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City of Bellingham Transportation Commission

BEL-TRC-2025-02-11 February 11, 2025 Transportation Commission City of Bellingham
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The Transportation Commission received comprehensive briefings on two major planning initiatives that will shape Bellingham's infrastructure development over the next decade. Sydney Kruzak from the Planning Department provided an overview of the Bellingham Plan (formerly the Comprehensive Plan), emphasizing the transportation chapter's role within the city's 20-year vision. The plan, required by the Growth Management Act, must accommodate projected growth to 130,000 people by 2045—representing significant population increase that will require coordinated transportation, housing, and land use strategies. Dylan from Public Works presented a detailed analysis of catalyst projects from the Bicycle Master Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan, explaining how these project packages are designed to maximize grant competitiveness and coordinate geographically connected improvements. The presentation focused on four catalyst project packages that overlap with the city's current Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), including Harris Street multimodal improvements and Holly Street bike lanes. A significant theme emerged around the need for better integration of transit considerations into transportation projects. Commissioner Tim Wilder raised concerns that while bicycle and pedestrian improvements are well-coordinated, transit enhancements are often treated as an afterthought rather than being integrated from project conception. Staff acknowledged this gap and committed to incorporating transit language into future TIP project descriptions and exploring better coordination with Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA). The meeting highlighted the complexity of implementing master plan projects through the TIP process, with staff explaining that catalyst project packages serve as a menu for grant opportunities and bundled improvements. However, funding constraints mean that only a portion of planned projects will be implemented, with staff prioritizing "quality over quantity" by f

- **Approved January meeting minutes** - Unanimous approval with virtual commissioners participating - **Received Bellingham Plan overview** - No formal action required; informational presentation on comprehensive plan update process and transportation chapter development - **Reviewed catalyst project packages** - No formal action taken; discussion of four TIP-related cataly…

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**Bellingham Plan Transportation Chapter Development** Sydney Kruzak outlined the comprehensive planning process, explaining how the transportation chapter will provide high-level goals and policies to guide implementation through master plans and the TIP. The plan must accommodate growth projections showing Bellingham reaching 130,000 residents by 2045, requiring coordinated land use and transportation strategies. Key policy themes include prioritizing safety and comfort for all ages and abilities, supporting transit-oriented development along corridors, and maintaining the urban village growth strategy. The presentation revealed tension between planning comprehensiveness and implementation reality. While the comprehensive plan will set broad policy direction, actual project delivery depends on the more specific master plans and TIP funding decisions. Staff emphasized that the plan will be more visual and accessible than the previous 2016 version, with cross-references between related chapters and a companion data hub for technical information. **Catalyst Project Implementation Strategy** Dylan's presentation examined how master plan projects translate into fundable improvements through catalyst project packages. These packages bundle a primary catalyst project with related geographic improvements to enhance grant competitiveness and operational efficiency. However, the current TIP …
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**Planning Staff Perspective** Sydney Kruzak emphasized the comprehensive nature of the Bellingham Plan update, highlighting extensive community engagement with nearly 9,000 survey responses and 14 open houses. Planning staff prioritized making the plan more accessible and user-friendly than the previous version, with visual presentation and cross-references between chapters. They stressed that transportation policies must coordinate with land use and housing strategies to accommodate projected growth. **Public Works Staff Position** Dylan and Joel presented catalyst projects as a strategic approach to maximize implementation opportunities through grant funding and coordinated improvements. They emphasized the shift toward quality complete street projects rather than attempting to implement all master plan projects at basic levels. Public Works staff acknowledged resource constraints but expressed optimism about achieving signif…
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**Sydney Kruzak, on the comprehensive plan approach:** "The comprehensive plan, the Bellingham plan. This is the big 20 year visioning document. So kind of the umbrella plan for all the other plans in the city." **Commissioner Tim Wilder, on transit integration:** "Every single one of these projects is on a transit route, every single one. We've got the 14th, the Harris Street. We've got Fairhaven Parkway. We've got downtown Holly Street. Each of these has transit service, and I think this is…
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**Bellingham Plan Process Schedule** - **April 2025**: Transportation Commission review of transportation chapter goals and policies - **May 2025**: Transportation Commission review of technical requirements and data - **May 15, 2025**: Planning Commission consideration (tentative) - **Summer 2025**: Planning Commission public hearing - **Fall 2025**: City Council adoption (goal to complete before budget process) **Transportation Commission Work Plan Items** - **March 2025**: Community Streets Program communications plan presentation - **June 2025**: Speed limit study and automated speed camera discussion - **Ongoing…

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**Planning Process Integration**: The meeting established that Sydney Kruzak will serve as the primary conduit for Transportation Commission input to the Planning Commission on the comprehensive plan, formalizing the advisory role since joint meetings are not feasible during the current timeline. **Transit Policy Recognition**: Staff acknowledged the gap in transit integration and committed to incorporating transit improvement language into future TIP project descriptions, representing a shift from reactive to proactive transit planning approach. **Implementation Strategy Clarification**: The discussion clarified that catalyst project packages serve as implementation menus rather than committed project scopes,…
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## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Transportation Commission met on February 11, 2025, in what appeared to be a hybrid format with some commissioners attending virtually. Chair Cindy Dennis presided over the meeting, with commissioners including Don Casper, Mike Wilson, Tim Wilder, Betty Sanchez (virtual), and Keith Moore (virtual). The meeting focused heavily on two major presentations: an introduction to the updated Bellingham Comprehensive Plan and a deep dive into catalyst projects from the city's bicycle and pedestrian master plans. The evening's discussions revealed the complex intersection of planning processes, funding mechanisms, and the practical challenges of implementing transportation improvements across multiple modes. What emerged was both excitement about new planning approaches and frustration about gaps in integration, particularly around transit considerations. ## The Bellingham Plan: Comprehensive Planning for 2045 Sydney Kruzak, a long-range planner with the city's planning department, delivered an extensive overview of what was previously called the Bellingham Comprehensive Plan but will now be known simply as "the Bellingham plan." The rebranding reflects an intentional effort to make the document more approachable to residents. "The Bellingham plan sounds more approachable," Kruzak explained, noting that cities and counties of certain sizes in Washington are required to have comprehensive plans through the Growth Management Act, with updates required every 10 years. The numbers driving this planning cycle are substantial. Whatcom County is projected to grow to 293,000 people by 2045 — about 57,000 more than current levels. Bellingham, as the county's largest city, is planning to accommodate around 130,000 people by that same year. This growth projection shapes every aspect of the planning process, from housing supply to transportation networks. The plan's structure represents a significant departure from the text-hea…
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## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Transportation Commission met on February 11, 2025, to discuss the city's comprehensive plan update (now called the "Bellingham Plan") and review catalyst transportation projects from the Bicycle Master Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan. Staff presented an overview of the planning process and detailed several major multimodal corridor improvement projects. ## Key Terms and Concepts **Bellingham Plan:** The new name for Bellingham's comprehensive plan, required to be updated every 10 years under the Growth Management Act. This 20-year vision document guides all city planning decisions. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** A 1990 Washington state law requiring cities and counties to create comprehensive plans that accommodate projected population growth while preventing urban sprawl. **Catalyst Projects:** Large-scale transportation projects of low to moderate complexity that are good candidates for grant funding and can anchor packages of multiple geographically connected improvements. **Type 6 Process:** The formal legislative review process for comprehensive plan amendments, requiring review by planning commission and final adoption by city council. **Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP):** The city's 6-year project list that identifies specific transportation projects planned for construction, with the first 2-3 years being the most certain for implementation. **Urban Villages:** Bellingham's growth strategy of concentrating development in specific neighborhoods with good transit access, services, and walkable amenities. **Mode Shift Goals:** Targets for reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips by increasing walking, biking, and transit use - the 2016 plan aimed for 50% of trips by personal vehicle by 2030. **Complete Streets:** Transportation corridors designed to safely accommodate all users - pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and drivers - rather than prioritizing only vehicle traffic. ## Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Cindy Dennis | Transportation Commission Chair | | Sydney Kruzak | City Planning Department, Long Range Planner 2 | | Don Casper | City Planning Staff | | Dylan Wilson | City Transportation Staff | | Joel Ingram | City Public Works Director | | Tim Wilder | Transportation Commissioner | | Keith Moore | Transportation Commissioner (virtual) | | Betty Sanchez | Transportation Commissioner (virtual) | ## Background Context Bellingham is…
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Transportation & Infrastructure Land Use & Planning Government Operations City Council Planning Commission Planning Department Public Works State Department Transportation Whatcom County Wta Betty Sanchez Cindy Dennis Don Casper Dylan James Tollefson Joel Keith Moore Mike Wilson Sydney Kruzak Tim Wilder Ada Compliance Arcviewer System Bellingham Plan Bicycle Master Plan Catalyst Projects Community Streets Program Comprehensive Plan Grant Funding Growth Management Act Harris Street Project Holly Street Project Land Use Policy Pedestrian Master Plan Planning Commission Coordination Tip Process Transit Policy Transportation Policy Urban Village Strategy