Bellevue Narrows In On Main Street Bike Lane Plan

BELLEVUE, WA — Bellevue's Transportation Commission will likely vote to endorse a plan for bike lanes along Main Street this week. The plan currently on the table, however, offers less protection for bicyclists than other proposals at one key intersection.

The city has developed three different bike lane options for Main Street between 108th Avenue and Bellevue Way. City planners are asking the commission to endorse just one of those, called option 2.1.

Option 2.1 would feature unprotected bike lanes near 108th Avenue Southeast. The lane along the south side of Main Street would run between eastbound traffic and a right turn lane that heads south down 108th (see image above). This options does include buffered bike lanes — seen as safer for bicyclists — between 107th and Bellevue Way.

This option was added after concerns about travel times for vehicles, according to city documents. Option 2.1 estimates a 2.2-minute travel time eastbound Main Street to southbound 108th. Travel times for the other two options would be 2.4 and 2.3 minutes.

The other two proposals would have created buffered bike lanes all the way between Bellevue Way and 108th with no turn lane for cars.

Bellevue's Transportation Commission will meet Thursday about the Main Street bike lanes. The next step after that will be the City Council.