the final design. We will include your comment in the final report. 

  • Share After taking the survey, I had some follow-up comments and an additional experience on Holly, but the survey wouldn't let me amend or add, so I posted my comments to Facebook and include them here. I do appreciate the City trying to help bicyclists and realize probably no solution will please everyone; just hope a safe solution can be found. --> I appreciate the City of Bellingham trying to make Bellingham more bike friendly and safe, but I'm not very comfortable with the revamping of Holly Street, which involves reducing the car lanes from three down to one, with a new bike lane on the right, between the roadside parking spots and the sidewalk. The problem is the poor visibility for cars turning right from Holly onto side streets. Although there's signage that cars have to yield to bicyclists proceeding straight, it's almost impossible for a driver in the slowed traffic to see a bicyclist coming up behind them on the right, on the other side of parked cars, which can include vans and pick-up trucks that block the driver's view. The provided photo, which has little traffic or parked cars, is not representative of my experience. After an initial run down the bike lane, I submitted my comments to the City, but then thought maybe I overreacted and should try it again. On my second attempt, a large City truck cut me off when it turned right, directly in front of me! I don't blame the driver - as I said, the set-up doesn't provide proper visibility. So be careful if driving or biking, and I hope someone doesn't get seriously injured or killed as the City continues their experiments. For myself, I will avoid driving or biking on Holly. on Facebook Share After taking the survey, I had some follow-up comments and an additional experience on Holly, but the survey wouldn't let me amend or add, so I posted my comments to Facebook and include them here. I do appreciate the City trying to help bicyclists and realize probably no solution will please everyone; just hope a safe solution can be found. --> I appreciate the City of Bellingham trying to make Bellingham more bike friendly and safe, but I'm not very comfortable with the revamping of Holly Street, which involves reducing the car lanes from three down to one, with a new bike lane on the right, between the roadside parking spots and the sidewalk. The problem is the poor visibility for cars turning right from Holly onto side streets. Although there's signage that cars have to yield to bicyclists proceeding straight, it's almost impossible for a driver in the slowed traffic to see a bicyclist coming up behind them on the right, on the other side of parked cars, which can include vans and pick-up trucks that block the driver's view. The provided photo, which has little traffic or parked cars, is not representative of my experience. After an initial run down the bike lane, I submitted my comments to the City, but then thought maybe I overreacted and should try it again. On my second attempt, a large City truck cut me off when it turned right, directly in front of me! I don't blame the driver - as I said, the set-up doesn't provide proper visibility. So be careful if driving or biking, and I hope someone doesn't get seriously injured or killed as the City continues their experiments. For myself, I will avoid driving or biking on Holly. on Twitter Share After taking the survey, I had some follow-up comments and an additional experience on Holly, but the survey wouldn't let me amend or add, so I posted my comments to Facebook and include them here. I do appreciate the City trying to help bicyclists and realize probably no solution will please everyone; just hope a safe solution can be found. --> I appreciate the City of Bellingham trying to make Bellingham more bike friendly and safe, but I'm not very comfortable with the revamping of Holly Street, which involves reducing the car lanes from three down to one, with a new bike lane on the right, between the roadside parking spots and the sidewalk. The problem is the poor visibility for cars turning right from Holly onto side streets. Although there's signage that cars have to yield to bicyclists proceeding straight, it's almost impossible for a driver in the slowed traffic to see a bicyclist coming up behind them on the right, on the other side of parked cars, which can include vans and pick-up trucks that block the driver's view. The provided photo, which has little traffic or parked cars, is not representative of my experience. After an initial run down the bike lane, I submitted my comments to the City, but then thought maybe I overreacted and should try it again. On my second attempt, a large City truck cut me off when it turned right, directly in front of me! I don't blame the driver - as I said, the set-up doesn't provide proper visibility. So be careful if driving or biking, and I hope someone doesn't get seriously injured or killed as the City continues their experiments. For myself, I will avoid driving or biking on Holly. on Linkedin Email After taking the survey, I had some follow-up comments and an additional experience on Holly, but the survey wouldn't let me amend or add, so I posted my comments to Facebook and include them here. I do appreciate the City trying to help bicyclists and realize probably no solution will please everyone; just hope a safe solution can be found. --> I appreciate the City of Bellingham trying to make Bellingham more bike friendly and safe, but I'm not very comfortable with the revamping of Holly Street, which involves reducing the car lanes from three down to one, with a new bike lane on the right, between the roadside parking spots and the sidewalk. The problem is the poor visibility for cars turning right from Holly onto side streets. Although there's signage that cars have to yield to bicyclists proceeding straight, it's almost impossible for a driver in the slowed traffic to see a bicyclist coming up behind them on the right, on the other side of parked cars, which can include vans and pick-up trucks that block the driver's view. The provided photo, which has little traffic or parked cars, is not representative of my experience. After an initial run down the bike lane, I submitted my comments to the City, but then thought maybe I overreacted and should try it again. On my second attempt, a large City truck cut me off when it turned right, directly in front of me! I don't blame the driver - as I said, the set-up doesn't provide proper visibility. So be careful if driving or biking, and I hope someone doesn't get seriously injured or killed as the City continues their experiments. For myself, I will avoid driving or biking on Holly. link

    After taking the survey, I had some follow-up comments and an additional experience on Holly, but the survey wouldn't let me amend or add, so I posted my comments to Facebook and include them here. I do appreciate the City trying to help bicyclists and realize probably no solution will please everyone; just hope a safe solution can be found. --> I appreciate the City of Bellingham trying to make Bellingham more bike friendly and safe, but I'm not very comfortable with the revamping of Holly Street, which involves reducing the car lanes from three down to one, with a new bike lane on the right, between the roadside parking spots and the sidewalk. The problem is the poor visibility for cars turning right from Holly onto side streets. Although there's signage that cars have to yield to bicyclists proceeding straight, it's almost impossible for a driver in the slowed traffic to see a bicyclist coming up behind them on the right, on the other side of parked cars, which can include vans and pick-up trucks that block the driver's view. The provided photo, which has little traffic or parked cars, is not representative of my experience. After an initial run down the bike lane, I submitted my comments to the City, but then thought maybe I overreacted and should try it again. On my second attempt, a large City truck cut me off when it turned right, directly in front of me! I don't blame the driver - as I said, the set-up doesn't provide proper visibility. So be careful if driving or biking, and I hope someone doesn't get seriously injured or killed as the City continues their experiments. For myself, I will avoid driving or biking on Holly.

    BaKerius asked 6 months ago

    Thanks for continuing to provide your feedback. This will be provided to the team to include in the final analysis. 

Page last updated: 15 Nov 2024, 01:48 PM