2005 State of Mobility Report - City of Bellevue

CHAPTER 6
Neighborhood Programs and Services
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Preserving the quality of life in the city’s neighborhoods is a priority for the Bellevue City Council and
Transportation Department. A well designed transportation system can improve neighborhood livability
by reducing cut-through traffic, enforcing speed limits, and providing options for non-motorized travel.
In addition to constructing large-scale capacity projects that keep commuter traffic on major arterials and
regional facilities, the City funds neighborhood programs to ensure the integration of mobility and livability
on its residential streets.
When traffic problems on neighborhood
streets become a daily occurrence, our sense of
community is threatened. To lessen the impact of
concerns, such as cut-through traffic, higher than
posted vehicular speeds, overflow parking, and
pedestrian safety (especially in school zones), the
City promotes an array of neighborhood-focused
programs, including:
• Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program (NTCP)
• Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP)
• Residential Permit Parking Zone Program (RPZ)
• Traffic Safety Technologies
A hallmark of these programs is how closely City
staff work with citizens to address community
concerns in a manner consistent with city policy
and neighborhood characteristics.
Preserve the safety of residential streets and
the livability of residential neighborhoods by
discouraging non-local traffic on streets classified
as local. Emphasize the following measures:
• Continue a strong neighborhood traffic
control program to discourage cut-through
traffic on non-local arterials, and
• Design new residential streets to discourage
cut-through traffic while providing for
connectivity.
Comprehensive Plan Policy TR-115
Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program
In 1985 the City established
the Neighborhood Traffic
Calming Program (NTCP)
to address excessive vehicle
speeds, non-local traffic,
accidents, and spill-over
parking that often result
from traffic congestion on
arterial streets. Through a
two-year phased approach
— which includes community involvement in
problem identification, project development and
outcome evaluation — the City determines how
residents perceive the traffic problems on their
neighborhood streets, assesses the traffic conditions
(i.e., speed studies), and determines what solutions
from the NTCP toolbox (see Chart 6-B for options)
can best resolve the issues.
6-A. Neighborhood Traffic Calming
Program Requests, 2001-2005
Year Number of Number of
Requests Projects*
2001 89 38
2002 86 30
2003 54 21
2004 65 27
2005 77 36
*Most of the project files are closed after the implementation
of Phase I measures. However, each year 4-5 issues are
advanced to Phase II.
2005 State of Mobility Report Chapter 6
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