Despite increased usage of the pilot bike lane project along Holly Street from Ellis Street to Bay Street, the Bellingham Public Works Department is planning a redesign based on community feedback that the lanes are unpopular and unsafe.
The department converted a traffic lane along Holly Street into a bike lane in early May as part of a pilot project to fill a missing link in the downtown biking area.
“We know [the pilot project] will work,” former Public Works Director Eric Johnston said at the time. “We want to see how we can improve it.”
The findings, released in a draft evaluation by the department, found that between March and August this year, bicyclist usage went up 33% on Holly Street after the lane installation.
But in a survey on EngageBellingham, a majority of the 1,171 respondents said they found traveling along Holly Street after the bike lane was installed unsafe.
Of the respondents, roughly 65% of drivers and 64% of bikers found the lane unsafe, according to the draft report.
Safety issues included parked cars obstructing drivers’ view of cyclists, cyclists struggling to make left turns because of the lane configuration and the street crossing risks to pedestrians. Other issues raised by the community included increased traffic congestion leading to frustrated drivers and a public perception that the project was a “waste of taxpayer money.”
While bike lane usage was up, the report found an unexpected drop in vehicle and pedestrian volumes.
“This change could be attributed to several factors, including WWU not in normal session or people choosing to use alternative routes to Holly Street due to increased congestion,” according to the study. The department recommended another study in March 2025 to compare year-over-year results.
Travel times between Ellis and Bay streets along Holly were also up. Previously, it took drivers an estimated 1 minute, 54 seconds to travel the corridor. Now, it takes 2 minutes and 33 seconds, an increase of 39 seconds during peak afternoon hours.
That’s considered a low amount of additional travel time, according to the report.
Additionally, public transit has seen degradation of service because of the added congestion, according to the report. WTA Route 1 had six dropped trips in September because of late buses, and runtimes have increased.
Public Works plans to work on a new design for the Holly Street bike lane in spring 2025 and will bring on a consultant to help with the final layout. In the meantime, the department will work with the Transportation Commission and other stakeholders to design a solution. A final report of the bike lane pilot evaluation will be presented to Bellingham City Council in the winter.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
