2005 State of Mobility Report - City of Bellevue

CHAPTER 6: Neighborhood Programs and Services
For example, historically the Neighborhood Traffic
Calming Program has designed and constructed 3
to 4 large-scale Traffic Calming Projects each year.
The cost of these projects now averages $150,000 to
$200,000, due to the extent of physical measures being
implemented and the fact that a more comprehensive
look at multiple streets within the affected
neighborhoods is often warranted. As a result, the
program is struggling to maintain the historical level
of service (in terms of number and scope of projects)
with its annual budget of $375,000. The demand for
solutions that require larger scale projects is greater
than the available resources. The same struggle exists
within NEP and RPZ.
The demand for these programs is likely to increase.
In the 2005 City of Bellevue Budget Survey,
Bellevue citizens identified controlling traffic in
neighborhoods as one of the highest City-wide
problems, with 39 percent requesting the City
do more to address the problem. Another factor
that will increase the demand for services is the
demographic shift occurring in many of the older
neighborhoods. Young families with children
are transitioning into these neighborhoods and
have different priorities for what makes their
neighborhoods livable.
To meet these challenges, City staff will continue
to look for joint funding opportunities with
other City programs and from external sources,
as appropriate. In addition, program staff will
seek to build even stronger and more creative
working relationships with Bellevue residents to
ensure the quality of life in their neighborhoods is
uncompromised by traffic concerns.
2005 State of Mobility Report Chapter 6 53