| A Healthy Birch Bay Begins With You |
| Grandview & Blaine Rd. (SR548) Intersection Roundabout Project |
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The Grandview & Blaine Road (SR548) Intersection Improvement Project is due to start construction on June 15, 2010 with completion by September 15, 2010. More detailed information is available on the ZIP file to the right.
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SR548 Roundabout |
Also at this Intersection
Just an FYI on some upcoming work at the intersection of Blaine and Grandview. It is not part of the round-about…….it is a part of a wetland mitigation project.
Schedule for road work at the Grandview/Blaine Intersection.
The work to be performed is two open cut trenches and asphalt patch, one across Grandview Rd. and one across Blaine Rd. The trench across Grandview is just West of the Grandview/Blaine intersection and the trench across Blaine is just South of the Grandview/Blaine intersection.
5/19/10: Action Concrete will saw-cut Grandview & Blaine Rd. Whatcom Builders will have flaggers for this activity.
5/20/10 & 5/21/10: Dawson will trench from a Catch Basin to the edge of Blaine Rd., place pvc pipe, backfill and compact. No impact for Blaine Rd. traffic on these days. BP trenching permit for this activity will be in place prior to starting work.
5/25/10: Dawson will trench across Grandview. Whatcom Builders will place ATB on East Bound Lane in the morning and on the west bound lane in the afternoon. A steel plate will be placed over the ATB at the end of work activity. Whatcom Builders flaggers will be on-site for traffic control. One lane of traffic will remain open at all times. Signs “Rough Road Ahead” will remain on Grandview warning of steel plate.
5/26/10: Whatcom Builders with do the final paving of the Grandview Road crossing in the morning (east bound at 8 am and west bound at 10 am).
Dawson will trench across Blaine Rd. Whatcom Builders’ flaggers will be on-site for traffic control. One lane of Blaine Rd. will remain open at all times. Steel plate will be placed over trench at end of work activity. Signs “Rough Road Ahead”will remain on Blaine Rd. warning of steel plate. Placing of ATB may happen this day if subgrade is ready by 3pm.
5/27/10: Whatcom Builders will place ATB on Blaine Rd.(if not completed on 5/26), flaggers will be on-site for traffic control. Final paving will take place and be complete by 4 pm. One lane of traffic will remain open at all times.
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Lincoln Road Project Funded
(L3957) COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN The Whatcom County Council adopted the following at its May 11, 2010, meeting: 1. ORDINANCE (2010-023) ESTABLISHING A LINCOLN ROAD CONSTRUCTION FUND (AB2010-196): This ordinance establishes the Lincoln Road Construction Fund for the reconstruction of roadway from Shintaffer Road to Harborview Road to include 12-foot lanes, 8-foot shoulders, storm sewers, stormwater treatment swales, and left turn lanes on Lincoln Road and Harborview Road. 2. ORDINANCE (2010-024)AMENDING 2010 PROJECT BUDGET, REQUEST NO. 3, LINCOLN ROAD CONSTRUCTION FUNDING (2010-196A): This ordinance appropriates $5,400,000 for completion of Preliminary Engineering, Right-of-way acquisition costs, and construction costs for the Lincoln Road (Phase I) project.
To be constructed in 2011.
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| From Jared Paben's Traffic blog at the Bellingham Herald
April 28th, 2010
Whatcom County would spend an additional $2.4 million in state grant funding and $1.5 million in local funds to improve a stretch of Lincoln Road between Shintaffer and Harborview roads.
The County Council has introduced a law that would create the fund for the Lincoln Road project. It has also introduced a law that would move $1.5 million from the road fund into the new account, and then spend a total of $3.9 million from that account.
The county has already spent $835,000 on the project. So it looks to me that when you add up what’s already been spent and what the administration is asking the county to spend to finish it, we’re looking at a nearly $5 million project.
The introduced laws still have to be approved, but they were first introduced yesterday. That means at the next meeting the council’s Public Works/Public Safety Committee will discuss the project and funding for it and then the full council will consider approving it.
The Birch Bay community has been waiting for this project for a long time. It would create 12-foot-wide driving lanes, 8-foot-wide shoulders and turn lanes along Lincoln and Harborview roads. Right now, the heavily traveled Lincoln Road is narrow and lacks a shoulder for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The state’s County Road Administration Board has given Whatcom County $2.4 million for this project. The money is designated for improving rural arterials like this one.
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| Birch Bay Drive Carriage Rides |
Apr, 30, 2010
Horse-drawn carriage rides to be allowed on Birch Bay Drive
ZOE FRALEY / THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
BIRCH BAY - Summer visitors will have a new way to enjoy Birch Bay Drive after the Whatcom County Council voted to temporarily allow horse-drawn carriages on a stretch of that road.
The council voted 7-0 to allow certain horse-drawn carriages to operate from Sunday to Friday along the section of Birch Bay Drive between Harborview Road and Alderson Road this summer.
The change approved Tuesday, April 27, was driven by Blaine Road resident Roger Edmonds, who wants to give horse-drawn carriage tours of Birch Bay Drive. Edmonds plans to have the carriage pulled by his family's 6-year-old registered Clydesdale, Ally.
County law prohibited horses on Birch Bay Drive during the summer months, and it's the only county road that has a specific horse ban.
The main concerns that people seemed to have about the horse were waste and traffic, Councilwoman Barbara Brenner said.
For waste, there will be a collection device. And for traffic, the carriage rides will take place only after 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays to avoid peak driving times.
"What I like about it is it's going to take some people out of their cars," Brenner said during Tuesday's meeting. "I think it's really neat that someone came forward with this idea."
The horse's safety and welfare had been a concern for Whatcom Humane Society Executive Director Laura Clark when the issue was first brought up.
"I'm confident that council members thoroughly researched this issue and have properly addressed safety concerns for pedestrians, vehicles and the welfare of the horses involved," she said in an e-mail.
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The following is an important consideration with regards to Blaine Rd./SR548 when Birch Bay examines the issue of becoming a city. And why the changes in the Birch Bay UGA boundaries (on Nov. 24, 2009) has made becoming a city a more challenging proposition by removing some areas from the BB UGA altogether and putting another area into UGA Reserve. The map of the UGA with zoning as recently revised may be found at: http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/pds/2031/pdf/UGA_all_zone_112409.pdf
go to Map UGA 8-a ...it takes a while to download. -kb
December 15th, 2009 - from the blog of Jared Paben at the Bellingham Herald
When a state highway is inside a city’s limit, the city isn’t necessarily responsible for taking the lead on projects, I found out this morning.
In cases where the highway is inside city limits, the state Department of Transportation is only responsible for all work if the city is smaller than 22,500 people. For city’s larger than that, like Bellingham, the DOT takes the lead in roadway maintenance, but the city must take the lead on projects that expand or improve it. That’s why Bellingham did the Sunset Drive-widening project, which added lanes, bikes lanes and sidewalks, and that’s why the city is doing the repairs to the rock slide on Chuckanut Drive between California and Spokane streets (that project involves slope excavation and stabilization).
This relationship is governed in agreements between the DOT and cities.
It’s different for what are called limited-access highways, like Interstate 5 or the Pacific Highway crossing in Blaine. With those, the DOT takes the lead on everything, even in larger towns.
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| County's 6-Year Road Plan & Birch Bay |
Projects on the County's 2010 Annual Construction Program for Birch Bay are:
#1. Lincoln Road-Phase 1 Shintaffer Rd. to Harborview Rd - Reconstruction & non-motorized enhancements. 0.84 miles in length (we are told that this will actually move forward & get accomplished)
#2. Birch Bay Lynden Road/Blaine Road SR548 Intersection Improvements. 0.10 miles in length
#5. Birch Bay Drive Pedestrian Facility Cedar Avenue to the mouth of Terrell Creek. 1.14 miles in length (Note: this appears on the list not so much for County to fund as to qualify for other funding)
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| Birch Bay is a little bit of Heaven. Please don't drive through it like Hell. |
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Article about the 2010-2015 TIP, Lincoln Road improvements and the Birch Bay Drive Pedestrian Facility (shoreline restoration with berm, utilities underground and storm protection for Birch Bay Drive) dated 8-5-09.
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TIP-Lincoln Rd & Berm |
| Birch Bay Community Plan Transportation Chapter 11 & Summary Chapter 2 Updates |
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On Jan. 13, 2009 the Whatcom County Council passed this amendment to the Birch Bay Community Plan on for final consideration of all Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan amendments concurrently at a future date.
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AB2008-448 |
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| For road construction & road closure info, go to FYI page |
"The streets of our cities and towns ought to be for everyone, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or wheelchair user, bus rider or shopkeeper." A value embraced by the Birch Bay community:
http://www.completestreets.org/
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| Bike Tips for Cyclists & Drivers |
MORE INFORMATION EverybodyBike: 671-BIKE or www.everybodybike.com.
BIKE TIPS If you're confused as a biker or driver about the rules of the road, a handy flier from the city of Bellingham and Whatcom Smart Trips offers guidance. Find the flier at bike shops, the City Hall lobby and at Western Washington University. Advice includes:
FOR BICYCLISTS
Ride in the same direction as car traffic.
Ride as far to the right as is safe. You may use any part of a traffic lane if you need to for safety or if you are traveling at the speed of traffic.
Ride no more than two side-by-side on the roadway. Be courteous to following traffic.
Stop at stop signs. Stop at all red lights and remain stopped until the light changes to green.
Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
Use a white front light (visible for 500 feet) and a red rear reflector attached to your bike when riding at night.
In business districts, do not ride on sidewalks (downtown Bellingham and Fairhaven).
Do not wear headphones while riding.
FOR MOTORISTS
Pass to the left of a cyclist at a safe distance ? 3 feet minimum suggested. Remain behind the bicyclist until it?s safe to pass.
Do not drive or park in a bicycle lane. You may cross a bicycle lane when turning or when you need to cross the lane to park near the curb.
Yield to oncoming bicyclists when turning ? do not underestimate their distance or speed.
When nearing an intersection, do not pass a bicyclist who is ahead of you in order to turn right. Instead, slow down and merge behind the cyclist.
Before getting out of a car, check behind you for approaching bicyclists before opening the door.
New law: It is illegal to pass another vehicle on a 2- lane road if a cyclist or pedestrian is approaching in the oncoming lane, shoulder or in a bike lane.
From the 2-3-08 edition of the Bellingham Herald.
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The "connector road," aka Birch Point Road extension, project description and progress including the Birch Bay Drive/Birch Point Road intersection.
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Project Description |
2-29-08 Update |
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