Published November 27 2018
To make its downtown demonstration bike lane safer and speed passage for bus riders, the City of Bellevue has added a new kind of bus stop – a platform between the bike lane and vehicle traffic.
Installation of the platform – on 108th Avenue Northeast, south of Northeast Second Street, in the southbound direction – is the latest component of the Downtown Demonstration Bikeway project, launched in July. The platform’s purchase was made possible by a $55,000 grant from King County Metro.
Benefits of the new bus platform include:
- Smoother, safer operations for buses, which no longer need to pull alongside the curb;
- A reduction in travel time of five to 20 seconds for each of the roughly 65 buses per weekday that stop at the platform; and
- Dedicated space for bicyclists to safely pass buses, which will no longer block the bike lane when stopping for passengers.
The platform, manufactured by Barcelona-based Zicla, is made of molded, recycled plastic sections that fit together. It’s designed for rapid installation and comes in compact, pre-fabricated sections. The contractor put together nearly 300 pieces, then drilled, bolted and epoxied them into the pavement. time lapse video
Use of a new type of material for the platform is in keeping with the concept of the demonstration bikeway, which was installed rapidly and offers a real-world opportunity to test its design and durability. Transportation staff are monitoring the project closely, making changes as needed and collecting data for use in future projects.
About the Transportation Department
Bellevue’s Transportation Department helps people travel around the city by providing a safe, predictable and balanced transportation network. The department plans, builds, operates and maintains approximately 1,100 lane miles of roadway, 325 miles of sidewalks, over 50 miles of bike lanes, 200 signalized intersections, 3,200 city-owned street lights and 17,000 street signs.
About the City of Bellevue
Known as a “City in a Park” with nearly 100 parks and a vast network of trails and greenbelts, Bellevue is the fifth largest city in Washington. The Eastside city spans 33.5 square miles from Lake Washington to Lake Sammamish. As part of the Innovation Triangle, Bellevue is the high-tech and retail center with a downtown skyline of gleaming high-rises, a diverse population of approximately 140,000 and schools that are consistently rated among the best in the country.