Bike Lane Issue on West Lake Sammamish Parkway

The 5,000-member Cascade Bicycle Club is advocating bike lanes for planned improvements to the dangerous 5.5-mile West Lake Sammamish Parkway in Bellevue. The city's staff is recommending a plan that does little or nothing to alleviate those dangers. The issue has been studied for more than a year, more than $500,000 has been spent in studies, and now the issue is on its way to the Bellevue City Council for action.

Here's what David Hiller, Cascade's advocacy director, said about it in a March 5, 2005, letter to members:

"As you may know, the City of Bellevue is nearing the end of a process
that will determine whether SAFE bicycle and pedestrian facilities are
provided on their 5.5-mile portion of West Lake Sammamish Parkway.  You
can affect the outcome but you must act NOW! In 2003 cyclists were able
to convince Redmond to add marked BIKE LANES and a pedestrian walkway
along their part of the Parkway.  If you have ridden it, you know what a
great improvement that has made.

"Throughout Bellevue's process BIKE LANES were the clear choice of the
public.  However, the staff is recommending a plan that does NOT include
BIKE LANES and may make the road more dangerous."

Hiller is asking club members and their friends to contact Bellevue City Council members and urge them to support bike lanes. Also, attend upcoming meetings of the Transportation Commission (March 24) and the City Council (April 11) where the issue will be discussed.

Where to learn more about the project

West Lake Sammamish Parkway Analysis, City of Bellevue

Critical analysis of West Lake Sammamish Parkway plan, Friends of Lake Sammamish

Letter of objection from City of Redmond (Added April 8, 2005)

Newspaper article, Seattle Times (March 10, 2005)

Film clip of West Lake Sammamish Parkway issues, City of Bellevue

Recommended improvement alternative for West Lake Sammamish Parkway, City of Bellevue

Pros and cons of alternatives considered for West Lake Sammamish Parkway, City of Bellevue

Cascade Bicycle Club comments of West Lake Sammamish Parkway

Biking Bis blogs

Bellevue council votes for multi-use trail, not bike lanes (April 11, 2005)

Letter: Redmond opposed Bellevue's West Lake Sammamish Pkwy plan (April 8, 2005)

Cyclists object to Sammamish Pkwy plan; Bellevue council votes Monday (April 8, 2005)

Wrong-way cycling; unsafe at any speed (April 8, 2005)

Bellevue, WA; West Lake Sammamish Pkwy improvements a step back for bicyclists? (March 22, 2005)

No bicycle lanes planned for busy West Lake Sammamish Pkwy in Bellevue, WA (March 17, 2005)

Advocates for bike lanes

Cascade Bicycle Club

Friends of Lake Sammamish

Parkway residents association position

West Lake Sammamish Parkway Association

Public action

Agenda for April 11 Bellevue City Council meeting

Members of Bellevue City Council (bios, email addresses, phone numbers)

Mayor Connie Marshall

Deputy Mayor Phil Noble

Claudia Balducci (liaison to West Lake Sammamish Parkway Study Group)

John Chelminiak

Don Davidson

Grant Degginger

Conrad Lee

Meeting:

Bellevue City Council
6 p.m. Monday, April 11
Bellevue City Hall

Directions to Bellevue City Hall

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