City of Bellingham
12th Street and Finnegan Way
McKenzie St and 11th St
TIB Award Amount
$400,000
Region: Northwest   |   Legislative District: 40   |   Length: 0.50 mi. FY 2024 Urban Arterial Program (UAP)

Existing Conditions

12th Street - Finnegan Way is the gateway to Fairhaven Urban Village from downtown Bellingham and from Interstate 5 via State Route 11 (Old Fairhaven Parkway). 12thFinnegan is also a T-4 freight truck route, has WTA high-frequency transit service to downtown Bellingham, and a WTA bus pull-out and bus shelter is located on the northeast corner of 12th/Mill/Finnegan. The 12th/Mill/Finnegan intersection is stop-controlled on east-west Mill Avenue with 11,000 vehicles per day traveling north-south on 12th-Finnegan. The multistory building on the northwest corner, the angle of Finnegan Way, and parked cars create a challenging sight-distance issue for vehicles traveling east as they queue on the steep slope of Mill Avenue, the west leg of the intersection. Significant new development has occurred in Fairhaven Urban Village, which has also increased pedestrian, bicycle, transit rider, and vehicle crossing demand through 12th/Finnegan/Mill. Vehicular LOS has deteriorated and the intersection warrants a full traffic signal. A a large mixed use building with 137 apartments and 17,000 SF commercial space one block west of 12th/Mill is in planning stages, which will create additional pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle impacts to the unsignalized intersection. The 12th-Finnegan-11th Multimodal Safety Improvements are adopted and listed on page 12 in the Bellingham 2022-2027 TIP.

Project Funding

  TIB Funds Local Funds Total Costs
Design 52,000 13,000 65,000
Right of Way 0 0 0
Construction 348,000 87,000 435,000
Project Totals $400,000 $100,000 $500,000

Local Match

TIB Participation Local Match Minimum Local Match
80.0% 20.0% 20%

Summary of Improvements

  • Improves pedestrian safety;
  • Improves mobility;
  • Removes ADA barriers

Description of Improvements

With TIB funding, a full traffic signal could be constructed along with 2 user-activated Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), and 400 linear feet of sidewalk. The 12th/Mill/Finnegan intersection could be signalized, a RRFB crosswalk could be installed on the south leg of Full traffic signal could be constructed along with 2 user-activated Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), and 400 linear feet of sidewalk. The 12th/Mill/Finnegan intersection could be signalized, a RRFB crosswalk could be installed on the south leg of 11th/Finnegan Way to transit bus stops between the Fairhaven Village on the west side of Finnegan Way and the Fairhaven Library and South Hill Neighborhood on the east side. The 2012 Pedestrian Master Plan recommends concrete sidewalk along the west side of Finnegan Way from 11th Street to a point 400 linear feet (LF) to the south. Further south on the 12th Street/Finnegan Way corridor, a user-activated RRFB is needed at 12th/McKenzie between the Bellingham Housing Authority Chuckanut Square 101 affordable senior apartments and the local Haggen grocery store.