The Bellevue City Council on Monday approved removing a northbound lane on 116th Avenue Northeast to add bike lanes north and south between Northeast 12th Street and Northup Way following an overlay project later this year.
City staff approached the council about revising this section of 116th in September, stressing again Monday the “unique opportunity” to restripe a portion of the road for bike lanes when an overlay project occurs there, likely in late summer or early fall.
Reviews of traffic volumes were studied ahead of the proposal, and about 11,000 vehicles travel that stretch of 116th daily, split nearly evenly north and south, said Bellevue Transportation Commissioner Vic Bishop, adding no congestion problems are anticipated by removing one of two northbound lanes. The two lanes would merge into one about 600 feet north of the Northeast 12th Street traffic signal.
“We have very sketchy information about how many bicycles are on our streets,” Bishop said, adding the city estimates about 160 bicyclists ride in Bellevue daily. The transportation commission will look more closely at pedestrian and bike improvements through an initiative approved in December. “This is a good project and we think it works.”
The transportation commission did add stipulations to its recommendation for council’s approval, which require city staff to maintain a monitoring plan to measure vehicle and bike volumes along that portion of 116th before and after bicycle lanes are added, as well as adding up accident reports and taking public comments.
Mark Poch, manager for the overlay project, said the “unique” corridor is a long stretch without signalized intersections — where congestion occurs most — that should keep traffic flowing normally, even with a northbound lane removed. The 2013-24 transportation facilities plan also forecasts volumes there to remain steady into 2024.
“At this point I’ve heard the word unique used about a half a dozen times, so far, and I agree,” said Deputy Mayor Kevin Wallace, who objected in September to adding bike lanes on 116th. He added he now believes it makes sense, but worried staff could come back with more proposals like this. “To me this is concerning from the precedent-setting standpoint that it does have.”
Wallace said he wants to see standards for removing vehicle lanes for bike lanes put in writing, adding motor vehicles continue to make up the majority of 116th traffic.
“Obviously the road portion is important, and more important than the bike lane,” he said.
A cycling group representative later thanked the city council for approving the change to 116th, which will improve connectivity on the State Route 520 bike trail — as will more lanes during a Northup Way overlay project — she said, but will still not actually connect at Northeast 12th.
