### 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 ---