Published May 18 2016
Just in time for Bike Everywhere Day on Friday, May 20, the city's Transportation Department has completed the latest segment of bicycle wayfinding signs in Bellevue.
The segment runs from downtown to 148th Avenue Northeast, the city's border with Redmond, which is partnering with Bellevue on the project. The next phase of work will extend the route to downtown Redmond. A previously completed wayfinding section runs from the Interstate 90 Trail to downtown Bellevue.
"While some people use maps and phone apps to help them navigate, wayfinding signs provide useful information, especially for casual riders," said project manager Kevin McDonald. "They also give drivers an informal heads-up to expect bicyclists along the route."
May is Bike Everywhere Month and if recent traffic is any indication, the new signs will be seen by lots of bicyclists. From May 10-16, for example, nearly 1,000 riders per day on average rode the I-90 Trail, according to the city's innovative tracking system, which uses inductive loops and infrared equipment to count bicyclists and pedestrians.
All together, the route from I-90 to the Redmond border covers 6.4 miles and includes 97 wayfinding signs showing key destinations and distances. From the Bellevue Transit Center downtown, the route traverses 108th Avenue Northeast, Northeast 12th Street, 116th Avenue Northeast, Northup Way, Northeast 24th Street and the SR 520 Bike Trail.
Citywide, there are roughly 19 miles of bicycle routes marked with wayfinding signs. Once the hours city streets maintenance workers use to install the signs is calculated, the project cost for the I-90 to 148th Avenue Northeast section is expected to total approximately $30,000.