Eastgate/Tyee Traffic Safety Improvements

The city’s Neighborhood Traffic Safety Service program is working to improve safety in the Eastgate neighborhood near Tyee Middle School. Beginning in 2019, the work has been done in phases that include building a new roundabout and a new sidewalk. The latest effort lowered the speed limit on streets near the school.

Speed limit reduction

In response to community concerns about high vehicle speeds and traffic safety around Tyee Middle School in the Eastgate neighborhood, the Transportation Department lowered the speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph on most public streets near the school in July 2022. The affected roads are between SE 36^th Street and SE Newport Way, west of 150^th Ave SE (map). This speed limit reduction is the next phase in a wider set of improvements that included a new sidewalk and mini roundabout. Existing speed limit signs will be changed to reflect the new speed limits and additional signs will be added at key locations.

Benefits

Create safer routes to school for children in the neighborhood
Create a more comfortable environment for people walking
Support the city’s Vision Zero effort to eliminate serious injury and fatal collisions on city streets by 2030

Translations

信息

交通安全项目
该项目计划将 Tyee 中学附近街道的速度限制降至 20 mph
我们将就有效性对此较低的速度限制进行评估
20 mph 的速度标志将取代 25 mph 的速度标志
项目时间表
- 该项目预计于 2022 年 3 月实施
Tyee 中学附近街道的速度限制将为 20 mph

資訊

交通安全計畫
將 Tyee 中學周邊街道的速限降低至 20 英里/小時的計畫
將評估降低速限的有效性
將 25 英里/小時速度標誌替換為 20 英里/小時標誌
計畫時間表
- 預計 2022 年 3 月實施
Tyee 中學周邊街道將限速 20 英里/小時

Información

Proyecto de seguridad vial
Proyecto para reducir el límite de velocidad a 20 mph en las calles alrededor de la Escuela Intermedia Tyee
Este límite más bajo de velocidad será evaluado para determinar su efectividad.
Las señales de velocidad de 25 mph serán reemplazadas por señales de 20 mph
Cronograma del proyecto
- Implementación prevista para marzo de 2022
Las calles alrededor de la Escuela Intermedia Tyee tendrán un límite de velocidad de 20 mph

정보

교통 안전 프로젝트
Tyee 중학교 주변 도로의 제한 속도를 20mph로 낮추는 프로젝트
낮은 속도 제한은 효율성을 위해 평가될 예정
25mph 속도 표지판은 20mph 표지판으로 교체될 예정
프로젝트 일정
- 2022년 3월 시행 예정
Tyee 중학교 주변 도로는 20mph로 제한될 예정

Информация

Проект по обеспечению безопасности дорожного движения
Проект по ограничению скорости движения до 20 миль в час на улицах вокруг средней школы Tyee.
Будет проведен анализ эффективности решения по снижению скорости движения
Ограничение скорости на дорожных знаках будет изменено с 25 на 20 миль в час
График выполнения проекта
- Реализация необходимых мероприятий запланирована на март 2022 года
Скорость движения на улицах вокруг средней школы Tyee будет ограничена 20 милями в час

"20 is Plenty" yard signs available

Yard signs that indicate “20 is Plenty” are available to community members, by request, by contacting John Murphy and providing your address. These signs help reinforce the new speed limit. If requested, staff will coordinate with you to arrange a drop-off to your home.

Evaluation

Following the implementation of the speed limit reduction, a follow-up traffic study will be conducted and results will be compared to the earlier study. A community survey was also conducted. Results are being evaluated and a report will be posted once this is complete.

The city is interested in reviewing speed limits on local streets as part of its Vision Zero program. Vision Zero is the city’s commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries on city streets by 2030. In the city’s 2021 Vision Zero Action Plan, there is an action to “Develop a neighborhood slow zone program to reduce speed limits citywide to 20 mph.” The speed limit reduction project near Tyee Middle School is the third 20 mph zone in Bellevue and is supporting the larger effort to review the appropriateness of 20 mph speed limits on additional local streets in Bellevue.

Speed limit reduction frequently asked questions

Do other neighborhoods have posted 20 mph speed limits?

Two other neighborhoods in Bellevue have 20 mph speed limits: Surrey Downs and along the East Bellevue Demonstration Greenaway. Both projects showed reductions in speeding following the implementation of the lower speed limit.

Why didn’t the speed limit change on Allen Road or 146th Ave SE?

A segment of 146th Ave. SE, between SE Allen Road and SE 36th Street, and on Allen Road, will remain signed at 25 mph as it is a transit route and carries higher vehicle volumes than many of the other streets in Eastgate.

I don’t live within the area that is getting the lower speed limit but would like to see a 20 mph speed limit in my neighborhood. Can that happen?

Currently, no. The city is interested in reviewing speed limits on local streets citywide as part of its Vision Zero effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries on city streets by 2030. One of the actions in the city’s 2022 Vision Zero Action Plan is to “Continue expanding neighborhood slow zone program while advancing citywide efforts to implement a local street speed limit reduction policy reducing speed limits on local streets to 20 mph.” The speed limit reduction project near Tyee Middle School supports that effort.

How will speed limit signs change in the neighborhood?

There are approximately 12 existing 25 mph speed limit signs that will be changed to reflect the new speed limit. Additional new 20 mph speed limit signs will be added to neighborhood entrances off of Allen Road and Newport Way and on streets adjacent to 146th Ave SE. There will be some slight adjustments to the school zone signage surrounding Tyee Middle School. The sign changes will raise awareness and reinforce the new speed limit.

Mini-roundabout and sidewalk

Image of vehicle passing through intersection

Neighborhood Traffic Safety Services developed a traffic improvement project for the Eastgate neighborhood around Tyee Middle School to make it safer for people to walk and to reduce the speed drivers. Construction began in June 2019 and was largely completed in early 2020. Project elements included a mini-roundabout at 138th Avenue SE and SE 40th Street and a new sidewalk on the west side of 138th Avenue from SE 40th Street to SE Allen Road.

This project responded to concerns about speeding and traffic volumes and the need for safe walking and bicycling in the neighborhood, including to and from school. City staff met with stakeholders to identify needs such as improved crosswalks, additional pavement markings and other features to calm traffic.

Funding

The cost of the mini-roundabout and sidewalk was approximately $1 million and was partially funded by the Neighborhood Safety, Connectivity and Congestion Levy. The budget for the speed limit reduction phase is approximately $40,000 and is funded by city's Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program.

Documents

Evaluation survey mailer (February 2023)
Speed limit reduction installation postcard (July 2022)
Speed limit reduction mailer (February 2022)
Construction alert (June 2019)
Project mailer (April 2019)
Flashing beacons construction ahead mailer (September 2018)
Project Open House display boards (February 2018)
Eastgate/Tyee Traffic Safety Survey Analysis (November 2017)

Schedule

December 2022: Traffic study conducted
July 2022: Speed limit reduction around Tyee Middle School
Early 2020: Project completion
Summer 2019: Construction of mini-roundabout and sidewalk
Summer/fall 2018: Construction of school zone flashing beacons
February 2018: Project open house at Tyee Middle School library
Fall 2017: Project open house