The City of Bellevue Transportation Department is working on a project to improve safety on Coal Creek Parkway SE between Factoria Boulevard SE and the south city limits near Newcastle Commons Drive/SE 66th Street. The project includes installing several speed radar feedback signs, upgrading curve warning signs and reducing the speed limit along this segment of Coal Creek Parkway SE.
Background
Coal Creek Parkway SE is part of the city’s High Injury Network — a grouping of streets on which most fatal and serious injury crashes in Bellevue occur. At least nine serious-injury crashes and one fatal crash have occurred on Coal Creek Parkway SE between Factoria Boulevard SE and the south city limits since 2016. The city applied for a WSDOT grant to help improve the safety of this road due to the high number of serious injury crashes. WSDOT awarded the city $1.24 million in 2022 to improve safety for people using this part of Coal Creek Parkway SE. This project aligns with Bellevue’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious-injury collisions on city streets by 2030.
Speed limit reduction
After evaluating the existing posted speed limit, city staff proposed lowering the speed limit on Coal Creek Parkway SE between Factoria Boulevard SE and the south city limits from 40 mph to 35 mph. A lower speed limit was proposed because lower speeds have the potential to improve safety by reducing the severity of traffic crashes. Coal Creek Parkway SE is already posted with a 35 mph speed limit north and south of the project limits, so this change would also create a more consistent speed limit on this major roadway.
Speed limit reductions in Bellevue must be approved by the City Council. The change was approved by the council at the February 25 regular meeting. The new 35 mph speed limit will go into effect with the safety improvement upgrades in summer 2025.
Safety improvements
Along with the speed limit change, the city will be implementing some infrastructure changes to improve safety. Planned improvements include two new overhead radar feedback sign installations and two new standard radar feedback signs, as well as new curve warning signs.
Schedule
Construction of the radar feedback signs and curve warning signs is anticipated to start in fall 2025. The new speed limit signs are anticipated to be installed at the same time as the project. There will be impacts to people who travel along Coal Creek Parkway during this project, including lane closures. Stay up to date with traffic impacts by signing up for the city’s weekly Traffic Advisories.
Funding
The proposed speed limit change, which includes changing speed limit signs, and the safety improvements project are funded by a $1.24 million grant from WSDOT through its Highway Safety Improvement (HSIP) grant program.
Materials
- Proposed speed limit change mailer (January 2025)