Due to budget cuts, the NTSP is currently unfunded, in-active, and unavailable. Public Works is not accepting any requests to study or install traffic calming devices on residential streets.
Since1999, Bellingham has installed several traffic calming devices, such as speed humps, traffic islands, and raised crosswalks on residential streets where vehicle speeding or cut-through traffic has been documented by Public Works traffic studies. Bellingham does not install traffic calming devices on any arterial streets. The Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program (NTSP) includes specific criteria and scoring requirements for a residential street to qualify for installation of traffic calming devices and the process begins with an annual request submittal to Public Works by each of the 24 official Neighborhood Associations.
The speed watch program was established by the Bellingham Police Department to help drivers become aware of their speeds and help alleviate residential speeding. The program consists of Traffic Police, with the help of citizens, locating high speed streets and placing a radar reader board at the location. The presence of the reader board has proven to be an excellent aid in reducing overall speeds. If you would like more information about this program, please contact Sgt. Stokes at the Bellingham Police Department.
Another option for citizen involvement to combat neighborhood speeding is
to use the Public Works radar gun (equipment and training available at no
charge) to observe vehicle speeds. Again, this is a joint effort with the
Police Department. We ask that you write down the vehicles license plate
number, speed, time of day and give it to the Police Department for
follow-up. If you would like more information about this option, please
contact the Public Works Transportation Planner
at the Public Works Main Office.
