City of Bellingham Transportation Commission

WTA's Hayden Richardson presented their preliminary locally preferred alternative, recommending enhanced go-lines over full bus rapid transit. This approach would provide 10-minute or better frequency across multiple corridors through incremental improvements rather than one major corridor receiving dedicated bus lanes. The enhanced approach allows WTA to begin implementing improvements immediately rather than waiting 8-10 years for federal Small Starts program funding that may never materialize. The Eldridge Avenue pilot project demonstrated remarkable success after one year of data collection. The project showed 31% increases in bicycle usage and 57% increases in pedestrian traffic year-over-year, with no increase in vehicle speeds despite community concerns. Only one block along the entire corridor showed parking over-capacity, while the project received widespread positive feedback from users. The commission also approved the 2026-2031 Transportation Improvement Program, which reflects reduced street fund allocations replaced by real estate excise tax funding. The TIP includes new projects like a downtown transportation plan ($500,000) and several federally-funded improvements totaling millions in grants.

**WTA Rapid Transit Study - Enhanced Go Lines Approach** - Vote: Information only, no formal action required - Commission expressed unanimous support for enhanced go-lines over full BRT - Staff recommendation accepted to pursue 10-minute frequency through incremental improvements - Approach allows multiple corridor improvements rather than single-corridor focus **Eldridge Avenue Pilot Project - Permanent Bike Lanes** - Vote: Unanimous approval with amendment - Original resolution: Permanently remove parking and establish bike lanes Broadway to Squalicum - Amendment added: Study additional crossing improvements and extend protected bike lane from Bay Street to Broadway - Staff recommendation fully endorsed based on strong performance data **2026-2031 Transportation Improvement Program** - Vote: Unanimous approval - Total program reflects shift from street fund to real estate excise tax funding - Multiple federal grants secured totaling millions for various projects - Pavement preservation funding reduced from $41M to $22M due to funding source changes

"Think about this project in the direction as a choice between doing one big major project in one corridor taking 8 to 10 years with a lot of work, a lot of funding versus a subset of smaller projects that could be used in multiple corridors." **Joel Fudge, on BRT corridor selection:** "There wasn't a clear winner that we felt kind of connected the constellation of places that we could really invest all that money and feel like we were benefiting not only that corridor, but the entire community." **Tim Holman, on Eldridge Avenue results:** "We see a 30% increase in bike and peds June to June, even better April to April. I think that staff sees that as a success for the pilot project." **Commission Member, on project timelines:** "This took 11 years to get from a plan onto concrete and took an insane amount of work for city staff like the amount of effort that went into the parking study and the data collection is an absolutely insane amount of work for a relatively small pilot project." **Richardson, on 10-minute frequency:** "Just imagine being able to show up at a bus stop without a schedule, without worrying about a schedule. I mean, that makes a big difference." **Commission Member, on network building:** "For me the benefit maybe isn't just that people are using it, but it's part of this network and we're not going to realize all the gains until we get the network built."

# Transportation Commission Charts Path Forward on Transit and Bike Infrastructure The Bellingham Transportation Commission convened on May 13, 2025, for a meeting that showcased the city's evolving approach to multimodal transportation. Commissioners heard presentations on WTA's rapid transit study, reviewed the successful Eldridge Avenue pilot project, and approved the 2026-2031 Transportation Improvement Program. The meeting demonstrated both the promise and challenges of implementing progressive transportation policies in a mid-sized city. ## Meeting Overview Chair Addie Candib called the meeting to order with Commissioners Tim Wilder, Connor Workman, Cindy Dennis, Chairman Agosti, Becky Klein, and Rudy Sanchez in attendance. City staff included Joel Dufond, Mike Wilson, Tim Holman, and Elena Dixon, with Hayden Richardson representing WTA. The evening's agenda reflected the collaborative nature of regional transportation planning, with presentations spanning from neighborhood-level bike infrastructure to countywide transit initiatives. ## WTA's Rapid Transit Vision: Enhanced Go Lines Over Full BRT Hayden Richardson from WTA presented the agency's preliminary locally preferred alternative for rapid transit development. The presentation outlined a critical choice facing the region: pursue full Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on a single corridor or implement enhanced service across multiple Go Line routes. "When you boil it down, the purpose of the project is ultimately to provide faster, more frequent, and more reliable service," Richardson explained, describing the goal of 10-minute or better frequency that would allow riders to "show up at the bus stop" without consulting schedules. The stark realities of BRT financing emerged as Richardson detailed the challenges. Full BRT could cost up to $110 million and require an eight-year federal Small Starts grant process with no interim improvements allowed. This timeline and cost structure led staff to recommend the enhanced Go Lines approach instead. "That second approach allows us doesn't get the amount of potential funding from the Federal Government that's available, but it would get us the ability to start, begin making some of those improvements over time," explained Joel Dufond, summarizing the trade-offs. The enhanced Go Lines would still achieve many BRT benefits: off-board fare collection, improved stations, better transit signal priority, and strategic bus-only lanes at key bottlenecks. However, they wouldn't include the dedicated transitways throughout entire corridors that define traditional BRT. Commissioner questions revealed ongoing challenges. The Squalicum High School area remains poorly served, with students needing to leave class early to catch buses. WTA's consideration of fare-free service continues as a separate policy discussion that could further improve boarding times and ridership. Tim Wilder from the city emphasized the collaborative nature: "The city and WTA have been working really closely on this and we are thinking about this as an important element of the comprehensive plan and how the community continues to grow." ## Eldridge Avenue Success Story: From Pilot to Permanent Tim Holman presented the results of the year-long Eldridge Avenue pilot project, which removed parking and installed protected bike lanes between Broadway and Squalicum. The data told a compelling story of success. Bicycle and pedestrian usage increased dramatically: 31% growth comparing June 2023 to June 2024, and an even stronger 42% increase from April 2024 to April 2025. "As these facilities are becoming established, we see we've seen a continued increase in users," Holman noted. Importantly, vehicle speeds remained flat despite community concerns that removing parking would lead to speeding. The corridor already operated above expected safety levels, and no collisions occurred during the pilot year. The parking impact study revealed only one seven-space block along the entire corridor operating over capacity. Despite losing on-street parking along Eldridge, the broader neighborhood maintained adequate parking availability. Holman acknowledged the project's complexity: "Cost is obviously being borne by the direct adjacent neighbors. The benefits being realized by the rest of the community." Community feedback reflected this dynamic, with positive comments typically coming from citywide users and concerns from Eldridge Avenue addresses. Commissioner Jamie raised the project's broader significance: "This had incredible outcomes. 30, 50, 60% increase in pedestrian and bike trips, increase in vehicle traffic without an increase in speed. Great feedback on pedestrian crossings, great feedback for people who bike and the parking study that showed along the entire corridor only a single block that was considered over capacity of parking." However, Jamie also noted the project's administrative burden: "This took 11 years to get from a plan onto concrete and took an insane amount of work for city staff." The commission unanimously approved a resolution recommending permanent removal of parking on Eldridge Avenue, with an amendment requesting staff study extending the protected bike lane from Bay Street to Broadway to complete the corridor connection. ## 2026-2031 Transportation Improvement Program Joel Dufond presented the six-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), a $100+ million planning document that guides the city's capital transportation investments. The presentation highlighted significant funding shifts and new project additions. A major change involved replacing street fund allocations with real estate excise tax funding after budget decisions reduced general fund contributions to transportation projects. This shift reduced pavement preservation funding from $41 million to $22 million, though Dufond explained the city had historically struggled to spend all allocated preservation funds. "We have been investing that preservation money in a lot of projects that were more complete improvement projects. So we were doing pavement preservation and investing that as part of larger projects where we were creating complete streets," Dufond said, noting the program would refocus on core pavement maintenance. New grant funding successes included federal money for the Meridian-Birchwood roundabout, downtown signal improvements, Lincoln-Potter roundabout, and Pine Street railroad crossing. The commission learned these grants require strict federal compliance but enable larger projects than local funding alone could support. Notable additions included a $500,000 downtown transportation plan that would engage the Transportation Commission and community in reimagining downtown street functions. "The goal is to have a clear set of guidelines for kind of the role of the various streets in downtown probably to like the planning cross-sectional level," Dufond explained. The program evaluation showed strong alignment with community goals: approximately half the projects focus on safety improvements, with significant investments in climate-friendly infrastructure that promotes walking, biking, and transit use. ## Financial Realities and Future Challenges Throughout the evening, funding constraints emerged as a persistent theme. WTA's Richardson acknowledged that enhanced Go Lines would require new revenue sources: "likely in the future, if this project moves forward, in addition to grants for capital improvements, there would be some kind of local discussion on citywide or countywide sales tax adjustment." The city faces similar challenges balancing preservation of existing infrastructure with expansion of new facilities. The shift away from ongoing street fund revenue to variable real estate excise tax funding reflects broader municipal budget pressures. Yet commissioners and staff demonstrated optimism about incremental progress. The Eldridge Avenue project showed that relatively modest investments could yield substantial ridership gains when designed and implemented thoughtfully. ## Looking Ahead As the meeting concluded past 8 PM, commissioners had approved the TIP unanimously and set the stage for continued transportation evolution. The WTA rapid transit study moves to City Council consideration, while staff will return to council with the permanent Eldridge Avenue recommendation. The evening illustrated both the promise and complexity of modern transportation planning. Success requires balancing community needs, financial realities, and long-term vision while navigating federal requirements, local politics, and technical challenges. Yet the Eldridge Avenue results and regional transit collaboration suggest that persistent, data-driven efforts can indeed create the multimodal transportation networks that growing communities need. Staff reported ongoing work on the Community Streets program, which had already received over 250 public comments, and continued recruitment for Transportation Commission vacancies. The machine of transportation planning continues, one project and one policy decision at a time.

## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE **Meeting ID:** BEL-TRC-2025-05-13 ### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Transportation Commission met on May 13, 2025, to discuss three major transportation initiatives. The commission heard presentations on WTA's rapid transit study, reviewed results from the Eldridge Avenue bike lane pilot project, and considered the city's six-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). ### Key Terms and Concepts **Bus Rapid Transit (BRT):** A high-quality bus-based transit system with features like dedicated bus lanes, frequent service, and enhanced stations. WTA's study found this would cost tens of millions and take 8-10 years to implement through federal grants. **Enhanced Go Lines:** WTA's alternative to full BRT that would provide 10-minute frequency service with some BRT features like signal priority and improved boarding, but without dedicated bus lanes throughout entire corridors. **Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA):** The community and stakeholders' preferred transit project direction that must be approved before moving forward with implementation and federal grant applications. **Transportation Improvement Program (TIP):** A state-required six-year planning document that determines grant eligibility and guides the city's transportation project funding and implementation schedule. **Transit Signal Priority (TSP):** Technology that gives buses preference at traffic signals to reduce delays and improve on-time performance. **Pilot Study:** A temporary implementation to test a transportation improvement before making it permanent, as was done with Eldridge Avenue bike lanes for one year. **Dwell Time:** The time a bus spends stopped at a station or stop for passenger boarding and alighting. **Real Estate Excise Tax (REET):** A one-time tax on property sales that the city uses for capital projects, replacing some street fund money in the transportation budget. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Addie Candib | Transportation Commission Chair | | Tim Wilder | Transportation Commissioner | | Connor Heron | Transportation Commissioner | | Cindy Dennis | Transportation Commissioner | | Becky Klein | Transportation Commissioner | | Rudy Sanchez | Transportation Commissioner | | Hayden Richardson | WTA Transportation and Land Use Planner | | Tim Holman | City Engineering Manager | | Joel Paulson | City Public Works Director | | Mike Wilson | City Staff | | Elena Dixon | City Staff | | Connor Heron | City Communications Team | ### Background Context WTA has been studying how to improve transit service frequency and reliability for several years, with Phase 1 completed in 2023 identifying potential corridors. The Enhanced Go Lines approach emerged as more realistic than full Bus Rapid Transit given Bellingham's funding constraints and development patterns. Meanwhile, the Eldridge Avenue project represents an 11-year journey from the 2014 bike master plan to implementation, highlighting the lengthy timeline for even modest infrastructure changes. The city's Transportation Improvement Program reflects a shift away from using ongoing street fund revenue for projects toward more flexible one-time funding sources, while successfully securing multiple federal grants for major projects. ### What Happened — The Short Version WTA presented their recommendation to pursue Enhanced Go Lines rather than full Bus Rapid Transit, seeking 10-minute frequency service with some rapid transit features but without dedicated bus lanes. The approach would allow incremental improvements across multiple corridors rather than one major investment in a single corridor. The commission heard impressive results from the Eldridge Avenue bike lane pilot showing 30-60% increases in pedestrian and bicycle use without increased vehicle speeds. They unanimously approved making those bike lanes permanent and asked staff to study extending them to complete the corridor. Finally, the commission approved the six-year Transportation Improvement Program, which includes $500,000 for a downtown transportation plan and reflects successful grant applications totaling millions in federal funding. ### What to Watch Next - WTA board meeting on June 19th to consider the Enhanced Go Lines recommendation - City council consideration of the Eldridge Avenue bike lane permanency in coming weeks - Public hearing on the Transportation Improvement Program on June 9th - Community Streets program recommendations coming to the commission in fall 2025 ---

## MODULE S2: FLASH CARDS **Meeting ID:** BEL-TRC-2025-05-13 **Q:** What is WTA's recommended alternative for improving transit service? **A:** Enhanced Go Lines - providing 10-minute frequency service with some rapid transit features like signal priority and improved boarding, but without dedicated bus lanes throughout corridors. **Q:** How much would full Bus Rapid Transit cost and how long would it take? **A:** Potentially tens of millions of dollars (up to $110 million in some estimates) and approximately 8 years through the federal Small Starts program. **Q:** What were the results of the Eldridge Avenue bike lane pilot study? **A:** 30-60% increases in pedestrian and bicycle usage, no increase in vehicle speeds, and only one block showing parking over-capacity along the entire corridor. **Q:** How long did the Eldridge Avenue project take from planning to implementation? **A:** 11 years - from identification in the 2014 bike master plan to completion in 2024. **Q:** What is WTA's current go line frequency during peak hours? **A:** 15 minutes on weekdays between 7 AM and 5 PM for all four go lines. **Q:** Which WTA go line has the highest ridership? **A:** The Blue Go Line, which serves Western campus and has the highest productivity and passengers per revenue hour. **Q:** What major funding change affected the Transportation Improvement Program? **A:** The city eliminated street fund contributions to transportation projects, replacing that funding with Real Estate Excise Tax dollars. **Q:** How much is allocated for the downtown transportation plan? **A:** $500,000 in 2026 to develop a comprehensive transportation network plan for downtown. **Q:** What was the Transportation Commission's action on the Eldridge Avenue project? **A:** Unanimously approved making the bike lanes permanent and requested staff study extending them from Bay Street to Broadway. **Q:** What is the timeline for the Enhanced Go Lines decision process? **A:** Public Works Committee meeting May 19th, WTA board meeting June 19th, with final locally preferred alternative adoption planned for fall 2025. **Q:** How many community comments has the Community Streets program received? **A:** Over 250 comments from residents suggesting locations for traffic calming improvements. **Q:** What happened to vehicle speeds on Eldridge Avenue after installing bike lanes? **A:** Speeds remained flat with no increase, and there was a slight decrease in the highest speeding violations. **Q:** What is the state requirement for the Transportation Improvement Program? **A:** Must be completed annually by July 1st and includes a required public hearing. **Q:** Which high school is most difficult for WTA to serve? **A:** Squalicum High School, as it's not close to any major corridors and the bell time doesn't align well with bus schedules. **Q:** What percentage of the TIP investment goes to areas with high social vulnerability? **A:** Over 25% of investment is in areas on the lowest quarter of the social vulnerability index. **Q:** What safety improvements were added during the Eldridge Avenue project? **A:** Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at three or four crossing locations along the corridor. **Q:** How will WTA potentially handle fare collection on Enhanced Go Lines? **A:** Through card readers allowing all-door boarding rather than expensive off-board fare boxes. **Q:** What is the current pavement preservation budget reduction? **A:** From $41 million to $22 million, primarily due to elimination of street fund contributions. **Q:** What major bridge projects are included in the TIP? **A:** Holly Street Bridge replacement and Cornwall Street Bridge preventative maintenance. **Q:** What is the goal for Enhanced Go Lines frequency? **A:** 10 minutes or less, making schedules unnecessary as buses would arrive frequently enough for spontaneous use. ---