Published July 25 2025
Plus, code amendment for e-scooters, Sustainable Bellevue plan update and tourism area budget
The City Council Tuesday received an update on the Grand Connection program, the city’s series of projects and initiatives designed to improve the pedestrian experience through downtown Bellevue. Recent developments include the formation of the Office of the Grand Connection to centralize coordination of the project and awarding of grants to organizations that will host events along the Grand Connection corridor.
On the horizon are preparations for completing the design and construction of the Grand Connection Crossing, the program’s pedestrian-focused crossing over Interstate 405. The city will request state approval to complete the crossing via an alternative delivery method known as general contractor/construction management, which brings construction expertise into the design process at the early stages of a project. This process helps ensure that as the crossing’s design progresses, it remains within the project scope and budget.
The city must also demonstrate its financial capacity to deliver the crossing to gain approval for this project delivery method. The city’s finance team presented a range of financing tools the city could use to complete the project, which it will include in the application to the state, noting that listing a financing tool as an option does not mean the city has committed to using or must use those tools if other financing becomes available.
More information on the financing tools included in the application that will be submitted to the state next month are included in the meeting materials.
Code amendment for e-scooters
Over the past several months, the Transportation Department and the Transportation Commission have worked together to draft an amendment to Bellevue City Code 11.48.210, which regulates motorized foot scooters, or “e-scooters.” Revising the code is a necessary first step toward permitting a shared micromobility program that includes e-bicycles and e-scooters.
Staff noted that the existing code presents challenges to the legal operation of e-scooters, and is not aligned with current state law or the regulations of neighboring jurisdictions.
The proposed revisions would bring Bellevue’s code into alignment with state law, including provisions to cap e-scooter speeds at 15 mph, set a minimum rider age of 16 and clarify where e-scooters can be ridden, such as on roads and in bike lanes.
The council directed staff to prepare an ordinance amending the code, which will be brought forward for adoption at a future meeting. With a new code in place later this summer, the department can begin developing a shared micromobility program for 2026. The program will include public education and safety campaigns, as well as a review of infrastructure needs for the new travel options.
See the meeting materials for more information.
Sustainable Bellevue Plan progress and updates
Councilmembers also received an update on progress made to develop the 2026-2030 Sustainable Bellevue Plan this year, as well as efforts to implement final actions from the 2021-2025 plan.
The city has already made significant progress in reducing emissions from municipal operations. The goal in the existing Sustainable Bellevue plan was to cut emissions by 50% before 2030. The city has already exceeded that target this year, reducing emissions from city operations by 54% compared to the 2011 baseline.
Since the council initiated the Sustainable Bellevue Plan update in October 2024, staff have undertaken a comprehensive review of the plan’s goals, metrics, targets and actions, informed by months of community engagement and a review of best practices from across the country. At Tuesday’s meeting, staff presented high-impact strategies to achieve climate and other environmental goals, and will continue to develop the actions for the draft plan.
In August, the public will have an opportunity to comment on the draft 2026-30 plan as sustainability staff continue engagement throughout the update process. Staff expect to present a recommended draft plan for council input in October, with the final plan for adoption planned for November.
See the meeting materials for more information.
Nods for proposed 2026 Bellevue-Redmond Tourism Area budget
The council also voted in favor of staff returning with legislation to adopt the 2026 Bellevue-Redmond Tourism Promotional Area Annual Budget and Strategic Plan, as part of the 2026 mid-biennium technical budget process. The proposed budget, which was recently recommended by the Tourism Promotional Area Advisory Board, governs the use of revenues derived from lodging charges, which are collected from businesses that provide 40 or more units of taxable lodging to fund tourism promotion.
This is the third budget and work plan prepared and recommended by the Tourism Promotional Area Advisory Board. Most recently, the 2025 Budget and Strategic Plan was adopted as part of the city’s 2025-2026 Operating Budget in November 2024.