Bellevue’s Transportation Commission is set to meet this week. It will hear words of encouragement from employers like Microsoft, Overlake Medical Center, and others to create new bike lanes and and to invite bikeshares into town.

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The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 11. According to its agenda, it will consider recommending two different bike projects to the city council. One is the development of a new bikeway through downtown Bellevue. This will be similar to protected bike lanes in Seattle. It will also likely recommend that the city invite private bikeshare companies to town — also similar to Seattle’s stationless model.

Included in the commission’s agenda paperwork are letters from area employers, expressing support for either the bikeway, the bikeshares, or both. According to a city representative, more letters have been delivered to the city, but have not been added to the agenda yet.

The following are quotes from the letters.

Bellevue Downtown Association

The Bellevue Downtown Association has endorsed a position supporting the installation of a Demonstration Bikeway on 108th Avenue NE (between Main Street to NE 12th Street) for a period of one year.

BDA also writes:

The Bellevue Downtown Association has endorsed a position supporting a permitted use of free-floating bikeshare within the City of Bellevue.

Microsoft

Jim Stanton, senior community affairs manager for Microsoft, wrote in favor of the downtown bikeway project:

With nearly 7,000 workers based in downtown Bellevue, Microsoft has a strong interest in enhancing non-SOV (single occupancy vehicle) transportation options and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. We endorse the city’s goals of establishing at least one east-west and at least one north-south bicycle bikeway within downtown, with connectivity to regional bicycle corridors.

Overlake Medical Center

Overlake Medical Center’s president and CEO J. Michael Marsh wrote in support of the downtown bikeway project. He said that the project could encourage people to ride safer, provide employees better access to downtown transit centers, and reduce traffic. Overlake has about 2,500 employees.

As a healthcare provider, we highly encourage Eastside residents and guests to remain physically active as a key component of their mental and physical well-being. Additionally, many of our own employees cycle at least part of their daily commute …. we support the proposed 108th Avenue NE route for this pilot, due to its proximity to the downtown transit center and connection with established cycling routes in the area.

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Other companies who wrote in favor of the bike programs:

• HNTB: Wrote in favor of the downtown bikeway. HNTB has more than 130 employees based in Bellevue.
• SAP Concur: Wrote in support of both the bikeway and the bikeshare proposals. SAP Concur has more than 1,200 employees at its 108th Avenue location.
• The Cascade Bicycle Club: Wrote in support of both the downtown bikeway and the stationless bikeshare program.
• LimeBike: One of the private stationless bikeshare companies currently operating in Seattle and could expand into Bellevue.

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