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More Growth in Cordata = More Traffic
How can we all help to manage this traffic and stay safe?
Cordata is growing! We are growing with more people needing homes and more people needing business/medical buildings. Recently at a public meeting regarding an upcoming permit application for a new medical building on Horton, one of the Horton neighbors who attended mentioned the concern that with this new business added to another medical building already under construction, there is a fear that increased traffic could cause problems for the neighborhood.
Earlier in the month at one of our Cordata community meetings, a neighbor brought up a concern with pedestrian traffic crossing Horton from one end of the Julianna Trail to the next one. The concern was that the drivers may have visibility issues and the crossing could be unsafe.
At other community and Board meetings, we often hear complaints about speed on the streets in Cordata causing more concern for pedestrian, bike or auto safety issues.
The COB Transportation Department is responsible for planning for safety on our streets. The CNA Board shares these concerns when we hear them with Chris Comeau who is the City's Transportation Planner. Chris is always willing to hear our concerns and responds quickly. Although he may rarely provide the immediate and full solution we may hope for, he does always respect the information and attempts to respond in a context of what has been done, what might be done and what can't be done --- at this time. As an example, I share his response from the most recent conversation regarding Horton traffic and my suggestion for a traffic study below:
Yes, there have been several proposals for new development along West Horton Road in the Cordata Neighborhood over the past year. The adopted zoning along West Horton Road will allow additional development in the future as well. West Horton Road is classified as a “Secondary Arterial Street” between SR 539 and Aldrich Road and is intentionally designed to carry higher traffic volumes than collector arterials streets or residential streets. Over the past 10 years, the City has invested about $7 million dollars to extend and rechannelize West Horton Road to Aldrich Road and to construct a roundabout at West Horton/Cordata. The City will invest more funding this summer as to construct new flashing crosswalks near West Horton/Ryzex and near Cordata/Meadowbrook and Cordata/Tremont. All of the investments listed above have been made with the intent that West Horton Road will carry higher traffic volumes across the Cordata Neighborhood. Traffic studies are not required for the proposed development in this area because the transportation system is considered more than adequate to handle the new traffic impacts and there are no mitigating measures to be made by new development.
The City is in the midst of an update to the COB Pedestrian and Bike Plan. This is an opportunity for anyone with concerns for walkers, runners, and bikers to share those concerns and make specific recommendations. Please take this opportunity to add your voice to this plan by contacting the Engage Bellingham website. Besides practicing safe habits as drivers, walkers, and bikers, we also have an opportunity to help make conditions safer by communicating with those who design, update and manage our streets, trails and sidewalks. I urge you to speak up while we have this open window about a plan that will be in place for many years to come. Visit the COB website HERE to add your thoughts.
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