Council Roundup: Lower speed limit for local streets discussed

Published October 18 2024

Plus, information on two more budget strategic areas, and proposed permit streamlining reviewed

During Tuesday's City Council meeting, the council discussed a proposed speed limit change that would reduce the limit on most local streets from 25 mph to 20 mph. This change was proposed to improve safety on local streets, which would support the city's Vision Zero effort to eliminate fatal and serious-injury traffic crashes on Bellevue streets. It also represents a culture shift for residents in how speeds are managed on local streets: safety starts on your street. Local streets are designed primarily to provide access within neighborhoods and carry local traffic to collector arterials.

The speed limit on local streets has been reduced to 20 mph already in three areas in Bellevue-Surrey Downs, the East Bellevue Greenway and around Tyee Middle School-and evaluation showed that this change reduced high-end speeding.

The presentation to council included information on outreach activities related to the effort, such as information sharing at events like EarthFest and the Crossroads and Bellevue Farmers Markets, briefing community associations and other community groups, and stories and posts in the It's Your City newspaper and on social media. Staff also shared community feedback received during this outreach and provided answers to questions that were frequently asked by community members.

The council unanimously voted to direct staff to draft an ordinance that would enact the new speed limit on most local streets. Additional outreach will be done to inform the community of the change, which is proposed to take place at the end of 2025 or beginning of 2026. For more information including maps, visit BellevueWA.gov/20-mph.

Budget areas discussed

The City Council continued its series of 2025-2026 budget talks on Tuesday, with a session focused on two of the six Strategic Target Areas that guide city operations - Vibrant Economy and High-Quality Built and Natural Environment. The proposed budget includes $40.2 million for activities related to economic development and $285.9 million for supporting high-quality built and natural environments.

Building off last year's budget successes, the Vibrant Economy presentation emphasized tourism, continued funding for the city's arts grants and support for the business community. The high-quality built and natural environment discussion highlighted funding for the housing reserve fund, which supports the creation of affordable housing projects in Bellevue, as well as the establishment of a new Office of Housing to help accelerate work and pursue additional partnerships.

The preliminary budget for Bellevue's Development Services department includes support for several key initiatives. It adds permit support for small business, special events, and public space activation, funding one full-time position and consulting services to streamline these processes. To align with recent state legislation, the proposed budget also funds measures to streamline permit reviews, including flexible staffing and on-call assistance during high permit volumes. Additionally, the budget includes a new Code and Policy position to support land use initiatives and an increased appropriation for affordable housing fee reductions to incentivize affordable housing development.

The preliminary CIP Budget focuses on the implementation of project commitments in the 2008 and 2022 parks and open space levies approved by Bellevue voters. Funds from the levies support the construction of new parks and trails and the renovation of existing park facilities to meet the needs of a growing community. Of note is a preliminary budget proposal to add programmatic capital funding and a staff position to increase the accessibility of parks and park facilities by accelerating the removal and reconstruction of features in existing parks that present a barrier to physical accessibility. A full discussion of the two Strategic Target Areas is available in the council meeting recording on Bellevue Television.

Proposed permit streamlining reviewed

In other business, the council held a study session to review a proposed land use code amendment aimed at streamlining the permitting process to respond to Senate Bill (SB) 5290, which was signed into law by the governor in 2023. The legislation was designed to streamline project reviews, particularly for housing development, by reducing approval times. Key changes include revised permit review timelines, simplified public hearing procedures for certain projects and updated procedures for rulemaking by the Development Services director. Council unanimously directed staff to prepare the code amendments for public hearing and action at a future meeting. The full details are available in the meeting materials.

Proclamations issued

To start the meeting, two proclamations were issued by council. October 26, 2024, was proclaimed as Arbor Day. Bellevue has been recognized for the thirty-third consecutive year as a Tree City USA by The Arbor Day Foundation. In addition, the month of October was proclaimed Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month in Bellevue.