Bellevue’s City Council has pressed on with conversations about the Wilburton Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) land use code update, an effort to see the region evolve into Bellevue’s next trail- and transit-connected hub. The council chewed over the Planning Commission’s suggestions, diving into further scrutiny and responses to what stakeholders have on the table. This all is part of a broader dance to implement the goals laid out in the 2043 Wilburton Comprehensive Plan Amendment, which aims to stir in new mixed-use districts across the 300-acre TOD expanse. As reported by the City of Bellevue’s official news release, the finale of these land use code reforms will await a future gathering of the council’s minds.
Tuesday’s meeting didn’t just pivot around shaping Wilburton’s future, it also shone the spotlight on a new player in town aimed at curbing the vehicular ballet of Bellevue’s streets. Codenamed Safe Speeds Bellevue, this fresh initiative takes aim at monitoring speed limits to prop up Vision Zero’s crusade against road casualties—stats show a chilling reality where nearly 90% of the fatal and life-maiming traffic dances occur on streets that, although they make up a mere quarter of the road network, shoulder speed limits upwards of 30 mph.
Bellevue is channelling wisdom from other urban stages where slowing down the tempo has proven to save lives, and while this program is still at the jump off, the council provided directives for public outreach and a to-be-drafted ordinance that would turn down the speed on a few test stretches. Details on the scheme, including which streets are under the microscope, can be found at the Safe Speeds website, as per the City of Bellevue…