The current Samish neighborhood plan has a lot of plans to improve on the traffic circulation throughout the Samish neighborhood, but a lot of those plans have been put on hold because of the economy.

Samish Neighborhood Still wanting to make improvements

BELLINGHAM-- Although plans to install a bikeway along Samish Way from the I-5 overpass to padden park have been recommended as far back as the 1980 five year Samish plan, things are still looking the same. The updated Samish Neighborhood plan also addresses their goal to, “Work with the City and neighborhood to identify areas for trails and trail links that allow people to walk and bicycle safely from residential areas to the Lake Padden, commercial areas, and schools.” Although Samish way and surrounding roads are a spot with heavy auto traffic, they are also in the middle of a residential area with a lot of foot and bike traffic.

Samish Neighborhood President says to be patient.

There has been several posts on the Samish neighborhood website with concerns about safety when walking near the I-5 overpass. Samish neighborhood president Greg McCracken wants residents to know that their requests aren't being ignored there is just an economic barrier; they do plan on making improvements once they get the funding.

Neighborhood president looking for ways to improve for residents.

McCracken recognizes that the city's major issues have a large part to do with the lack of circulation of traffic, and narrow residential streets. “It is a residential road and was never meant for the heavy amount of traffic it receives, but it is an arterial road so we have no recourse to deal with it,” McCracken explains.

Residents express frustration with the narrow roads.

A post on the samishneighborhoodassociation.org forum read, “The stair steps are terrible. Today I passed two biked coming up the hill - on the narrow turning section. wish the city would have sign pointing out that the bike trail is on Padded Gorge trail, not the road. Traffic is way too fast.” The “stair steps” is a short name used by Bellingham residents given to the winding route along 36th, South, 37th, Harrison, 38th, Broad, 40th, and Wilkin Streets.

According to the 2008 Samish neighborhood plan, “The Stair Steps streets are currently classified as an arterial connection to provide a traffic circulation link between the Samish Neighborhood, Interstate-5, and commercial services in the southwestern portion of Bellingham.” Therefore, the stair steps cannot be tampered with by law.