### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Transportation Commission met on October 14, 2025, with their primary focus on approving the Community Streets Program (CSP) project list for construction. The commission evaluated 20 traffic safety studies and selected 5 projects for implementation, while also receiving updates on speed limit policy work and parking management expansions. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Community Streets Program (CSP):** A 4-year rotating program that addresses traffic safety concerns on residential streets through community input and data-driven analysis, focusing on one geographic area of the city each year. **Point-to-Cost Ratio:** A metric used to compare the safety score of each project against its estimated construction cost, helping prioritize which projects deliver the best value per dollar spent. **Speed Humps:** Asphalt traffic calming devices that cost approximately $22,000 each and are the preferred treatment for addressing speeding concerns on residential streets. **Level of Traffic Stress (LTS):** A measurement scale from 1-4 that evaluates how stressful a street feels for pedestrians and cyclists, with LTS-1 being comfortable for all ages and abilities. **85th Percentile Speed:** The speed at or below which 85% of drivers travel, used as a key metric for determining if speeding is a problem on a given street. **Traffic Circles:** Permanent traffic calming installations at intersections, previously installed under earlier traffic calming programs as an alternative to speed humps. **Cut-Through Traffic:** Vehicles using residential streets as shortcuts to avoid congestion on main roads, often creating safety and livability concerns for neighborhoods. **Quick-Build Solutions:** Low-cost, temporary traffic calming measures using materials like flex posts and paint that can be implemented faster and cheaper than permanent infrastructure. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Addie Candib | Transportation Commission Chair | | Shane Sullivan | City Traffic Engineer, PE, PTOE | | Tim Hohmann | Assistant Director of Public Works-Transportation | | Jamin Agosti | Commissioner | | Cindy Dennis | Commissioner | | Dylan Casper | City Planner | | Steve Haugen | Public Works Staff | | Miles Silverman | Public commenter | ### Background Context The Community Streets Program represents Bellingham's systematic approach to addressing neighborhood traffic concerns through community engagement and data analysis. This year's focus on Group A covered northern neighborhoods including Cordata, Meridian, King Mountain, Irongate, Barkley, and Silver Beach. The program received 401 community responses, which were narrowed down to 53 eligible concerns and ultimately 20 discrete study locations. The commission's challenge was balancing limited budget ($200,000) against community needs while maintaining transparency and equity in project selection. The meeting also highlighted ongoing tensions between data-driven decision-making and community perception of safety issues. Some locations with strong community concern showed relatively low safety scores based on traffic counts and speed measurements, leading to discussion about how to address perceived versus measured problems. ### What Happened — The Short Version The commission approved five Community Streets Program projects for construction: Tremont Avenue (3 speed humps, $66,600), McGrath Road near elementary school (2 speed humps, $44,400), combined Silver Beach Avenue and Sylvan Street projects (3 speed humps, $66,600), and Peter Street signage improvements ($4,000). They skipped the 4th-ranked St. Paul Street project after determining the data didn't support safety intervention despite community concerns. Staff also provided updates on upcoming speed limit policy changes, parking management expansion, and various other transportation initiatives. ### What to Watch Next - Speed limit policy recommendations coming to the commission in February 2026 - Implementation of approved Community Streets Program projects in summer 2026 - Transportation Report on Annual Mobility (TRAM) update expected in November or December 2025 - Expansion of paid parking to 274 new spaces in downtown and Fairhaven areas - Automatic traffic safety camera discussion planned for early 2026 ---