March, 2002
Bellingham City Council
210 Lottie Street
Bellingham WA 98225

We, the undersigned residents of the Vining, Crestline and Sylvan neighborhoods request that the current city council re-affirm Resolution No. 7-92 of January 27, 1992, to renew the city’s commitment not to construct connections between Barkley Blvd and Sylvan, Crestline, Alpine or Vining Streets.

The Resolution reads in part:
    WHEREAS, the Bellingham City Council has reviewed traffic circulation options in the Alabama Hill area . . . ; and

    WHEREAS, the City Council believes that preserving the residential neighborhoods north of Alabama Street is a desirable goal for the City; and

    WHEREAS, a commitment not to construct connections between Barkley Boulevard and certain streets to the south is believed to be appropriate policy to preserve the integrity of the existing Alabama Hill neighborhoods, NOW, THEREFORE,

    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELLINGHAM:

That it is the City's policy to not construct connections of Sylvan, Crestline, Alpine or Vining Streets to Barkley Boulevard.
This issue was addressed in the planning process prior to the completion of Barkley Blvd. It has resurfaced as a potential solution to the current traffic congestion at Woburn and Alabama streets. While the intent to these proposed changes would be to allow residential access from the neighborhoods between Alabama and Barkley, the result of opening any or all or these streets will be increased arterial traffic through the existing neighborhoods.

The integrity of the impacted neighborhoods will be compromised with the pass-through of traffic via residential areas to Barkley Boulevard. These neighborhoods will be disrupted with added local traffic and the additional "foreign" traffic using the residential streets as a quick by-pass. This increased local and foreign traffic will result in an unsafe area for our children to play, congestion, and will promote the increased use of residential routes by heavy commercial vehicles as an alternative route from Alabama Street to Barkley Boulevard.

A natural and obvious solution in correcting this traffic situation is the improvement of Woburn Street to a major arterial. Widening Woburn to four lanes and creating separate turn lanes to the right and left off Woburn onto Barkley Boulevard would convey considerable traffic volumes. Additionally, widening Alabama at the Woburn/Alabama intersection and creating a longer turn lane off eastbound Alabama onto northbound Woburn would also assist in moving traffic smoothly.

For the above reasons, we, the undersigned residents of the Vining, Crestline and Sylvan neighborhoods strongly reject any connectors through our neighborhoods to Barkley Boulevard.

Signed:
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