📋 City Council Regular Meeting
City of Bellingham Transportation Commission
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Meeting Summary
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.
Study Guide
## 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
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