Bellevue is a large “edge city” east of Seattle with a large high-tech presence and a fast-growing high-rise downtown. Transit service in Bellevue, WA, is provided by a larger regional transit agency, but the City of Bellevue recently realized that it wanted to form its own transit-supportive plans and policies. It began that work in the Bellevue Transit Master Plan. This Plan was modelled, in part, on a 2007 plan by the city of Seattle, in which Jarrett Walker also played a lead planning role.
Jarrett Walker + Associates was commissioned by the City of Bellevue to lead development of the Service Element of the Transit Master Plan (and, later, to work on the Capital Element, through the Transpo Group).
This involved developing future networks for 9 different scenarios (with three study years and three financial assumptions). The networks integrated bus service into a planned light rail line; were based on defensible policies for deploying low-ridership “coverage” service; and accommodated a range of financial futures from dramatic expansions to painful cuts.
As part of this effort, JWA has led an interactive stakeholder workshop, analyzed all existing Bellevue policies that impact transit success, and facilitated City Council decisions relating to transit policy.