Bellevue's Main Street Bike Lane Plan Hits Snag

BELLEVUE, WA — A plan to build bike lanes along a two-block stretch of Main Street hit a speed bump last week when the Bellevue Transportation Commission was unable to pick a preferred option.

At a meeting last Thursday, city transportation planners presented the commission with three bike lane options for Main Street between 108th Avenue and Bellevue Way. City planners asked the commission to endorse just one of those, called option 2.1. That option is slightly more favorable for drivers, with unprotected bike lanes near 108th Avenue Southeast and a car turn lane onto Main Street for eastbound traffic.

The other two proposals would create bike lanes separate from traffic all the way between Bellevue Way and 108th with no turn lane for cars.

Transportation Commission Chair Lei Wu said the impasse happened for a few reasons. Each person on the six-member commission picked one of the three options, but the group could not come together to pick just one. The commission held several votes before adjourning the meeting.

"There are six commissioners and everybody voted for one or more of the alternatives," she said. "I voted for two of them."

Wu, for example, didn't like option 2.1 because she thinks it squeezes bikes and cars into too tight a space.

The commission is also looking forward to the East Main Street light rail station, which will not have parking spots for cars. Having high-quality bike and pedestrian infrastructure all the way down Main Street needs to be a priority, she said.

"I am a strong advocate for having protected bike facilities for a broader age and ability group," she said.

The transportation commission is a citizen advisory board charged with making recommendations to City Council. However, the City Council can proceed with the Main Street project without the commission's advice.

Bellevue Transportation Department spokesman David Grant said on Wednesday that the city's preferred plan is option 2.1. Transportation planners held meetings with local residents and downtown businesses to get input on the bike lanes. The full presentation with details on each bike lane plan can be viewed on the city's website.