Bellingham joins Seattle with this bike-friendly honor
Bellingham joins Seattle as the Evergreen State’s only “gold-level” bike-friendly cities, according to the League of American Bicyclists, a group that promotes bicycling.
“During one of the toughest years in recent memory, we have seen so many Americans turn to biking during the pandemic for fun and for necessary transportation options,” said Bill Nesper, the group’s executive director.
Washington is the nation’s No. 1 bike-friendly state, with 18 cities, 48 businesses and one university in the league’s rankings, according to its map of bike-friendly communities.
“It’s so important that communities like Bellingham have laid the groundwork over several years to make biking a safe, accessible option for people when we all need as much health and happiness as possible,” Nesper said in a statement at the group’s website.
City officials, with the support of the City Council, have spent the past two decades developing projects to connect Bellingham neighborhoods, its downtown and urban villages in a transportation network that encourages walking, biking and riding the bus.
Wider bike lanes, safer bus stops and easier pedestrian crossings have been added in recent years to Roeder, Ellis and Chestnut streets, Samish Way, Lakeway Drive and Barkley Boulevard.
“In just six years, we’ve completed over half of the 215 projects recommended in the Bicycle Master Plan,” transportation planner Chris Comeau said in a statement at the city’s website.
Comeau said the Bellingham Transportation Fund, a tax that was approved in 2010 and renewed in 2020, is a key funding source for many of the projects.
There are six levels in the League of American Bicyclists’ rating system — diamond, platinum, gold, silver, bronze and honorable mention.
Bellingham was named a “silver” bike-friendly city in 2007, the city said at its website.
In addition to building bicycle infrastructure, Bellingham also supports bike safety and education, and offers events such as the Bike to Work and School Day.
