## Meeting Overview On a quiet Monday morning in June, three Bellingham City Council members gathered in the familiar chambers at City Hall to make what amounted to a significant decision about the future of one of the city's most watched infrastructure experiments. The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee meeting that began at 10:30 a.m. was crisp and businesslike, running just 39 minutes, but the weight of the decisions carried implications for how Bellingham approaches transportation, neighborhood character, and the ongoing tension between cars and bicycles in a growing city. Committee Chair Hannah Stone presided over the meeting, flanked by Lisa Anderson and Jace Cotton. The agenda was lean—just two items—but the first one had been simmering in neighborhood conversations, angry emails, and policy debates for nearly three years. The Eldridge Avenue Non-Motorized Pilot Project was reaching its moment of truth. What made this meeting particularly notable was not just the decision itself, but the data-driven approach the city had taken to evaluate a contentious change. For over a year, the city had been meticulously collecting traffic counts, speed measurements, bicycle and pedestrian usage data, and community input to determine whether the experiment of removing parking and adding bike lanes on Eldridge Avenue should become permanent. The stakes were clear: this decision would signal how Bellingham balances competing demands for street space as it implements its broader vision of becoming a more bike-friendly city. ## The Eldridge Avenue Decision: From Pilot to Permanent The heart of the morning's business was straightforward in procedural terms but complex in its implications. Public Works Director Joel Pfundt and Project Engineer Jessica Bennett presented their recommendation to make permanent the changes that had transformed Eldridge Avenue between Broadway and Nequalicum Avenue. What had begun in April 2024 as a one-year pilot project—removing parking from both sides of the street and installing buffered bike lanes with enhanced pedestrian crossings—was now ready for its final evaluation. The pilot project itself told a story of measured change. Where once there had been a two-lane road with substandard seven-foot parking lanes on both sides, the city had created five-foot bike lanes with two-foot buffers marked with white reflective delineators, plus improved crossings with rapid rectangular flashing beacons at four key intersections. The changes connected to the broader network of bike boulevards, creating what transportation planners call "network effects"—the benefits that come when individual improvements link up into a coherent system. The data that Pfundt and Bennett presented painted a picture of success, though one that acknowledged tradeoffs. Perhaps most importantly for safety-conscious residents, speeds had not increased as some had feared—in fact, they remained virtually unchanged, with the pre-project average of 29.4 mph dropping slightly to 28.9 mph post-project. More encouragingly, the percentage of drivers speeding more than five miles per hour over the 25 mph limit had decreased from 43% to 37%, and those speeding more than ten mph over had dropped from 6.9% to 5.3%. But the real story was in the usage numbers. Comparing the same time periods year-over-year, both bicycle and pedestrian traffic had increased by about 30%. "The final data collection that we had, which was in April 2025, was the highest counts we had for both bicyclists and pedestrians across the five" data collection periods, Pfundt noted. For a city trying to encourage more people to walk and bike rather than drive, these were exactly the numbers officials wanted to see. The community input, however, remained decidedly mixed. The city had conducted an extensive outreach effort, sending 400 mailers to nearby residents and receiving 239 responses. The results revealed the familiar fault lines of transportation planning: 59% of all respondents supported leaving the improvements in place, but when the city looked specifically at residents who identified as living on or near Eldridge, the split was much closer—50% opposed the changes, with 40% in favor. Perhaps more tellingly, the responses varied dramatically by how people used the corridor. Among recreational users, 81.5% supported keeping the improvements, while commuters supported them at 60.7%. The most vulnerable users—pedestrians and cyclists—reported feeling significantly safer, with 59% of pedestrians and 68% of cyclists saying they felt more comfortable. The conversation between committee members revealed the nuances behind these numbers. Committee member Anderson asked pointed questions about the breakdown between bicycle and pedestrian increases, noting that some of the pedestrian increase might simply be people having to park across the street and walk to their homes. "I kind of weigh the pedestrian part a little bit differently," she said. "That's why I wanted to know how much of the bike, because I see that more as commuter or recreation." ## The Parking Problem and Its Ripple Effects Perhaps no aspect of the pilot project generated more emotional response than the parking issue. The removal of on-street parking from both sides of Eldridge had forced residents and their visitors to find alternative arrangements, and the committee spent considerable time discussing the impacts. Public Works staff had been thorough in studying this concern, conducting parking observations on nearby side streets to see where the displaced cars were ending up. Their findings suggested that while some side streets were reaching high utilization rates—Jaeger Street hit 89% utilization—there was still adequate parking available in the broader area. "I think there's 1 or 2 streets that may be up in that 90% utilization," the staff presenter noted, "But then there's basically the next street over was was below that utilization target." Still, the inconvenience was real and acknowledged. As staff noted, "It is definitely less convenient. Don't want to ignore that impact to those residents who have limited or no" on-site parking. The most impacted were those with very limited parking options who now faced walks of several minutes from available parking spots to their homes. The parking displacement had created some unexpected tensions. One email from a resident described an encounter with a neighbor who left threatening notes on cars and confronted the Eldridge resident about parking on Madrona Street. "He stepped forward and said in a not so nice tone 'yes I do… it was me'" the resident wrote, describing how the confrontation escalated to what he felt were threats. These human dramas, playing out block by block, illustrated how transportation policy changes can ripple through communities in ways that spreadsheets and traffic counts cannot fully capture. Committee member Anderson raised questions about delivery services and maintenance vehicles, wondering whether drivers were supposed to stop in the travel lane or block the bike lane momentarily. The response revealed the practical accommodations being made: most delivery drivers were parking on side streets and walking packages to homes, though staff acknowledged they had heard some concerns about deliveries and observed some vehicles parking temporarily in the bike lanes. ## Road Conditions and Future Investment An important thread running through the discussion was the condition of Eldridge Avenue itself. The pilot project had focused on restriping and adding safety features, but the underlying pavement remained problematic. Community feedback had consistently identified road conditions as a major concern, and committee members pressed staff on plans to address this. The technical details revealed the complexity of infrastructure in an older city. Eldridge Avenue sits on early road construction with "a lot of concrete underneath that, underneath that asphalt surface," making repairs more complex and expensive than typical overlays. A utility trench dug years ago had created particular problems right in the bike lane area. "That pavement kind of rides differently for cyclists than, than the remainder of the road," staff noted. More significantly, the underground utilities were aging dramatically. The sewer main along Eldridge dated from the 1890s to 1918, making it among the city's oldest infrastructure. This raised strategic questions about timing any major pavement work—would it make sense to invest in a new road surface only to tear it up again for utility replacement? Committee member Anderson recalled earlier discussions where protected bike lanes (more substantial than the current buffered design) had been deferred because major underground work was expected within a few years. Now, years later, the timeline remained uncertain. "We just received our new data for the pavement condition ratings," staff explained, noting that the asset management analysis would determine priority rankings, but couldn't yet specify whether major work would come "this year, next year or year five." This uncertainty highlighted a common infrastructure challenge: the tension between making improvements now with available funding and waiting for larger, more comprehensive projects that might be years away. ## Speed and Safety Considerations The committee discussion touched on ongoing concerns about vehicle speeds, particularly given that Eldridge serves as an arterial connection between city and county areas. Committee member Anderson advocated for permanent speed feedback signs, drawing on her observations of similar installations in other communities. "I know I get people mad at me when I'm doing the 25, because they probably think it's 35," Anderson said, describing how the radar-equipped signs helped her adjust her own driving. "And as I'm approaching, especially when I'm heading to my daughter's and I see that I'm doing 31 and it's a 25, I automatically realize, having turned off a 35 road to the 25 that I need to slow down." Staff acknowledged that such permanent installations were being considered, though they noted that effectiveness could diminish over time. The current approach relied on moveable trailers that could be repositioned as needed, but Anderson's point about the educational value of permanent installations seemed to resonate. Committee member Cotton asked about future opportunities for more dramatic speed reduction measures. Staff explained that their options were limited on arterial streets like Eldridge, which serves as a transit route and must accommodate larger vehicles. "The more drastic, you know, speed reduction methods that we would use are we have to reserve those for local streets," they explained. However, staff acknowledged that street design sends powerful cues to drivers about appropriate behavior, and any future major reconstruction would consider how to "further tighten up that corridor and send the right message that this is, you know, not only is this a an arterial street, an important connection to between the, the city and the, the county, but it's also people's front yards and where, you know, people live." ## The Transportation Improvement Program The committee's second item was more routine but equally significant for the city's transportation future. The adoption of the 2026-2031 Transportation Improvement Program represented the city's six-year capital planning document for transportation projects. Director Pfundt noted that this was an annual requirement, with a July 1st deadline for submission to the state. The TIP discussion was notable primarily for an update on Project 8—the Rainier Avenue Bridge replacement over Chuckanut Creek. This project had been under study as city staff evaluated whether bridge replacement or other alternatives would best serve the corridor. Pfundt announced that "based on our latest detailed analysis of that creek corridor and the interactions with that bridge, that it made the most sense to move forward with that bridge replacement project." More importantly for the affected residents, FEMA funding remained committed to the project. "They have assured us that we continue to have funding allocated, and they are committed to funding that project," Pfundt noted. For residents who had been living with access uncertainties, this represented a significant development. Committee member Anderson expressed particular satisfaction with this news, noting that she had been advocating for the bridge replacement to serve residents who needed that connection. The project would move forward through design and permitting phases before construction. ## The Decision and Its Implications When the discussion concluded, the committee's decision was swift and unanimous. Committee member Cotton moved to approve permanently retaining the Eldridge Avenue improvements, and the motion carried 3-0. The same decisive vote approved the six-year transportation program. The unanimity, however, masked the complexity of what the city had undertaken. In choosing to make the Eldridge changes permanent, Bellingham was essentially doubling down on its vision of becoming a more multimodal city, even in the face of mixed community sentiment and legitimate concerns about parking and convenience. The decision reflected a data-driven approach that prioritized measurable outcomes—increased bicycle and pedestrian usage, maintained vehicle speeds, improved safety features—over the harder-to-quantify impacts on neighborhood character and daily convenience. It also represented a bet that the transportation network effects would compound over time, as more bike lanes and pedestrian improvements create a system that encourages more people to choose alternatives to driving. ## Looking Forward As the brief meeting concluded, the long-term questions remained. Would the increased bicycle and pedestrian usage continue to grow, or had the pilot captured the full universe of people willing to bike and walk in Bellingham? Would the parking pressures on side streets create ongoing neighborhood tensions? When would the major utility and pavement work finally happen, and would it provide an opportunity for even better bike infrastructure? The meeting represented a milestone in a larger civic conversation about how cities should allocate their most precious resource: street space. In choosing bikes and pedestrians over car storage on Eldridge Avenue, Bellingham joined a national movement of cities reconsidering how to balance competing demands on public right-of-way. The data had spoken clearly about usage and safety outcomes, but the human stories—from enthusiastic cyclists who felt safer to frustrated residents dealing with parking challenges—reminded everyone that transportation policy is ultimately about how people live their daily lives. The committee had made its choice, but the real test would come in the months and years ahead as the community adapted to a permanently changed Eldridge Avenue. For a 39-minute meeting, the decisions carried remarkable weight for Bellingham's transportation future. The city had committed not just to keeping some bike lanes, but to a vision of prioritizing vulnerable users and building connected networks over the convenience of car storage. Whether that vision would prove sustainable would depend on how well the city managed the ongoing tensions and invested in the broader infrastructure needed to support a truly multimodal transportation system.

### Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on June 23, 2025, to decide the fate of the one-year Eldridge Avenue bike lane pilot project and to approve the city's six-year transportation improvement program. The committee voted 3-0 to make the controversial bike lane project permanent despite ongoing parking concerns from residents. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Buffered bike lane:** A marked bicycle lane with an additional painted buffer zone and vertical delineators separating cyclists from vehicle traffic, providing extra protection beyond a standard bike lane. **Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB):** Yellow LED beacons that flash rapidly when activated by pedestrians or cyclists to alert drivers at crosswalks, significantly improving visibility and safety. **Transportation Improvement Program (TIP):** A six-year planning and funding document adopted annually that prioritizes and programs funding for city capital projects that improve and maintain transportation infrastructure. **Pilot project:** A temporary implementation of changes designed to test effectiveness and gather data before making permanent decisions, allowing for adjustments based on real-world results. **85th percentile speed:** The speed at or below which 85% of vehicles travel, commonly used in traffic engineering to set speed limits and evaluate safety conditions. **Bike boulevard:** Residential streets with shared lane markings designed to prioritize bicycle traffic while allowing vehicle access, creating comfortable cycling routes. **Pavement Management System:** A systematic approach to maintaining road surfaces based on condition ratings and prioritization, helping cities allocate limited resources effectively. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair, City Council First Ward | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member, City Council Fifth Ward | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, City Council At-Large | | Joel Pfundt | Public Works Director | | Jessica Bennett | Project Engineer | | Mike Wilson | Assistant Public Works Director-Engineering | ### Background Context The Eldridge Avenue pilot project emerged from the 2014 Bicycle Master Plan's recommendation for bike lanes on this arterial street. After extensive community engagement and a contentious public process, City Council approved parking removal in October 2022 with Eldridge as a one-year pilot due to resident concerns. The project faced construction delays, with completion pushed from late 2023 to April 2024, extending the evaluation timeline. The project represents a broader city effort to implement multimodal transportation improvements, particularly benefiting cyclists and pedestrians. However, it has created significant impacts for residents who lost on-street parking, leading to conflicts over side street parking and concerns about service vehicle access. The Transportation Improvement Program represents the city's commitment to maintaining and improving its transportation infrastructure with state-required annual updates and public input processes. ### What Happened — The Short Version Public Works presented comprehensive data from the Eldridge pilot showing 30% increases in both bicycle and pedestrian usage when comparing similar time periods. Vehicle speeds remained essentially unchanged (29.4 mph pre-project vs 28.9 mph post-project), though speeding violations over 5 mph above the limit decreased from 43% to 37%. The safety analysis found no documented safety problems requiring intervention. Despite ongoing resident concerns about parking impacts, including conflicts on side streets and difficulties with deliveries and services, the committee voted unanimously to make the improvements permanent. Committee members acknowledged the parking challenges but were convinced by the increased multimodal usage and safety improvements. The committee also approved the 2026-2031 Transportation Improvement Program, including confirmation that the Rainier Avenue Bridge replacement project will proceed with FEMA funding. ### What to Watch Next • Full City Council consideration of the Eldridge pilot recommendation at the evening meeting • Future utility work timeline on Eldridge that could enable protected bike lane upgrades • Potential implementation of permanent speed feedback signs as discussed by Council Member Anderson • Progress on the Rainier Avenue Bridge replacement project with FEMA funding ---

**Q:** What was the committee's vote on making the Eldridge bike lanes permanent? **A:** The committee voted 3-0 to recommend permanent retention of the pilot project improvements. **Q:** How much did bicycle and pedestrian usage increase during the pilot? **A:** Both bicycle and pedestrian usage increased by 30% when comparing June 2023 (pre-project) to June 2024 (post-project). **Q:** What happened to vehicle speeds after the bike lanes were installed? **A:** Average speeds remained virtually the same - 29.4 mph before vs 28.9 mph after the project. **Q:** Who is the Public Works Director who presented the pilot results? **A:** Joel Pfundt, who serves as Public Works Director for the City of Bellingham. **Q:** How long was the Eldridge pilot project supposed to run? **A:** One year, from April 2024 to April 2025, though construction delays pushed completion to April 2024. **Q:** What safety features were added beyond just bike lanes? **A:** Four enhanced pedestrian crossings with rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) and ADA-compliant curb ramps. **Q:** Why didn't the city install protected bike lanes initially? **A:** Because of expected utility work in the corridor that could require digging up more permanent infrastructure. **Q:** What percentage of drivers were speeding over 5 mph above the limit after the project? **A:** 37% of drivers, down from 43% before the project. **Q:** What is Hannah Stone's role in this meeting? **A:** Committee Chair for the Public Works and Natural Resources Committee, representing First Ward. **Q:** What major concern do residents have about the bike lanes? **A:** Loss of on-street parking, forcing visitors and service vehicles to park on side streets blocks away. **Q:** What committee recommended making the bike lanes permanent before City Council? **A:** The Transportation Commission voted to endorse removal of parking and make improvements permanent. **Q:** When was the original Bicycle Master Plan that recommended Eldridge bike lanes adopted? **A:** October 2014, over a decade before this pilot project was implemented. **Q:** What percentage of survey respondents support leaving the improvements in place? **A:** 59% of all respondents, though only 40% of residents living on or near Eldridge agreed. **Q:** What other major item did the committee approve? **A:** The 2026-2031 Transportation Improvement Program, which must be submitted to the state by July 1st. **Q:** How old are the sewer mains along Eldridge Avenue? **A:** They date from the 1890s to 1918, making them some of the city's oldest infrastructure. ---