Published May 22 2013
Also, Transit Master Plan, recognitions
Residents continue to give Bellevue high marks when it comes to quality of life, the quality of city services and the desirability of their neighborhoods as places to live.
City Councilmembers on Monday got their first glimpse of results from the city's annual Performance Measures Survey, statistically reliable data representing the views of all Bellevue residents. Highlights from this year's survey include:
- 96 percent rated Bellevue as a good to excellent place to live, compared with 97 percent in the 2012 survey; 95 percent said the overall quality of life meets or exceeds expectations as an ideal city, the same result as the 2012 survey;
- 94 percent said the overall quality of services meets or exceeds expectation, up from 92 percent in 2012; and 83 percent said the city is headed in the right direction, up from 79 percent last year;
- 93 percent described their neighborhood as a good to excellent place to live, the same percentage as the past two years;
- 56 percent of those surveyed feel there is an overall positive sense of community in their neighborhood, down from 63 percent in 2012. However, those who feel their neighborhood has a "strong sense of community" rose from 16 percent in 2012 to 19 percent in 2013; and
- Generally, residents feel safe walking in business areas during the day, although the feeling of neighborhood safety decreased from 71 percent feeling very safe in 2012 to 60 percent who feel very safe in 2013; the change is likely due to a jump in the percentage of people who heard about crime in the news -- 30 percent in 2012, 41 percent in 2013.
The survey, conducted this year from Jan. 19 to Feb. 8, included 518 interviews -- 270 by telephone and 248 via the Internet -- with household heads who were 18 or older. The sample was drawn from a mix of locations, including neighborhoods in south Bellevue where more than 5,400 people became new residents last year via annexation.
More information is available in a council management brief.
'Market-driven strategies' for transit master plan
Councilmembers by a 6-0 vote approved a set of "market-driven strategies," recommended by the Transportation Commission, which will become part of the city's Transit Master Plan when it's completed by the end of 2013.
The strategies support the council's vision of "abundant access," which aims to make transit convenient, frequent, simple, efficient, direct and regionally connected. Strategies include focusing on diversity of ridership, creating an attractive product and price, encouraging connections throughout the day, concentrating on high-ridership areas, and encouraging walking and cycling.
Recognitions
Mayor Conrad Lee recognized Ruth Brewster with a commendation for her "tenure as the heart and soul of the Bellevue Youth Symphony." Lee also read a proclamation noting National Public Works Week.