Downtown Transportation Network Downtown should have an interconnected multimodal transportation system that provides safe and convenient travel opportunities for pedestrians, bicycles, transit, automobiles, and freight, while also supporting established economic development goals.

Downtown Mobility Walkability: Downtown is Bellingham’s most walkable neighborhood with over 90% of the pedestrian sidewalk network completed (2013 Transportation Report on Annual Concurrency).

MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION

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Fairhaven Samish Way Downtown Waterfront Old Town Fountain Barkley

Residents Living Within 1/4-mile (5-minute) Walk of Urban Villages

Downtown experiences the highest number of pedestrians and bicyclists throughout Bellingham.

(Annual Count Data. 2008-2013)

Increases in pedestrian and bicycle travel are partially a result of the City investing over $11 million in multimodal

transportation infrastructure improvements in Downtown since 2002 when the City Center Master Plan

was adopted.

Additional Downtown transportation infrastructure investments are planned, some of which are already

funded, such as: 2015 - N. State/Laurel pedestrian safety improvements

Annual Pedestrian & Bicycle Counts

Over 8,000 residents currently live within a 5-minute walk of Downtown.

Key Concepts

Support a multimodal transportation network through: • Coordination with the City’s Pedestrian and Bicycle

Master Plans and the Whatcom Transportation Authority’s Strategic Plan

• Placemaking, Complete Streets, and Greenroads

principles • Flexible design standards that achieve context-

sensitive solutions • Prominent gateways through streetscape

improvements • Improved alleys

Downtown Pedestrian Facilities - See the Pedestrian Master Plan Downtown Bicycle Facilities – See the Bicycle Master Plan Downtown Public Transit Service – See the WTA Strategic Plan Downtown Freight Truck Routes – See BMC 11.63.140