Real Briefings
The September 2025 meeting positioned Bellingham's transportation planning at a critical juncture between ambitious sustainability goals and pragmatic implementation constraints, with several policy frameworks advancing toward adoption while fundamental questions about resource allocation and performance measurement remain unresolved.
Members only
Sign up free →
Members only
Sign up free →
Members only
Sign up free →
Members only
Sign up free →
null…
About 100% shown — sign up free to read the rest
Sign up free →
Members only
Sign up free →
# Transportation Commission Charts Course Through Major Transit and Speed Policy Changes
The September meeting of the Bellingham Transportation Commission tackled sweeping changes to both public transit service and citywide speed limits — two initiatives that could reshape how residents navigate the city for years to come.
## Meeting Overview
Chair Addie Candib called the September 9, 2025 meeting to order at 6:00 PM at the Pacific Street Operations Center, with eight commissioners present (Jacki Quinn excused). The hybrid in-person and virtual format continued to accommodate public participation, with presentation materials shared on screen for remote attendees.
The evening's agenda centered on two major policy discussions: Whatcom Transit Authority's proposed 2026 service restructuring around Western Washington University, and the city's new approach to setting speed limits based on safety rather than traffic patterns. Both represented significant departures from current practice, prompting detailed questions from commissioners about implementation and long-term impacts.
## WTA's Western Campus Service Overhaul
Malcolm Duncan-Graves from WTA's planning team presented what he described as their most comprehensive service change in years — a complete redesign of routes serving Western Washington University and surrounding neighborhoods. The proposal emerged from nearly a year of analysis using new automated passenger counter data that revealed dramatic ridership spikes when classes begin and end.
"We see massive spikes in load when classes get out of session at Western. Western's classes are all timed," Duncan-Graves explained. "Students are getting out of class and getting to class at the same time, and so we see huge spikes in our ridership, and then major drop-offs throughout the rest of the day."
The current system operates ten routes through the area, creating what WTA staff called an unnecessarily complex network that struggles with on-time performance and efficiency. The new design centers on Route 190 as a "backbone" service running every 15 minutes from downtown to Lincoln at Lakeway, extending the existi…
About 14% shown — sign up free to read the rest
Sign up free →
### Meeting Overview
The Bellingham Transportation Commission met on September 9, 2025, to review several major transportation initiatives. The meeting focused heavily on WTA's proposed 2026 service changes for the Western Washington University area and a comprehensive citywide speed limit policy that could significantly alter how traffic moves through Bellingham.
### Key Terms and Concepts
**85th Percentile Speed:** The speed at which 85% of drivers travel on a roadway, traditionally used to set speed limits but being moved away from in favor of context-sensitive approaches.
**APC Data:** Automated Passenger Counter data collected by infrared sensors on buses that count passengers boarding and alighting, providing detailed ridership information.
**Multimodal Safety Index:** A scoring system that considers pedestrian/bicycle activity, collision history, and on-street parking to help determine appropriate speed limits.
**Campus Shuttles:** New one-directional loop routes proposed by WTA to serve Western Washington University during class times, potentially branded as "Viking Shuttles."
**Shared Streets:** A new state law allowing cities to designate certain roadways where pedestrians and bicyclists have priority over vehicles, with speed limits as low as 10 mph.
**Community Streets Program:** Bellingham's initiative to address neighborhood traffic concerns on residential streets through small-scale improvements funded at $200,000 per year.
**NACTO City Limits Methodology:** A speed limit setting approach developed by the National Association of City Transportation Officials that considers roadway context and safety rather than just driving speeds.
**Roadway Context:** A classification system (A through D) that considers land use, functional classification, geometry, and access points to help determine appropriate speed limits.
### Key People at This Meeting
| Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Addie Candib | Transportation Commission Chair |
| Malcolm Duncan-Graves | WTA Planning Team |
| Paul Sharman | Senior Planner, Transpo Group |
| Shane Sullivan | City Transportation Engineer |
| Dylan Casper | City Transportation Planner |
| Tim Hohmann | City Staff |
| Miles Silverman | Public commenter |
### Background Context
Bellingham is undergoing significant transportation planning changes driven by safety concerns and evolving best practices. The city has experienced 15 traffic fatalities over the past five years, …
About 49% shown — premium members only
Upgrade to premium →