Bellingham Transportation Commission

The Barkley Village presentation revealed significant progress on the urban village designation process, with the Talbot Group and Tool Design Group presenting detailed transportation infrastructure plans for multimodal connectivity within and beyond the village boundaries. The development, representing a 20-year buildout timeline for the Talbot family's third-generation property ownership, includes plans for separated bike lanes on Burns Street, multi-use trails on Saint Clair corridor, and bike boulevards on private non-arterial streets. The team has been working with WTA on potential transit hub opportunities and coordinating with city planning processes for over four and a half years. The comprehensive plan discussion consumed the majority of the meeting, with city staff presenting draft transportation goals and policies emphasizing safety as the top priority based on extensive community engagement. Staff reported that "safe" was the most common word used by residents when asked to describe Bellingham's vision for the next 20 years, with most safety concerns focused on streets and roads for biking and walking. The plan introduces new concepts including transit agency collaboration as a standalone goal, connectivity as a separate focus area, and a revised transportation modal hierarchy that splits into active transportation and transit priority corridors rather than applying one hierarchy citywide. Several commissioners raised substantive concerns about policy language being too broad or unclear, with specific questions about what "collaboration" means operationally, whether certain policies rise to the level requiring formal policy language, and how to balance environmental protection with transportation connectivity needs. The discussion revealed ongoing tensions between the city's critical areas protections and the pressing need for multimodal connections, particularly in northern areas where wetlands and environmental constraints limit transportation infrastructure options. #

- **March 11th Meeting Minutes:** Approved unanimously - **Barkley Village Development Agreement:** No formal action taken; informational presentation and feedback session - **Comprehensive Plan Transportation Goals:** No formal vote; extensive discussion and feedback provided to staff for revision **Barkley Village Development Details:** - Timeline: 2-5 years for major activity, 20-year complete buildout - Planning Process: Sub-area plan, development agreement, and BMC development regulations nearing completion - Transportation Features: Burns Street separated bike facilities, Saint Clair multi-use trail connecting to railroad trail, bike boulevards on non-arterial streets - Planning Commission Review: Expected by end of May 2025, optimistically early June - Public Process: Will include public hearings at both Planning Commission and City Council levels #

"The accident occurred right outside house both times. I also know that this has been something that's been to be addressed for a very long time. I reviewed some emails that go at least to June of 2024." **John Mullen, on Barkley Village timeline:** "They don't foresee a 4th generation within their kids that has a desire to take this over. So their whole goal is to try to build this out for the community within their life, their lifetime." **Sydney Prusack, on comprehensive plan safety focus:** "We sent out our vision survey in the fall of 23 we did a word. We asked 3 words for how? You see Bellingham in the next 20 years, and the top word was safe." **Commissioner on policy clarity:** "I'll give $5 to anyone who could tell me what that means. In terms of like making a decision about a a transportation project or policy." **Dylan on modal hierarchy changes:** "We can't build everything everywhere. It just it doesn't work. We need to. We need to start prioritizing roadways, parallel parallel roadways." **Vice Chair Wilder, on environmental protection balance:** "There's inherent tension between providing connection connectivity to use the industrial, the industry term in areas that have a lot of natural features." #

## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Transportation Commission convened on April 8, 2025, for a routine monthly meeting that covered both pressing local traffic concerns and significant policy updates for the city's comprehensive plan. The meeting drew public testimony about a dangerous residential intersection, featured a substantial update on the Barkley Village development's transportation framework, and included an extensive discussion of draft transportation policies for the 2025 comprehensive plan update. Present were Commissioners Betty Sanchez, Jamin Agosti, John Mullen, Tim Wilder (Vice Chair), and via video connection, Commissioner Cindy Dennis (though she experienced connectivity issues). City staff included Mike Wilson, Sydney Prusack, Dylan, Elena, Bill Casper, and Darby Galligan from Planning and Community Development. The meeting also featured presentations from Amalia Leighton Cody of Tool Design Group and John from the Talbot Group regarding the Barkley Village development. ## Urgent Safety Concerns at Ellis and Texas Street The meeting opened with urgent public testimony about a residential intersection that has seen two serious "t-bone style collisions" within the past week. Casey Schlanker, speaking for concerned neighbors, described the intersection of Ellis and Texas Street—one block off Alabama and two blocks from Cornwall—as a dangerous confluence of poor visibility, excessive vehicle speeds, and heavy pedestrian activity. "There are 17 children under the age of 10 living in a 1 block radius at that intersection," Schlanker testified, emphasizing that neighbors are actively collecting signatures and seeking immediate action. The intersection features a westbound stop sign with "very, very poor visibility" while northbound traffic on Ellis Street travels at speeds "much too great" for the residential setting. Eric Scott, joining via video, provided additional context and urgency. He described being a direct witness to both recent accidents, which occurred "right outside house both times." Scott revealed that this safety concern has a longer history than many realized: "I reviewed some emails that go at least to June of 2024. An individual named Shane, who is an engineer through y'all's department... stopped communicating with my neighbor for about 9 months on this intersection." Scott painted a picture of a complex traffic situation that extends beyond just residential concerns. The area serves multiple high-traffic generators: "Bellingham High School is 3 blocks down. There are 3 churches... if you go directly east on Texas you go into the trees parking lot. There's traffic going straight north into the hospital. There are 2 breweries within walking distance." This creates what he called "a lot of very distracted drivers, actually residential, even, who are traveling through our area to go to these locations." Commissioner responses revealed both the challenge and potential solutions. One commissioner noted that city staff had already ruled out a four-way stop, stating it's "illegal from State law to use four-way stops as traffic calming." However, there are alternatives through the Community Streets program, which "would allow neighbors to indicate high risk areas and then nominate them for traffic calming measures." The downside: "That program for that intersection would be several years out." The immediate takeaway was clear—staff would reconnect with traffic operations and the affected neighbors, while the residents planned to escalate the issue to City Council. As Scott concluded: "There is a large constituency of us who are considering going to the City Council meeting next week as well to raise this concern, just given the length of time that this has been raised and the number of emails that have been sent about this specific intersection." ## Barkley Village Transportation Framework Update John from the Talbot Group and Amalia Leighton Cody from Tool Design Group provided a comprehensive update on the transportation elements of the Barkley Village development, which has been in planning for over four and a half years. This massive project represents one of Bellingham's most significant urban village developments, covering approximately 80% Talbot Group ownership with a 20-year buildout timeline. The presentation revealed a sophisticated multimodal transportation approach that goes well beyond typical suburban development patterns. As John explained: "We originally came to the city and had hoped some of the street designs and everything else that Tool had come up with for those calming features and everything else we could have the city adopt and rather than put them into our plan, we could just point to city streets. But it's going to be a little longer for the city to adopt their new street standards." ### Arterial Framework and Connectivity Amalia walked commissioners through detailed cross-sections for the two primary arterial corridors that will define the village's transportation spine. Burns Street, running east-west just south of Sunset Boulevard, will feature separated bicycle facilities on both sides of the street, representing a significant commitment to multimodal infrastructure. "In conversations with the city, and thinking about the land use opportunities that are being discussed in that portion of the sub area plan, the interest would be to separate the facilities for bicycles from the pedestrians and put them on either side of the street," she explained. Saint Clair, the north-south arterial corridor, will provide a crucial connection from Sunset Boulevard to Barkley Boulevard via a completely new public road. This corridor will combine vehicular access with a shared multi-use trail designed to connect the existing railroad trail to the south with future Whatcom County trail segments to the north. The development's internal street network embraces a bike boulevard concept for non-arterial streets. As Amalia described: "These streets are non arterial, and they're intended to be designed to promote lower volumes and lower speeds, and to really focus them on access, and that includes finding ways to accommodate bicycles that may not require separation because of the speed and because of the number of vehicles anticipated." ### Transit Integration and Future Growth One of the most significant aspects of the presentation was the emphasis on transit readiness. John noted recent productive meetings with Whatcom Transportation Authority: "We had a good meeting with Hayden and Tim from WTA. We shared some opportunities, I think, and how we can progress really well with WTA potentially a hub in that area and directions that we can go with that." The development's phased approach acknowledges current realities while planning for transformation. John explained the current cinema area: "The goal when we built the cinema site was not to have surface parking. Unfortunately, we built that in 2008, 2010, when the economy was terrible. So building a parking structure at that time was fairly infeasible. And so our goal is to infill a lot of that parking and to bring buildings in there." This infill strategy represents a fundamental shift from suburban development patterns. The central core around New Market and south of Rimland Drive will feature the highest density development, while areas extending east will be primarily residential. As John described: "The primary development will be north towards the central core, north towards sunset, along sunset to the conserved open space area that 40 acres that are over there, and that primarily will be residential." ### Commissioner Engagement and Technical Questions Commissioners engaged deeply with both the technical details and broader policy implications of the project. Commissioner concerns focused particularly on connectivity to existing infrastructure and the relationship between development density and transportation effectiveness. One commissioner noted the challenge of connecting to existing facilities: "There's not great bike or ped connectivity from the railroad trail on the Illinois connection. It seems like there's like first a way, not super hard way to make that connection better, and then possibility for a second connection to the railroad trail." John acknowledged this concern and described plans for improvement: "We do have some plans potentially to improve that. We've got the one section that comes off Illinois. Illinois isn't overly friendly area right now that we're trying to improve that." The question of development scale sparked perhaps the most substantive discussion of the evening. One commissioner observed: "It's hard to look at a green field area or trees and understand... what the flow of people would look like through there without understanding the scale of development you're considering." The commissioner continued with a pointed critique: "Probably 60 to 70% of the existing development in Barkley area like the cinema or Hagen is parking lot. No transportation road design is going to fix 60% parking lot for multi use users." This observation led John to provide crucial context about the development's evolution and goals: "Our goal is in that cinema site to calm traffic substantially with the addition of buildings with on street parking, with everything else, as that infill occurs." The development represents a long-term commitment from the Talbot family, as John explained: "Steve and Jane, they're 3rd generation owners of the majority of what we own... they don't foresee a 4th generation within their kids that has a desire to take this over. So their whole goal is to try to build this out for the community within their lifetime." ## Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element Overhaul The meeting's most extensive discussion focused on draft goals and policies for the transportation element of Bellingham's 2025 comprehensive plan update. Sydney Prusack and Dylan from the planning department presented a fundamentally restructured approach that elevates safety as the primary transportation priority while introducing new frameworks for transit collaboration and system connectivity. ### Safety as the Foundational Priority Sydney set the context for the plan's new direction: "When we did our vision survey in the fall of 2023, we did a word cloud—we asked 3 words for how you see Bellingham in the next 20 years, and the top word was safe." The planning process revealed that most safety concerns centered on transportation: "At our open houses we found out that most of the safety concerns for the people that continued to engage were on our streets and roads, biking and walking through town. People don't feel safe in a lot of places." This community input drove the creation of Goal T2 (the first goal, despite its numbering): Safety, Comfort, and Reliability. Dylan explained the policy framework: "This policy is moving the city towards more of a Vision Zero concept and ensures that we continue to coordinate and improve the coordination with state and other transportation agencies in the region." The safety goal introduces several significant policy innovations. One key policy addresses "reduced and enforced vehicle speeds through traffic calming measures," which Dylan clarified includes "the possibility of automated speed cameras, especially within school zones." Another policy emphasizes the "safe systems approach that strives to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities," representing a shift toward engineering solutions that accommodate human error rather than relying solely on perfect behavior. ### Transit as Growth Management Strategy The plan introduces an entirely new goal focused on transit agency collaboration, reflecting Bellingham's recognition that transit must become central to managing future growth. As Dylan explained: "As Bellingham continues to grow and roadways become more and more congested, the city is going to have to turn to alternative modes of transportation to alleviate some of that congestion." The policy framework acknowledges the complex balance that transit agencies must strike. One policy addresses "the balance of route coverage and frequency," recognizing that "if WTA were to increase their route coverage of the overall service, it would make sustaining the current frequency difficult. And similarly, if WTA were to increase the frequency without making necessary upgrades... that would make their route coverage pretty hard." This section sparked significant commissioner discussion about the fundamental goals and methods of transit collaboration. One commissioner challenged the goal structure: "I don't know what collaborate and information sharing means... if we're talking about making transit a key element of Bellingham's overall growth strategy, that seems like a goal... whereas collaboration, information sharing, I just don't know what that means." The commissioners also raised questions about broader transit policy issues, including fare policy and its impact on ridership. As one commissioner noted: "I'm wondering about the passenger experience with fares and does that influence their access and their willingness and their ridership?" The discussion revealed the complexity of the city's role in regional transit policy, where the city can influence but not directly control key variables like fare structure. ### Multimodal Network and Mode Shift The plan's third major goal area focuses on promoting mode shift through multimodal network development. This section contained the most policies and reflected the plan's core assumption that transportation challenges require fundamental changes in how people travel, not just incremental improvements to existing systems. Dylan highlighted several key policies, including requirements for low-stress bicycle and pedestrian facilities that are "comfortable and safe for people of all ages and abilities." The plan also introduces policies for maximizing network efficiency by prioritizing "projects that would provide improvements across multiple modes of transportation." The mode shift discussion revealed ongoing tensions between infrastructure provision and behavior change. One commissioner noted: "Where mode shift has been effective is where alternative modes are as competitive or more competitive than single occupancy vehicle trips... you can never get to a point where you've incentivized biking enough if your road network is faster and easier." This observation led to discussion of policy approaches that go beyond just providing alternative infrastructure. The commissioner continued: "Disincentivizing single occupancy vehicle trips is the other side of that coin... making those policy trade offs that make single occupancy vehicle trips less attractive." ### Connectivity and System Integration The plan introduces connectivity as a distinct goal area, reflecting community feedback about transportation system gaps and inefficiencies. Dylan explained: "This is huge for the new plan, a new element. Making sure that when we're thinking about the future of our network that we're making sure that trails and roads lead to other trails and roads." One significant policy innovation addresses "trails as transportation," which Dylan explained "will improve the coordination between public works and the parks department in the city and can ensure that certain trails, not all trails, but certain trails, can serve as actual transportation connections between destinations or to other transportation infrastructure." This policy area generated discussion about the inherent tensions between connectivity and environmental protection. Vice Chair Wilder raised the fundamental challenge: "How do you provide connections in very challenging areas where you want to protect wetlands, protect the environment, but at the same time provide connections? The outcome has been limited connections, strong protection... how does this plan deal with that inherent tension?" The discussion revealed ongoing challenges in north Bellingham, where critical areas limit transportation connectivity options. Staff acknowledged that "transportation needs to have a seat at the table when it comes to the critical area discussion, because so much of the time the critical area piece trumps the pressing need for a transportation solution in a given corridor." ### Administrative Modernization and Equity The plan includes significant administrative changes, particularly regarding the city's concurrency management system. Currently, Bellingham divides the city into 22 different concurrency service areas for tracking transportation system capacity and development impacts. Dylan explained the rationale for simplification: "Since the city of Bellingham created this concurrency management system, there's been quite a few other cities that have successfully done this concurrency management in a much simpler and easier to understand form." The proposed change to fewer concurrency service areas reflects both administrative efficiency and equity goals. As Dylan noted: "Rather than looking at the city in a bunch of parts, we're really embracing the one city concept... and improve transparency regarding the person trips available citywide rather than breaking that up into concurrency service areas." Commissioners questioned whether this level of detail belonged in policy rather than administrative process. One commissioner observed: "It seems like the concept that you're talking about is simplification of the concurrency process as a policy. Couldn't it just be part of maintaining a simplified system, and then we'll let you do what you need to do to figure that out?" The discussion revealed the complexity of the city's transportation impact management system and questions about its practical effectiveness. As Dylan noted: "I think the numbers are in there. You can see how many person trips available... a development with 125 units was like a subtraction of like 50 or 70 person trips available. So that's a big apartment, and if we have 8,000 person trips available in a CSA and a 125 unit apartment building is only knocking that down by 50, it's an interesting concept." ## Technical Details and Implementation Questions Throughout the policy discussion, commissioners raised detailed questions about policy language, implementation mechanisms, and practical effectiveness. Several policies received specific critique for being too broad or unclear in their intent. One commissioner noted about a wayfinding policy: "It doesn't talk about which modes you're talking about wayfinding. I don't necessarily think we're lacking in vehicle wayfinding. I think we're lacking in pedestrian and bicycle wayfinding." Another policy drew criticism for attempting to address too many objectives simultaneously: "Policy T27, it feels like it's trying to do a lot. It says incorporate the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and vehicle drivers... it's like serve everyone, which I think is an obvious statement." The commissioners also raised questions about employer requirements for supporting alternative transportation modes. One commissioner suggested: "Maybe even have that in their package when new businesses come here. They've got to provide this for their employees." This led to discussion of existing requirements through the city's commute trip reduction program while acknowledging opportunities for enhancement. ## Looking Ahead and Next Steps The meeting concluded with staff outlining the timeline for comprehensive plan adoption and upcoming Transportation Commission items. Darby Galligan from Planning explained the formal approval process: "We are hoping to have a complete package to Planning Commission by the end of May, optimistically, maybe early June. After that there will be public notification... The Planning Commission process does include a public hearing... and then similarly, City Council, public notification, and a public hearing, and final vote and adoption. Hopefully by this summer, we'll be all done." Several items were deferred to future meetings due to time constraints, including updates on locally preferred alternatives and Holly Street bike lane improvements. Mike Wilson noted that a new public works director position has been posted, indicating potential leadership changes ahead. The comprehensive plan discussion will continue at the May Transportation Commission meeting, with staff promising to incorporate commissioner feedback into revised policy language. Sydney and Dylan committed to returning with both policy refinements and additional data to support the plan's regulatory requirements. As the meeting adjourned, the scope and significance of the discussions were evident—from immediate safety concerns requiring urgent attention to long-term policy frameworks that will guide Bellingham's transportation development for the next two decades. The intersection of local development projects like Barkley Village with citywide policy development highlighted the complex interplay between private development, public infrastructure, and community safety that defines municipal transportation planning in a growing city.

## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE **Meeting ID:** BEL-TRC-2025-04-08 ### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Transportation Commission met on April 8, 2025, to discuss two major items: an update on the Barkley Village development's transportation plans and a review of draft transportation goals and policies for the comprehensive plan update. The meeting included significant public testimony about safety concerns at the Ellis and Texas Street intersection. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Urban Village Designation:** A zoning and planning designation that allows for higher density, mixed-use development with specific design standards. Barkley Village is seeking this designation to enable their full development vision. **Development Agreement:** A legally binding contract between the city and a developer that outlines specific requirements, timelines, and commitments for a development project. Barkley Village is negotiating one with the city. **Sub Area Plan:** A detailed planning document that provides specific guidance for development within a defined geographic area. It serves as a subsection of the comprehensive plan and includes transportation, land use, and environmental considerations. **Concurrency Service Areas (CSAs):** Geographic zones used to manage development by tracking "person trips available" - a measure of transportation system capacity. Bellingham currently has 22 CSAs that the city wants to consolidify. **Person Trip:** A unit of measurement that counts one person making one trip, regardless of transportation mode. It's used to calculate transportation system capacity and manage development impacts. **Safe Systems Approach/Vision Zero:** A transportation safety philosophy that aims to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities by designing infrastructure to account for human error rather than relying solely on user behavior. **Transportation Demand Management (TDM):** Strategies to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips through incentives for alternative transportation modes like transit, biking, and carpooling. **Mode Shift:** The goal of getting people to choose alternative transportation methods (walking, biking, transit) instead of driving alone, reducing traffic congestion and environmental impacts. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Betty Sanchez | Transportation Commissioner | | Jamin Agosti | Transportation Commissioner | | John Mullen | Transportation Commissioner | | Tim Wilder | Transportation Commission Vice Chair | | Casey Schlanker | Community Member (Public Comment) | | Eric Scott | Community Member (Public Comment) | | John | Barkley Village/Talbot Group Representative | | Amalia Leighton Cody | Tool Design Group (Barkley Village Consultant) | | Darby Galligan | City Planning and Community Development Staff | | Mike Wilson | City Staff | | Sydney Prusack | City Staff (Comprehensive Plan) | | Dylan | City Staff (Transportation Planning) | | Cindy Dennis | Transportation Commissioner (Online) | ### Background Context The Ellis and Texas Street intersection has become a significant safety concern for the Sunnyland neighborhood, with two T-bone collisions occurring in the week before the meeting. Seventeen children under age 10 live within a block of this residential intersection, where cars traveling westbound face poor visibility and northbound traffic moves too fast. While residents are seeking immediate solutions like four-way stops, city staff explained that state law prohibits using four-way stops for traffic calming. The long-term solution may come through a future Community Streets program, but that could be years away. The Barkley Village development represents a major transformation for the area, with the Talbot family planning to build out their vision within 20 years before transitioning to the next generation. This urban village designation would enable mixed-use development, improved multimodal connections, and higher density housing. The development has been in planning for over four years and requires multiple approvals including a sub area plan, development agreement, and zoning changes. The comprehensive plan update represents the city's effort to modernize transportation policies with safety as the top priority - a theme that emerged clearly from community engagement where "safe" was the most common word residents used to describe their vision for Bellingham's future. ### What Happened — The Short Version Two residents spoke during public comment about dangerous conditions at Ellis and Texas Street, where recent accidents have raised serious safety concerns in a neighborhood with many children. They're frustrated that the intersection has been flagged to the city for months without action. The Barkley Village team presented updated transportation plans for their urban village development. Their consultant showed detailed street cross-sections for new roads like Burns Street (with separated bike lanes) and Saint Clair Street (with multi-use trails). The development aims to create better connections to existing city trails and transit routes while preserving tree stands and avoiding wetlands where possible. City staff then walked through draft transportation policies for the comprehensive plan update. The new policies emphasize safety above all else, strengthen collaboration with transit agencies like WTA, promote mode shift away from single-occupancy vehicles, improve connectivity across the transportation network, and ensure equitable investment in underserved areas. Commissioners provided extensive feedback, questioning whether some policies were too vague, suggesting stronger language around automated speed enforcement, and emphasizing the need for transportation solutions that compete with the convenience of driving. ### What to Watch Next • Planning Commission will review the Barkley Village sub area plan in late May or early June, followed by City Council consideration • Transportation Commission will see the comprehensive plan policies again in May with more detailed data and metrics • The Ellis/Texas Street safety concerns may come before City Council at an upcoming meeting as residents continue pushing for solutions • Public Works is beginning a process to revise the city's future arterial connections map, which could address connectivity challenges in environmentally sensitive areas ---

## MODULE S2: FLASH CARDS **Meeting ID:** BEL-TRC-2025-04-08 **Q:** How many children under age 10 live within a block of the Ellis and Texas Street intersection? **A:** 17 children, according to community member Casey Schlanker's testimony. **Q:** Why won't the city install a four-way stop at Ellis and Texas Street? **A:** State law prohibits using four-way stops as traffic calming measures, according to city staff. **Q:** How long has the Barkley Village development been in the planning process? **A:** Over 4 and a half years, with Tool Design Group working with the Talbot family since the beginning. **Q:** What percentage of Barkley Village property does the Talbot family own? **A:** Approximately 80% of the property within the urban village boundary. **Q:** What are the two new arterial streets proposed for Barkley Village? **A:** Burns Street (running east-west) and Saint Clair Street (running north-south). **Q:** What was the most common word residents used to describe their vision for Bellingham's future? **A:** "Safe" was the top word in the city's vision survey from fall 2023. **Q:** How many Concurrency Service Areas does Bellingham currently have? **A:** Between 15-22 different concurrency service areas that the city wants to reduce and simplify. **Q:** What is a "person trip" in transportation planning? **A:** A unit measuring one person making one trip, regardless of transportation mode used. **Q:** What approach is the city adopting to eliminate traffic fatalities? **A:** A "safe systems approach" similar to Vision Zero that designs infrastructure to prevent human error. **Q:** What is the city's new transportation modal hierarchy splitting into? **A:** Two hierarchies - one prioritizing active transportation (bikes) and one prioritizing transit, both with pedestrians at the top. **Q:** When does the Planning Commission expect to review the Barkley Village sub area plan? **A:** End of May, optimistically, or early June 2025. **Q:** What is the timeline for the comprehensive plan update adoption? **A:** Hoping for adoption by the end of 2025 if all goes according to plan. **Q:** What infrastructure improvement was mentioned for Lincoln and Potter Street? **A:** A roundabout project that received Safe Routes to School funding with benefits for multiple transportation modes. **Q:** How many employees must a business have to be subject to commute trip reduction requirements? **A:** Over 100 employees working during specific peak hours. **Q:** What is the Community Streets program mentioned for traffic calming? **A:** A program allowing neighborhoods to nominate high-risk areas for traffic calming measures, though implementation would be years away. **Q:** What connection improvements were discussed for the railroad trail? **A:** Better connections near Hagen's and potentially a second connection that doesn't require crossing high-stress roads. **Q:** What design feature distinguishes Burns Street in the Barkley Village plan? **A:** Separated bicycle facilities on both sides of the street, separated from pedestrian facilities. **Q:** What regional transit option was discussed for future consideration? **A:** High-speed rail, though plans are preliminary with no concrete schedule. **Q:** What is the main challenge with implementing four-way stops for traffic calming? **A:** State law considers it illegal to use four-way stops specifically as traffic calming devices. **Q:** What was identified as a key barrier to mode shift in the policy discussion? **A:** Single-occupancy vehicles remaining the fastest, easiest, and cheapest transportation option in many cases. ---