Published April 4 2018
Traffic congestion on city arterial streets and regional highways in Bellevue can make the commute to and from work slower, especially during the evening commute. On Monday, the City Council heard an overview of how cut-through traffic, especially during commute times, is spilling onto neighborhood streets and what’s being done to address it.
Staff with the city’s Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program (NTSS), created in 1985 to address a variety of concerns, told councilmembers there are two major factors contributing to more commuter traffic in neighborhoods. One is rapid population and job growth in Bellevue and the region. The other factor is the increased popularity of navigation applications for mobile devices, such as Google Maps and Waze. The apps route drivers away from congestion on major roadways, but often direct users onto neighborhood streets as a shortcut.
Bellevue has responded with improvements to the city’s arterial streets and traffic signals, a voter-approved levy that funds a Neighborhood Congestion Reduction Program and by advocating for improvements to regional highways and transit. On a hyper-local level, NTSS staff work with community volunteers to form traffic committees that consider alternatives and their potential consequences, and determine solutions appropriate for neighborhoods.
Traditional traffic calming tools such as speed humps, traffic circles and radar signs still work to slow drivers down, but are no longer as effective at discouraging commuter traffic on neighborhood streets. A new tool that has shown promise in decreasing evening commute traffic is to restrict turns during peak commute times, a change that eases neighborhood impacts caused by navigation apps. But the tradeoff for reduced vehicle volumes is frustration among some residents because of less convenient access to their neighborhoods.
More information is available with the council agenda materials. The full briefing is also available to watch online.
Boards and commissions reappointments
Later during the study session, councilmembers voted unanimously to reappointment six members of the city’s boards and commissions. The following individuals will all serve terms through May 31, 2022:
• Carl Wolfteich – Arts Commission
• Becky Lewis – Arts Commission
• Lisa Shin – Environmental Services Commission
• Benjamin Piper – Human Services Commission
• Michelle Kline – Human Services Commission
• Debra Kumar – Parks & Community Services Board
The City Council appoints residents to boards, commissions and committees that provide detailed study and recommendations on important policy matters. This structure allows councilmembers greater flexibility when addressing complex issues, thanks to the help of dedicated volunteers.
The council is currently accepting applications for vacancies on the Environmental Services Commission and Library Board. Interested candidates can apply.
April 9 meeting cancelled
The council also voted unanimously to cancel next Monday’s meeting due to anticipated absences. The week of April 9 is also the spring break for the Bellevue School District in which there’s no school. However, in the same motion, councilmembers agreed to add a meeting and convene on April 30. The council typically does not meet on the fifth Monday of the month, when applicable.