BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Bellingham residents are speaking up about the new bike lanes on Holly Street in downtown Bellingham, and not everyone is satisfied with the project.
That’s according to a draft report of the Holly Street Bike Lane Pilot Project Evaluation prepared by Bellingham’s Public Works Department.
The majority of drivers and bikers said they’ve felt “definitely” or “somewhat” unsafe while traveling on Holly Street since the bike lanes were installed. There was no clear consensus among pedestrians’ views on safety.
Most of the community’s safety concerns centered around visibility issues due to parked cars blocking drivers’ view of cyclists and bikers having difficulty making left turns.
The draft report noted that the project is widely perceived as unnecessary and a waste of taxpayer money, though it did increase bike ridership by 33% after the bike lane was installed.
The pilot project began in May in an effort to build a stronger downtown bike network and reduced most of the Holly Street corridor down to two lanes.
It tested two types of bike lane protections: a buffered bike lane between Ellis and North State streets and a parking protected bike lane between North State and Bay streets.
Staff with the city’s Public Works department will update the Transportation Commission on their findings on Tuesday, Nov. 12, ahead of a final report to the city council later this winter.
