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Over the last six months, City staff have been reaching out to community members to gather input on a possible bike share pilot program in Kirkland. The catalyst for this community discussion was an acknowledgement that bike share bikes were already showing up in Kirkland and there was a need to have a broader discussion regarding how the City should respond.
City staff collected feedback at 11 neighborhood association meetings, three community events, six interest group meetings, and two City-hosted community meetings at City Hall. Additionally, community members were provided with an online survey, promoted through the City's email newsletter and social media, that they could complete. Overall, the City was able to collect 913 surveys. We really appreciate everyone who took the time to provide their input. A summary of those results as presented to the City Council is available on the City website.
The following are some of the key takeaways from the survey results:
- 64% of respondents supported the concept of a one-year bike share pilot.
- Though a majority of people supported a bike share pilot regardless of whether they'd ridden a bike-share bike, an overwhelming majority (85.1%) of people that had ridden a bike-share pilot supported a pilot program.
- 93.1% of people that felt it was likely they or someone in their household would use bike share supported a pilot, in contrast only 39.9% of those that found it very or somewhat unlikely that they would use bike share supported a pilot program.
- Overall, a majority of survey participants from every section of Kirkland (north, central and south) supported the idea of a bike share pilot. The strongest support (68.1%) came from the south Kirkland neighborhoods of Moss Bay, Everest, S. Rose Hill, Lakeview, Central Houghton, and Bridle Trails.
- Though both renters and homeowners were supportive of a pilot, renters were overwhelmingly supportive (77.2%).
- The benefit most frequently cited by those that supported bike share was that bike share would provide easier access to transportation options.
- Improperly parked bikes and bike clutter/eyesore were the most frequently chosen potential negative impacts of a bike share pilot.
Staff will incorporate feedback received from the community and the City Council and will return to the City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 19 to propose next steps for a bike share pilot. More information regarding the survey results can be found on the City website.
If you're planning on heading to one of our beautiful parks this weekend, you may encounter large piles of debris from our recent winter storm events. Our Kirkland Parks crews are working diligently to get everything cleaned up, but this may take months. While we're working hard to recover from the storm event, we ask that you please be extra aware of your surroundings when exploring the parks, and keep your eyes open for downed trees and branches or loose limbs. If you see anything that might be a potential hazard, don't hesitate to report it on the City website.
The tree debris that you see in the piles will be chipped, mulched and used to help the Green Kirkland Partnership with their environmental restoration work.
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Houghton residents interested in serving on the Houghton Community Council have until 4 p.m., Thursday, March 14, 2019 to apply to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of (now) City Councilmember Kelli Curtis.
Applications will be available on the City of Kirkland website.To be considered for appointment, applicants must have resided within the territorial boundaries of the former Town of Houghton as of the date of its consolidation with the City of Kirkland (August 1968) for at least one year as of November 5, 2019 and be registered to vote. The individual that is selected will serve on the Community Council through the certification of the November 2021 general election. Any individual appointed may also file to retain the seat in that election.
Interviews will be conducted at a special meeting prior to the regular Houghton Community Council meeting on March 25, 2019 and the candidate that is selected will be seated at the Council’s April meeting.
The Houghton Community Council is the elected council for the Houghton Community Municipal Corporation. The Community Municipal Corporation was created pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 35.14 RCW. Information about the Council’s jurisdiction, powers and authority can be found in Kirkland Municipal Code (KMC) Chapter 2.12.
Questions about process or the requirements of serving on the Council can be directed to Kathi Anderson, Kirkland City Clerk, at KAnderson@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3197. Questions and information regarding serving as a Houghton Community Councilmember may be directed to Council Chair Rick Whitney at (425) 829-2680.
The public is invited to comment on Kirkland’s 2019 NPDES Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) Plan by March 18, 2019. This Plan outlines the City of Kirkland's actions to protect area waterways by reducing stormwater pollution. The SWMP includes plans to educate community members about natural yard care techniques and how to avoid discharging pollution during regular vehicle maintenance. The plan also includes information on tracing and eliminating pollutant discharges and spills to the City’s stormwater drainage system, including detailing the City's efforts to maintain an extensive network of City-owned Stormwater ponds, vaults, rain gardens, and ditches that store, treat, and transport stormwater prior to discharge to local creeks, wetlands, and Lake Washington.
Comments can be provided via email to Stormwater@kirklandwa.gov or via mail addressed to the City of Kirkland Public Works Department, 123 Fifth Avenue, Kirkland ,WA 98033. To learn more about the City's Storm and Surface Water Management Programs and to view the SWMP report visit the City website.
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Kirkland Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course
Class will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. starting March 6 and running through May 4.
Learn about personal preparedness, light search and rescue, fire suppression, disaster first aid and much more. This hands-on course is informative and fun. Students will attend 8 weeks of instruction including a final Saturday simulation drill; attendance at all sessions is required for graduation. The course fee is $35 for Kirkland residents and $50 for non-residents. For all the details, and to register, go to www.KirklandCERT.com
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Open House for 124th Ave NE Project
Kirkland Justice Center (11750 NE 118th Street) in Totem Lake
Tuesday, March 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
An open house on Tuesday, March 12, will offer the public an early look at how a five-lane 124th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 116th and 124th streets, will better accommodate driving, walking and bicycling.
Previously scheduled for Tuesday, February 12, the open house was postponed due to unsafe driving conditions caused by the recent snow storm. The March 12 open house takes place 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kirkland Justice Center (11750 NE 118th Street) in Totem Lake. An online open house is currently underway. During the open house community members can view concepts for the corridor and provide feedback on them.
Visit http://www.kirklandwa.gov/124thavenue or contact Senior Project Engineer Aparna Khanal, akhanal@kirklandwa.gov, (425) 587-3827 or Christian Knight, outreach, cknight@kirklandwa.gov, (425) 587-3831.
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Edith Moulton Park Volunteer Event
Saturday, March 2, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Shake-off the cabin fever and join the Green Kirkland Partnership for a day of volunteer environmental stewardship at Edith Moulton Park on Saturday March 2 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.!
At this inaugural event, volunteers will help to save trees from invasive ivy and prepare forested natural areas in the park for future restoration. Please visit the Green Kirkland website www.greenkirkland.org to register to volunteer and for more information on weekly volunteer opportunities in Kirkland’s parks. All ages are welcome and no prior experience is need. All tools, gloves and training are provided.
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