BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Drivers in Bellingham should get ready for lower speed limits starting this summer.
The Bellingham City Council voted unanimously on Monday, May 18, to approve an ordinance lowering speed limits across the city in three phases over the next three years. If finalized, the city’s default speed limit would be reduced from 25 to 20 mph downtown and on most residential streets.
According to a report prepared for the city by Transpo Group, Bellingham saw 135 crashes between 2019 and 2023 with fatal or severe injuries, nearly half involving a pedestrian or bicyclist.
Council member Michael Lilliquist says this is just the first step towards reducing that number.
“Lowering the speed limits alone doesn’t actually bring about safety by itself, but it does provide the logic for then going back and doing the engineering work to make the street match that speed limit, so that speed limit makes sense and actually functions well,” Lilliquist said at the meeting, citing the report.
Lilliquist noted that other cities like Seattle and Portland have seen reductions in fatalities and severe injuries after lowering their speed limits.
If made official, the city will kick off an awareness campaign starting this summer, with signs throughout the city reminding drivers of the change.
The ordinance still awaits final approval from the council at its next meeting on June 1.
