Search toggle
Contact toggle
Contact toggle
Search toggle
Say hello.
Focus Str. 5th Ave, 98/2 34746 Manhattan, New York
+1 222 44 55
hello@acme.com
What are you looking for?
Real Briefings

Bellingham Transportation Commission

BEL-TRC-2025-04-08 April 08, 2025 Transportation Commission City of Bellingham 90 min
← Back to All Briefings
Apr
Month
08
Day
90
Min
Published
Status

The Bellingham Transportation Commission held a comprehensive meeting focusing on two major agenda items: an update on Barkley Village development planning and a detailed review of transportation goals and policies for the city's comprehensive plan update. The meeting opened with urgent public comment about safety concerns at the intersection of Ellis and Texas Streets, where two T-bone collisions occurred within a week, highlighting ongoing traffic safety challenges in residential neighborhoods with 17 children under age 10 living within one block. The Barkley Village presentation revealed significant progress on the urban village designation process, with the Talbot Group and Tool Design Group presenting detailed transportation infrastructure plans for multimodal connectivity within and beyond the village boundaries. The development, representing a 20-year buildout timeline for the Talbot family's third-generation property ownership, includes plans for separated bike lanes on Burns Street, multi-use trails on Saint Clair corridor, and bike boulevards on private non-arterial streets. The team has been working with WTA on potential transit hub opportunities and coordinating with city planning processes for over four and a half years. The comprehensive plan discussion consumed the majority of the meeting, with city staff presenting draft transportation goals and policies emphasizing safety as the top priority based on extensive community engagement. Staff reported that "safe" was the most common word used by residents when asked to describe Bellingham's vision for the next 20 years, with most safety concerns focused on streets and roads for biking and walking. The plan introduces new concepts including transit agency collaboration as a standalone goal, connectivity as a separate focus area, and a revised transportation modal hierarchy that splits into active transportation and transit priority corridors rather than applying one hierarchy citywide. Several commissi

- **March 11th Meeting Minutes:** Approved unanimously - **Barkley Village Development Agreement:** No formal action taken; informational presentation and feedback session - **Comprehensive Plan Transportation Goals:** No formal vote; extensive discussion and feedback provided to staff for revision **Barkley Village Development Details:** - Timeline: 2-5 years for major activity, 20-year complete buildout - Planning Process: …

About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Ellis and Texas Street Safety Crisis** Public commenters Eric Scott and Casey Schlanker reported two T-bone collisions within one week at Ellis and Texas Street intersection, with 27 children living within a three-block radius. Staff revealed that the intersection has been under discussion since June 2024 but that state law prohibits four-way stops as traffic calming measures. The Community Streets program was identified as a potential long-term solution, though implementation would be several years away. Alternative solutions discussed include speed bumps, roundabouts, street murals, and stop sign reorientation throughout Sunnyland neighborhood. **Barkley Village Transportation Framework** The development team presented a comprehensive multimodal network designed to connect internal circulation with existing and planned city facilities. Key transportation elements include separated bike lanes on Burns Street (east-west corridor south of Sunset), multi-use trails on Saint Clair corridor (new north-south arterial connecting Sunset to Barkley Boulevard), and bike boulevards on internal private streets designed for lower speeds and volumes. The team emphasized environmental considerations, working around wetlands and preserving tree stands while creating conn…
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Talbot Group/Tool Design Group (John Mullen, Amalia Leighton Cody):** Emphasized long-term community commitment with third-generation ownership planning 20-year buildout. Highlighted environmental stewardship through wetland avoidance and tree preservation while creating comprehensive multimodal connectivity. Expressed enthusiasm for WTA collaboration and integration with city transportation planning processes. **City Planning Staff (Sydney Prusack, Dylan, Darby Galligan):** Advocated for safety-first approach based on extensive community engagement showing safety as top concern. Supported streamlined administrative processes, stronger regional collaboration, and mode shift strategies. Emphasized need for integrated planning across departments and with exte…
About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Eric Scott, on intersection safety urgency:** "The accident occurred right outside house both times. I also know that this has been something that's been to be addressed for a very long time. I reviewed some emails that go at least to June of 2024." **John Mullen, on Barkley Village timeline:** "They don't foresee a 4th generation within their kids that has a desire to take this over. So their whole goal is to try to build this out for the community within their life, their lifetime." **S…
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →

**Immediate Actions (April-May 2025):** - Staff will address Transportation Commission feedback on comprehensive plan policies and return in May - Updated work plan will be provided showing rescheduled items - Locally preferred alternative presentation moved to May meeting - Holly Street Bike Lane and TIP items rescheduled **Barkley Village Process (May-Summer 2025):** - Planning Commission review by end of May/early June 2025 - Public notification and mail-out to affected property owners within 300 feet - Planning Commission public hearing and committee work - City Council p…

About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Transportation Planning Priorities:** Safety elevated to top goal in comprehensive plan based on community engagement, representing shift from previous plan structure that didn't emphasize safety as primary concern. **Barkley Village Development Status:** Moved closer to formal approval process with sub-area plan, development agreement, and ordinance language nearly complete after four and a half years of planning work. **Modal Hierarchy Framework:** Abandoned single citywide transportation hierarchy in favor of dual approach with separate active transportation and transit priority corridor hierarchies, acknowledging resource constraints and need for stra…
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Transportation Commission convened on April 8, 2025, for a routine monthly meeting that covered both pressing local traffic concerns and significant policy updates for the city's comprehensive plan. The meeting drew public testimony about a dangerous residential intersection, featured a substantial update on the Barkley Village development's transportation framework, and included an extensive discussion of draft transportation policies for the 2025 comprehensive plan update. Present were Commissioners Betty Sanchez, Jamin Agosti, John Mullen, Tim Wilder (Vice Chair), and via video connection, Commissioner Cindy Dennis (though she experienced connectivity issues). City staff included Mike Wilson, Sydney Prusack, Dylan, Elena, Bill Casper, and Darby Galligan from Planning and Community Development. The meeting also featured presentations from Amalia Leighton Cody of Tool Design Group and John from the Talbot Group regarding the Barkley Village development. ## Urgent Safety Concerns at Ellis and Texas Street The meeting opened with urgent public testimony about a residential intersection that has seen two serious "t-bone style collisions" within the past week. Casey Schlanker, speaking for concerned neighbors, described the intersection of Ellis and Texas Street—one block off Alabama and two blocks from Cornwall—as a dangerous confluence of poor visibility, excessive vehicle speeds, and heavy pedestrian activity. "There are 17 children under the age of 10 living in a 1 block radius at that intersection," Schlanker testified, emphasizing that neighbors are actively collecting signatures and seeking immediate action. The intersection features a westbound stop sign with "very, very poor visibility" while northbound traffic on Ellis Street travels at speeds "much too great" for the residential setting. Eric Scott, joining via video, provided additional context and urgency. He described being a direct witness to both recent accidents, which occurred "right outside house both times." Scott revealed that this safety concern has a longer history than many realized: "I reviewed some emails that go at least to June of 2024. An individual named Shane, who is an engineer through y'all's department... stopped communicating with my neighbor for about 9 months on this intersection." Scott painted a picture of a complex traffic situation that extends beyond just residential concerns. The area serves multiple high-traffic generators: …
About 11% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Transportation Commission met on April 8, 2025, to discuss two major items: an update on the Barkley Village development's transportation plans and a review of draft transportation goals and policies for the comprehensive plan update. The meeting included significant public testimony about safety concerns at the Ellis and Texas Street intersection. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Urban Village Designation:** A zoning and planning designation that allows for higher density, mixed-use development with specific design standards. Barkley Village is seeking this designation to enable their full development vision. **Development Agreement:** A legally binding contract between the city and a developer that outlines specific requirements, timelines, and commitments for a development project. Barkley Village is negotiating one with the city. **Sub Area Plan:** A detailed planning document that provides specific guidance for development within a defined geographic area. It serves as a subsection of the comprehensive plan and includes transportation, land use, and environmental considerations. **Concurrency Service Areas (CSAs):** Geographic zones used to manage development by tracking "person trips available" - a measure of transportation system capacity. Bellingham currently has 22 CSAs that the city wants to consolidify. **Person Trip:** A unit of measurement that counts one person making one trip, regardless of transportation mode. It's used to calculate transportation system capacity and manage development impacts. **Safe Systems Approach/Vision Zero:** A transportation safety philosophy that aims to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities by designing infrastructure to account for human error rather than relying solely on user behavior. **Transportation Demand Management (TDM):** Strategies to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips through incentives for alternative transportation modes like transit, biking, and carpooling. **Mode Shift:** The goal of getting people to choose alternative transportation methods (walking, biking, transit) instead of driving alone, reducing traffic congestion and environmental impacts. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Betty Sanchez | Transportation Commissioner | | Jamin Agosti | Transportation Commissioner | | John Mullen | Transportation Commissioner | | Tim Wilder | Transportation Commission Vice Chair | | Casey Schlanker | Community Member (Public Comment) | | Eric Scott | Community Member (Public Comment) | | John | Barkley Village/Talbot Group Representative | | Amalia Leighton Cody | Tool Design Group (Barkley Village Consultant) | | Darby Galligan | City Planning and Community Development Staff | | Mike Wilson | City Staff | | Sydney Prusack | City Staff (Comprehensive Plan) | | Dylan | City Staff (Transportation Planning) | | Cindy Dennis | Transportation Commissioner (Online) | ### Background Context The Ellis and Texas Street intersection has become a significant safety concern for the Sunnyland neighborhood, with two T-bone collisions occurring in the week before the meeting. Sev…
About 50% shown — premium members only Upgrade to premium →

Share This Briefing

Tags & Connections

Transportation & Infrastructure Land Use & Planning Government Operations City Council Planning Commission Public Works Roosevelt Elementary Talbot Group Tool Design Group Wta Amalia Leighton Cody Amelia Leighton Cody Betty Sanchez Casey Schlanker Cindy Dennis Darby Galligan Dylan Eric Scott Jamin Agosti John Mullen Mike Wilson Sydney Prusack Tim Wilder Place Barkley Village Place Burns Street Place Ellis Texas Intersection Place Saint Clair Street Barkley Village Bike Infrastructure Community Streets Community Streets Program Comprehensive Plan Concurrency Service Areas Connectivity Critical Areas Environmental Protection Modal Hierarchy Multimodal Network Pedestrian Infrastructure Planning Commission Traffic Safety Trail Network Transit Collaboration Transit Policy Transportation Policy Urban Village Wetlands Protection Wta