Alabama Renovation Has Begun

The project for a safer Alabama Street corridor has finally been given the green light to start reconstruction by the Bellingham City Council. The residents of Sunnyland and neighboring communities have been fighting for an amended roadway since 2010.

The Alabama Street Corridor Project has the goal of a safer roadway and hopes to reduce the unnecessarily high collision rate of 93 accidents involving bicycles and pedestrians since 2003. It is ranked 7^th by the Bellingham City Council in terms of importance and has only risen since the death of a 60-year-old pedestrian in September earlier this year. The Bellingham native was struck by a speeding car while trying to use his walker to get to the nearest bus-stop.

Alabama Street is a heavily trafficked arterial that bisects 5 different residential neighborhoods and carries over 19,000 vehicles daily. Residents of Sunnyland have commonly described the road as not only plugged with traffic, but dangerous and overall a negative influence. The previously mentioned abnormally high accident rate is the second highest vehicle collision rate in all of Whatcom County, a total of 262 accidents involving cars, cyclists and pedestrians.

The previously proposed plans for the roadway have leaned towards creating a “road diet” for the congested roadway. This would include the narrowing of lanes to create a wider sidewalk and buffer as well as an official bike lane.

This renovation has multiple layers in the 1.75 mile corridor including the narrowing of lanes between Cornwall and James including a new flashing crosswalk between Alabama and Ellis and enhancements added to the crosswalk on Alabama and Grant and the crosswalk near Trader Joes.

Secondly, there would be a median installed as well as pedestrian activated crosswalks between Iron Street and Superior Avenue. This would also lead to the corridor widening to extend the left turn lane from Alabama Street to Wolburn Street. Heading east, there would be a rechanneling from Superior to St. Clair Street which would include the reducing of travel lanes, the addition of a center turn late and a new pedestrian activated red-light crossing signal.

Lastly, and probably the favorite improvement of many Sunnyland cyclists, there will be the addition of bicycle boulevards. This would create lower speed and lower stress streets parallel and perpendicular to Alabama for easy access to the main streets.

The team that has been working on developing this issue include staff members from Bellingham Public Works, the Bellingham Police and Fire Departments, the WTA and Whatcom Council Governments in addition to passionate members of the influenced communities. Those involved in proposing the reconstruction plans have derived ideas from similar and successful projects all over Washington State including Nickerson Street in downtown Seattle and 185^th St. in Shoreline.

The community has spent the last year gathering input and suggestions, as well as shared proposed safety improvement alternatives at various neighborhood meetings and open houses hosted by the WTA, City Council and business owners along the corridor.

Public comments from May 2018 to June 2014 alone have filled a 68 page document posted by the City of Bellingham, many ranging from anger, frustration to concern. While many comments expressed the desire for less accidents, many also argued against the need of a bicycle lane. Ray Colliver, a resident of Sunnyland, wrote, “Road Diet‐ what an interesting term! Adopting a road diet between Cornwall and James seems to be a waste of effort.” Many agree with this statement, arguing that drivers are not to be demonized and that alternative modes of transportation ought to use less populated side streets.

Liz Wade, another Sunnyland resident, was worried about the integrity and relationships of the community, as well as neighboring communities. “Please listen to the neighborhoods and do not put in the C‐curb down Alabama. Our city is built on the strength of our neighborhoods, and the city needs to do all they can to preserve their safety and integrity,” she said. “Relocating traffic problems off of Alabama and dumping them into the neighborhoods surrounding Alabama is not a thoughtful solution.”

Arguably, Charlie Kienbaum, a worker at Trader Joes, as seen the congested and lack of safety first hand. As someone who bikes to work every day, he argues that the proposed use of side streets is an even more dangerous option. “People get too comfortable and end up speeding or rolling through stop signs. Plus why should I be denied access to a main street just because I bike? I know I would use bike specific lanes or boulevards, especially for a city like Bellingham its long overdue.” As an observer as well, he has seen many drivers get frustrated and unfocused trying to fight for a left handed turn when there is no specific traffic signal to allow it. “I’ve seen cars wait for 2 light cycles just trying to make one turn. They normally get aggressive or impatient.”

Charlie’s co-worker Christine Hanley on the other hand is worried about her commute to and from work. She is a student at Whatcom Community College and already balances a full course load with her part time job at Trader Joe’s. “One of the main reasons this job is feasible is it’s easy to drive from campus to work. During and post construction, I’m worried the traffic will affect my commute.”

Doug Shoonover organizes a local bike group in coordination with the Mount Baker Cycling club. He and a group of Sunnyland residents ranging from 10-30 riders weekly have scheduled cycling trips every weekend. He has been one of the most passionate supporters of a biker’s boulevard being added to the neighborhood. At the Sunnyland neighborhood meeting he reiterated the importance of a safe, separate space to ride outside of traffic and even suggested teaching children to use the boulevard. “If I don’t feel safe riding down Alabama during rush-hour, I know I don’t want my son to use it. A boulevard could be a great way to reach children how to ride safely and allow them to practice before endangering them.”

Regardless of arguments for or against the road diet or a cycling specific boulevard, the surveying and design work for the Alabama corridor went underway in August 2014 and construction has begun on the popular roadway. With the debate of a reduced speed limit in addition to the approved road adjustments, the City of Bellingham is trying to find the best way to spend the $1.4 million federal grant awarded to improve the safety of the Alabama corridor and for the largest benefit for the most of the surrounding community members.