New crosswalks and protected bike lanes become permanent on Eldridge Avenue

The new bike lanes removed a significant amount of room for street parking on Eldridge, but Public Works found in their project report that most side streets have ample space for parking.

ContributedBellingham City Councilmembers Skip Williams and Hannah Stone and Walk & Roll Bellingham board member Laura Weiss cut a ribbon on June 7 to celebrate the positive results from the City of Bellingham’s multimodal improvements pilot project on Eldridge Avenue. Courtesy of Walk and Roll Bellingham

BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Recent safety improvements to a busy street near downtown Bellingham are here to stay.

Bellingham City Councilmembers voted unanimously to make the new pedestrian crosswalks and protected bike lanes on Eldridge Avenue permanent.

Eldridge Avenue runs along the Bellingham waterfront as a connector between Holly Street and Marine Drive.

The improvements were installed as part of a pilot project after Columbia neighborhood residents complained about speeding and safety concerns on the corridor.

“These kinds of street upgrades aren’t just good for safety – they’re good for small neighborhood businesses,” said Patrick McEvoy, owner of Elizabeth Station. “When our streets are comfortable and accessible to everyone, more people walk and bike to local shops, and that’s a win for the whole neighborhood.”

The new bike lanes removed a significant amount of room for street parking on Eldridge, but Public Works found in their project report that most side streets have ample space for parking.

According to Public Works, the safety improvements have already led to a spike in foot traffic and biking, as well as a drop in speeding.