Washington State Department of Transportation announced that the City of Bellingham will receive $900,000 in federal grant funding to reconstruct the James Street/Bakerview Road traffic signal as a multimodal roundabout. The project will include sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes and will increase safety by reducing vehicle speeds and collisions while accommodating future development and associated traffic in the rapidly growing King Mountain neighborhood in northcentral Bellingham.
The James/Bakerview intersection is identified in the City’s 2021-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and is one of many TIP projects that the City is investing in to improve travel and accommodate population growth associated with the annexation of the King Mountain area, including the Orchard Drive Extension (2021) and the Telegraph Road Multimodal Improvements (2022).
This is the third federal transportation grant awarded for this $4 million dollar roundabout. Bellingham has met its local dollar match requirements for these grants with a variety of funds, including the Bellingham Transportation Fund, which is a .02% sales tax that is used to fund local transportation projects. Over the last 10 years, the Transportation Fund has generated approximately $5 million in revenue each year. To date, these funds have been used for improved sidewalks, improved street crossings, on-street bicycle facilities, and street repair and maintenance.
Construction is expected to start summer 2023.
Visit the James & Bakerview Intersection Improvements web page for more information about the project.
For more information on the Bellingham Transportation Fund visit the storymap.
