The Bellevue City Council recently approved three grants totaling more than $2 million to fund safety improvements across the city. These grants will support the Transportation Department’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on Bellevue streets by 2030. The focus of these improvements is to enhance safety for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and people with disabilities.
Federal Highway Administration Grants
Two grants from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will provide a combined total of $1.6 million for key safety projects in Bellevue. The first, a $628,000 grant, will fund improvements along Northeast Eighth Street, between 156th and 164th Avenues.
The project will include the installation of protected bike lanes, improved mid-block crossings, and lane reconfigurations to reduce speeding. These changes are designed to make the street safer for pedestrians and cyclists, who have reported concerns about limited crossing opportunities and high vehicle speeds in the area.
The second FHWA grant, worth $1 million, will fund the design and construction of high-visibility crosswalk markings at 56 intersections across Bellevue. These crosswalks are proven to reduce pedestrian injury crashes by up to 40%, making them an important safety feature in areas with high foot traffic.
State Department of Transportation Grant
In addition to the FHWA grants, Bellevue also received a $540,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). This grant will support a project to collect traffic data at 79 intersections across the city.
The data collection will include video monitoring over two separate weeks—one in the winter and one in the summer—to capture traffic volumes, pedestrian and cyclist behavior, and speed patterns. This data will guide the planning of upcoming safety projects.
Impact on Bellevue Residents
The safety improvements funded by these grants will have a direct impact on daily travel in Bellevue, primarily in areas with high pedestrian and cyclist activity.
Residents and commuters can expect safer streets due to the addition of protected bike lanes, enhanced crosswalks, and measures to reduce speeding, especially along busy corridors like Northeast Eighth Street.
The data collected from the WSDOT grant will further support the city’s efforts to identify and address additional safety concerns.
For more information about the Vision Zero initiative and upcoming safety projects, visit the Vision Zero website.
