2012 APA/PAW Transportation Planning in Washington
Bellingham received the 2012 American Planning Association / Planning Association of Washington Award for Transportation Planning in Washington State for the Urban Village Transportation Impact Fee (TIF) Reduction Program (BMC 19.06.040), which rewards development in designated Urban Villages with an automatic 15% trip reduction for mixed use location and an automatic 7 to 10% trip reduction depending on proximity to high-frequency (15 min) public transit. Vehicle trips, and thus TIF, can be further reduced, up to 50% total, through purchase of bus passes, car share memberships, or other transportation demand management strategies.
2010 International Runner-up for ITE Transportation Planning Council Best Program Award
Bellingham’s “Multimodal Transportation Concurrency Program” is a runner-up for the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Transportation Planning Council’s 2010 Best Program Award (PDF) The winner is Montgomery County, Maryland – 2009-2011 Growth Policy.
The runners-up are:
- Denver, CO Regional Transportation District “FasTracks Program, Quality of Life Study(Light Rail)
- Bellingham, WA Multimodal Transportation Concurrency Program
- The Abu Dhabi Vision – World Class City-World Class Transport, Abu Dhabi Department of Transport T
2009 APA/PAW Transportation Planning in Washington
Bellingham received the 2009 American Planning Association / Planning Association of Washington Award for Transportation Planning in Washington State for the Multimodal Transportation Concurrency program (BMC 13.70) featuring a new multimodal level of service standard and new multimodal performance measures that include sidewalks, bike lanes, and transit riders, as well as automobiles. The Multimodal Transportation Concurrency program is designed to help the City achieve Comprehensive Plan goals directing growth to Urban Villages and to complete sidewalks and bicycle lanes throughout the City.
National and State Publications
Bellingham’s innovative multimodal transportation planning programs have been profiled in several national and state transportation publications.
- American Planning Association Transportation Planning Division Newsletter, Vol. 38, Issue 1 Winter 2013 (PDF)
- The Washington Planner American Planning Association of Washington Newsletter, Volume XXV, Issue 11, November 2012 (PDF)
- Washington State Department of Transportation Local Technical Assistance Program Newsletter, Issue 112, Fall 2012 (PDF)
- Institute of Transportation Engineers Washington Chapter Newsletter, Vol. 23, No. 3, Fall 2012 (PDF)
- Institute of Transportation Engineers Public Agency Council E-Newsletter, Fall 2012 (PDF)
- ITE Bicycle and Pedestrian Council 2011 Winter Newsletter (PDF)
- ITE Transportation Planning Council 2011 Summer E-news (PDF)
- APA National State of Transportation Planning 2010 (PDF)
- ITE Bicycle and Pedestrian 2009 Summer E-news (PDF)
- APA WA The Washington Planner (Volume XXII, Issue 2) Feb. 2009 (PDF)
- WA CTED “About Growth” 2009 Winter Newsletter (PDF)
- Urban Transportation Monitor (Volume 22, No. 20) Nov. 2008(PDF)
Planning and Engineering Conference Presentations
- American Planning Association (APA) of Washington – 2012 Statewide Conference, October 11-12, 2012; Olympia, WA. Technical Session – Shifting Gears: Is There a New Math for Evaluating Transportation Concurrency for Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities? Presentation Title “Multimodal Transportation Concurrency in Bellingham, WA”
- Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) – 2012 Health & Equity in Transportation – Tools, Metrics, & Best Practices, September 28, 2012; Tacoma, WA. Presentation Title “Multimodal Transportation Concurrency in Bellingham, WA”
- Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) – 2011 Regional Technical Forum, December 14, 2011; Seattle, WA. Presentation Title “Multimodal Transportation Concurrency in Bellingham, WA”
- Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Washington Chapter – 2011 Autumn Quarterly Meeting, October 11, 2011; Snohomish, WA. Presentation Title “Bellingham’s Experience with Transportation Impact Fees (TIF) 1995 to 2011”
- Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) – 2011 Western District Annual Meeting, July 11 – 13; Anchorage, AK. Technical Session 3A Planning for the Environment II. Presentation Title “Connecting Policy and Performance: Bellingham’s Approach to Integrated Multimodal Transportation and Land Use Planning.”
- American Planning Association (APA) – 2011 National Planning Conference, April 9-12, 2011; Boston, MA. Technical Session S436 Mastering Mobility. Presentation Title “Bellingham’s Integrated Multimodal Transportation and Land Use Planning.”
- American Planning Association (APA) of Washington – 2010 Statewide Conference, October 5-6, 2010; Kennewick, WA. Technical Session W10 Making Connectivity a Part of Your Smart Growth. Presentation Title “Testing Connectivity Metrics in Bellingham Washington.”
- American Planning Association (APA) of Washington – 2009 Statewide Conference, November 12-13, 2009; Vancouver, WA. Technical Session T1 Changing Approaches to Transportation Concurrency: Moving Beyond the Automobile. Presentation Title “Bellingham’s Multimodal Transportation Concurrency.”
- Planning Association of Washington (PAW) – 2009 Statewide Conference, April 9 – 10, 2009; Semiahmoo Resort, WA. Technical Session 2B Good Transportation Means Walkable Communities. Presentation Title “Moving Beyond the Automobile: Bellingham’s Multimodal Transportation Concurrency Program.”
- Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE) – 2008 District and Quad Regional Conference, April 27 – 30, 2008; Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Technical Session 6B Development Approvals. Presentation Title “Implementing Transportation Concurrency: The City of Bellingham Experience.”
Staff has received inquiries from planners all over North America who are interested in adopting similar performance measures. Bellingham is honored to be recognized as a leader in transportation planning in Washington State.
