Confused by Holly Street changes? All the changes the city made when bike lane was added

Ever since the city converted a lane of traffic on Holly Street, between Ellis and Bay, into a bike lane in early May, Bellingham drivers have had to relearn downtown’s busiest street . Now that Holly’s only two lanes wide, some of its turn lanes are gone, while others have been shifted over and Bellingham drivers are having a tough time adjusting to the changes.

“We know there has been a lot of confusion on Holly since it is a big change to a road that people have been driving for years,” the spokesperson for the city’s Public Works Department said in an email to the Bellingham Herald.

If you’re confused by the new look of Holly Street, here’s what you need to know.

Lakeway-Holly-Ellis Intersection

With Lakeway Drive turning into Holly at an angle, the Lakeway-Holly-Ellis Street intersection was already confusing. Before the changes, the left lane on Lakeway was a left-turn optional lane, where drivers had the choice to continue straight onto Holly as well. Now, it’s a left-turn only lane. Since the bike lane is on the right side of the street, the two remaining through lanes have been shifted over to the left by one lane as they turn from Lakeway into Holly.

Holly and Bay Street

The intersection of Holly and Bay Street used to have two lanes — a left-turn optional through lane and a right-turn only lane. But the right lane was sacrificed to make room for the bike path, and now the intersection has one lane where drivers can turn either way, or continue straight.

LPIs and turning at red lights

The city also added a “leading pedestrian interval” at each light on Holly. This means that pedestrians and cyclists are given the signal that they’re allowed to cross an intersection a few seconds before cars can.

The city also added “no turn on red” signs at the intersections along Holly.

According to the Public Works spokesperson, the city is open to making further changes based on feedback from the public.

“It has also resulted in a lot of new congestion. We have been tinkering with that — we are working on the signal timing, trying to figure out the best way to move traffic through the corridor efficiently. We are listening to the public feedback, and trying to make changes as we go,” the spokesperson said.