Non-residential traffic is an on-going problem in the York neighborhood, according to Yorkers and police statistics. Most recently, a man driving a stolen car hit three parked cars and a street light on Franklin Street.
Sean Graves, a 22-year-old Western senior, sat in his living room on April 2 when a loud crunch sounded in front of his house. Coming outside to investigate, Graves found the front fender of his car smashed in, his roommate’s car severely dented, and scratches on a third. The driver responsible continued on Franklin Street at around 50 mph until colliding with a street lamp. He then left the car rolling down the street and evaded the trailing police.
Graves said this is the first time he’s heard of such a severe accident in the York neighborhood. “It’s all street parking,” he said. “I’m not surprised he hit our cars. I think he was drunk.”
Kirsti Charlton, president of the York Neighborhood Association, said the issue in the York district centers around too much traffic. “It’s mostly non-residents trying to get away or get through,” Charlton said. She said that though this incident is exceptional, there is a constant disregard for the 25 mph speed limit.
According to the Bellingham Police Department crime statistics, the third most commonly reported incidents in York are traffic offenses and accidents. Service calls and public order maintenance hold the first and second rankings respectively.
In 2010, an average of 10 traffic offenses occurred each month in York. The average was 12 per month in 2008 and 2009. This year, the statistics are comparable, with April having six incidents for the past three years straight.
Graves said he believes the statistics are accurate. “We’ve recently had to call the police twice to complain about parked cars left for a long time,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of parking and there are lots of college kids with cars on Franklin Street and in the York district.”
Charlton said the situation is worsened by the high number of streets with no sidewalks or curbs. “Humboldt and James Streets are two of the hardest hit streets,” she said. “My observation is that drivers disregard stop signs. They run straight through James Street at the three-way stop sign at the corner of Meador and James.”
Charlton said the neighborhood association formed a Transportation Committee to work on issues such as traffic, signs and speed bumps. “For years we have tried to get speed bumps installed in certain locations but to no avail,” she said.
The installation of speed bumps could make people more frustrated with the already narrow streets, or cause more accidents if drivers ignore them, Graves said.
Max London, a four-year resident of the York neighborhood, said the streets are narrow, especially with cars parked on both sides. “I’m sure speed bumps would help a little,” he said. “But drivers learn where they are and will speed up and slow down anyway.”
London said the disruptions are not caused by people that live in York, but other drivers who don’t know the neighborhood.
“People don’t think of it as a residential area because it is so close to Lakeway Drive and downtown,” London said. “People are really disrespectful of stop signs.”
London said he believes since York is an older neighborhood, there are a lot of shrubs and trees that block signs and so drivers either don’t see them or pay attention to them. “The signs need to be more apparent,” he said.
Graves said people like to park on Franklin Street for long periods of time. “Our neighborhood is hit hard because there lots of people living in one house,” he said. “When at least five people live in each house, there are usually five cars parked out front.” Graves said a solution to this is probably unattainable. “Maybe you could regulate the number of cars per house,” he said.
The speed limits in Bellingham are reasonably slow, said London. “Since there are too many cars on the side of the road, the York is definitely not an ideal place to be driving fast.”
Overall, Graves said the people in York are friendly and aware. “My advice to non-residents is park the right direction and give adequate space.”
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