Published April 26 2022
Comments invited on code change related to transportation improvements
The city is changing the way it assesses transportation concurrency and is inviting the public to comment on a draft amendment to Bellevue’s traffic standards code, the mechanism for implementing those changes.
Concurrency is outlined in the state’s Growth Management Act and requires that transportation improvements be made concurrent with development. The proposed code amendment would implement recently adopted policies in the city’s Comprehensive Plan and Mobility Implementation Plan to enable a multimodal approach to transportation improvements – concurrent with citywide development.
“Multimodal concurrency,” as it’s known, will enable Bellevue to add a variety of transportation modes to its concurrency standard. The city’s existing concurrency standard, in place since the early 1990s, has only considered vehicle capacity at specific intersections. Under the new system, transportation improvements that address concurrency requirements could, for example, include new sidewalks, enhanced bike lanes or more efficient bus lanes – in addition to projects that address vehicle traffic congestion.
At the direction of the City Council, the Transportation Commission is conducting public outreach and gathering comments on the proposed code amendment. Your participation is encouraged; here are two ways to get involved:
- Transportation Commission meeting on Thursday, April 28 (agenda): Introduction of the code amendment during the commission’s regular meeting. Register by 5:30 p.m., April 28, to provide oral comments, or email written comments to transportationcommission@bellevuewa.gov.
- Virtual open house on May 3: The Transportation Department will host a virtual open house at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 3. Register to attend and you will receive an email with a Zoom webinar link. Email comments on the draft code amendment to city staff at TransportationDevRev@bellevuewa.gov by May 17, at 5 p.m.
The Transportation Commission is expected to wrap up work on the draft code amendment at its June 9 meeting. Adoption of a code amendment by the city council is anticipated this summer.
More information is available at Multimodal Concurrency Plan.