Just as Seattle moves forward to expand the number of bicycles rolling around its streets, the bikeshare companies are expanding over to the eastside. On Tuesday, Lime debuted their bikeshare program in Bellevue as the city opened several miles of downtown bike lanes to go with it.
Lime, with its eye-catching green bikes, is the first company to secure a contract to operate in Bellevue. The city is trying to do things a little different with their program. Lime is offering riders incentives to park bikes in designated areas, but they will not be required to leave them there.
“They can certainly leave them in other areas that are deemed appropriate in the right of way, so we want to avoid that they're at the top of a curb ramp on private property,” Transportation Planner Franz Loewenherz said.
To make these new bikes feel a bit more welcome, Bellevue debuted an enhanced bike lane that includes protected sections.
“What we heard from the community was the desire for a more enhanced bicycling experience,” Loewenherz explained.
The city is just getting started when it comes to adding bike lanes, they plan to add 19 miles this year. Those changes mean educating drivers and cyclists about how the streets have been reconfigured.
Signs have been placed along 108th Street NW reminding everyone about the changes “this project is about more than just a bike lane it's about changing the experience in the community.”
Alison Washburn works at REI in Bellevue and said she's glad to see the changing face of downtown Bellevue.
"The objection to riding in Bellevue is the streets are so wide and they're very car-oriented, so there's some intimidation for folks who are not regular cyclists," she said.
The city has placed monitors along the bike route to see how much the lanes are used and what impact it has on traffic.
