What's New

With the completion of the West Lake Sammamish Parkway Corridor Study, City staff is proposing Redmond's first roundabout for the intersection of West Lake Sammamish Parkway and Bel-Red Road.  This improvement is expected to facilitate increasing traffic volumes more efficiently than the traffic signal that currently exists at that location.

Roundabouts are not traffic circles, nor are they the older style rotary traffic islands drivers may be more familiar with.  A modern roundabout is a circular intersection where traffic flows around a center island.  Drivers entering a roundabout are required to yield to traffic already in the circle.  More vehicles can move through the area with less delay.  Communities installing roundabouts are finding that traffic is better-managed.  Capacity is increased while speeds and collisions are greatly reduced.  Roundabouts virtually eliminate serious right-angle, left-turn, and head-on collisions because vehicles all travel in the same direction.

West Lake Sammamish Parkway is a critical link in Redmond's transportation system to three urban centers: Downtown Redmond, Overlake and to the City of Bellevue.  The West Lake Sammamish Parkway Corridor Study took a comprehensive look at the corridor to determine the future configuration of the roadway and where it intersects with Bel-Red Road and with NE 51 Street.  Following is a brief report on the public process to date and on upcoming opportunities for the public to comment on recommendations proposed for the corridor:

What is the upcoming comment and decision-making process for the West Lake Sammamish Parkway Corridor?

• Public involvement is an integral part of the City's planning process.  Comments or questions about proposed improvements to West Lake Sammamish Parkway are welcomed anytime and can be submitted to the Project Manager, Tricia Thomson, at 425.556.2776 or at tthomson@redmond.gov. 
• Citizen Advisory Committees (CAC) in Viewpoint and Overlake are currently identifying recommended updates to neighborhood plans for these areas.  The CACs have periodically held special meetings to provide opportunities for residents to learn about neighborhood projects.  They are planning to host a meeting on West Lake Sammamish Parkway later this Spring.  More information about meeting schedules will be forthcoming in addition to being posted to the City's website at Neighborhood News.
• Later this year, the City Council will hold a study session on the West Lake Sammamish Parkway Corridor Study.  This session will be scheduled as the vicinity neighborhood planning processes near completion.  While study sessions do not include a special time for the public to speak, comments can be submitted to the Mayor and/or City Council anytime.  Click on the link provided to see the ways in which the Mayor and City Council members can be reached.

What has been the public process thus far? 

There have been three community meetings where area residents heard about the West Lake Sammamish Parkway Corridor Study, reviewed design information, and saw a presentation on roundabouts:

• The West Lake Sammamish Parkway Community Open House held on September 20, 2007.
• The Viewpoint Open House on October 16, 2008.
• The Overlake Open House on November 18, 2008.

Residents provided comments at those community meetings and we encourage anyone who would like to give input now to contact Tricia Thomson, Project Manager, at 425.556.2776 or at tthomson@redmond.gov.

This page was last reviewed on February 19, 2009.