Bellingham holds public hearing on draft 2026–2031 Transportation Improvement Program

Public Works Director Joel Funt presented the draft 2026–2031 Transportation Improvement Program to the Bellingham City Council during a public hearing on June 9, describing project additions, removals and the committee’s evaluation criteria.

The TIP is the six-year list of transportation projects the city uses for budgeting and grant applications and is updated annually under state law; the council will consider adoption on June 23 so the city can submit the package to the state by the July 1 deadline.

The draft TIP adds projects intended to expand walking and biking facilities, enhance transit, preserve bridges and improve safety. Joel Funt said staff removed three projects because they are already constructed or expected to be completed this year, including a Twelfth Street Finnegan corridor project, frontage and trail work near Bellis Fair, and a Fifth Street pedestrian improvement built as part of a private project.

Funt described several additions and modifications: a proposed downtown transportation plan in 2026 to coordinate transit, pedestrian and bicycle improvements; the Pine Street BNSF railroad crossing project (expanded to include a pedestrian and bike connection from Cornwall to State Street); continued work on the Potter Street/Lincoln roundabout split to better track grant funding; and the Squalicum Creek Estuary Restoration Project, added because funding arrived through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is administered by the Washington State Department of Transportation. He also said staff are proposing to advance Birchwood safe routes to school and a Diemer Road complete-streets segment.

Funt told council that staff evaluated projects against safety, climate (mode shift), preservation/maintenance and equity criteria. "Two thirds of the projects ranked as safety projects," he said, and almost half of the projects fall in areas with social vulnerability index scores above 75, which staff weighed as potential benefits rather than impacts.

Funt and other staff noted a successful grant year: "We secured about $7.5 million in grants for transportation projects in 2024–25," he said, citing money earmarked for James Street multimodal work, roundabouts at Meridian & Birchwood and Lincoln & Potter, downtown signal improvements, and a safe rail crossing grant for Pine Street.

Council members asked for more detail on the James Street concept. Staff explained that the corridor’s existing four-lane cross section is a candidate for a road-diet style conversion and that options under study include preserving on-street parking on one side while reallocating space for protected bike and pedestrian facilities. Staff said detailed design and trade-offs will be part of the next phase.

Two members of the public spoke during the hearing. Adam Bellinger said he supported most of the plan but pressed for better lighting and safer crossings on North Samish Way: "The crosswalks are terribly lit, and I've probably almost run over a dozen people," he said, adding that some bike lanes on major thoroughfares can remove needed parking for older drivers who rely on it. Dan Blenker of Birchwood expressed support for Birchwood multimodal projects and the Meridian–Birchwood roundabout.

Council President Holly Huffman said the council will continue the TIP discussion at the June 23 meeting, and that staff will respond to written questions submitted before that packet.

Ending: The council took public comment and asked clarifying questions; no vote was taken June 9. Staff said they will return June 23 for final consideration so the city can meet the state submission deadline on July 1.