Published June 30 2022
Plus, comments on Supreme Court decision and review of regional legislative issues
Note: The next City Council meeting will be Tuesday, July 5, due to the holiday Monday.
The city’s Mobility Implementation Plan (MIP) received the VISION 2050 – Planning Ahead Award from the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) at the General Assembly in May. On Monday, Paul Inghram, Director of Growth Management for PSRC, presented the award to the council. The Planning Ahead Award recognizes plans, programs or efforts that shape a positive future for the four-county region of King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
The Council adopted the MIP on April 18 on the recommendation of the Transportation Commission. The purpose of the MIP is to ensure that all of Bellevue’s transportation plans are compatible with each other and with the city’s land use plan. It is a long-range planning framework that was developed with public input and has four main goals: improve safety; consider equity; support growth; and improve access and mobility.
The MIP provides the platform for Bellevue to meet the multimodal future – one where members of the public have many transportation modes to choose from – envisioned locally in the Comprehensive Plan and regionally in PSRC’s VISION 2050 and Regional Transportation Plan. It will help the city make decisions on project investments based on what people want in their transportation system, the quality of life they expect, and what users of all ages and abilities need to reach their destinations, whether walking, biking, driving or taking transit.
Councilmembers voted unanimously to take consent calendar action at a future meeting on an ordinance containing the code amendments recommended by the transportation commission. More details are available in the meeting materials and on video replay through Bellevue Television.
Comments on Supreme Court decision
At the start of the meeting, Mayor Robinson noted that the council had discussed the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn the court’s prior decision in Roe v. Wade, which places control over abortion rights at the state level. The three women councilmembers present at the meeting shared their individual thoughts on the ruling and the implications for women and our communities.
Review of regional legislative issues
In other business, the council received an informational update on federal appropriations and grants funding as well as the city’s work to advocate for Bellevue priorities with legislators at all levels.
The city recently formed a cross-departmental team to develop local strategies for securing funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), signed into law by President Biden in November 2021. The BIL dedicates $1.2 trillion over the next five years for key transportation and infrastructure improvements, including power and water utilities, environment, high-speed internet and more.
The city adopted in April a federal legislative agenda for Bellevue priorities. That agenda will guide the BIL cross-departmental team as they develop a priority project pipeline, establish and build key stakeholder relationships, and explore funding requirements and opportunities.
The full presentation to council is available on Bellevue Television.