This article is the final in a three-part series that takes a close look at Bellevue’s Grand Connection, a significant planning effort to make central Bellevue more accessible and vibrant for pedestrians. The series also proposes ideas for improvements that build on the current plan’s strengths. In Part
This article is the second in a series that takes a deep dive into Bellevue’s Grand Connection, an ambitious project to improve the pedestrian experience and engage in distinctive placemaking over a 1.5 mile corridor in heart of central Bellevue. In the first article, I took a close
Note: This article was edited on 10/31/21 to add recommendations for improving accessibility on Main Street. Downtown Bellevue is undergoing one of the fastest transformations our region has seen. By 2023, commercial office space is expected to double. This poses a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the urban character
On Tuesday, KOMO TV reporter Steve McCarron tweeted about Bellevue police stopping pedestrians who tried to enter the crosswalk on the blinking red hand phase. This is a phase when pedestrians are still allowed and expected to be in the crosswalk, but just not enter it. While Bellevue is the
Near the end of 2015, Bellevue City Council endorsed Vision Zero with a goal of reaching zero traffic deaths and serious injuries by the year 2030. In September, Bellevue started working on a Vision Zero Action Plan. The ultimate goal is to produce a set of strategies, performance indicators, and
Bellevue Grand Connection is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How do we get the most out of it? Downtown Bellevue is amidst its biggest growth spurt over the past 10 years. The Seattle Times identified it as the region’s second-fastest growing neighborhood after South Lake Union. Its population increased by a
On Monday, the ridesharing company Uber unexpectedly voiced their public support for Regional Proposition 1, also known as Sound Transit 3. The measure would fund building 62 miles of new light rail lines and two bus rapid transit lines ultimately connecting more than 85% of jobs and 80% of homes
A common criticism of the upcoming ST3 ballot measure is that light rail is too expensive and we’d be better off with bus rapid transit (BRT), especially in the suburbs. This article looks at the economics behind such statements to see if ST3 is worth it or not. First,
Not another day goes by without some transit detractor talking about how driverless vehicles will obviate the need for transit and big spending on capital projects. Such statements are based on an expected improvement in travel by personal car, but they fail to account for the vast improvement in transit
Approximately 35% of the land area of Seattle constitutes public right-of-way. Today, most of this space is dedicated to general purpose lanes and parking and is utilized mostly by single occupancy vehicles. Yet, as the city becomes denser, we are finding this configuration to be inadequate in serving its changing