Use This WTA Bus Trick to Bypass South Bay Trail Detour Pains

The City of Bellingham recently released some updated details about the 18-month closure of the South Bay Trail between Fairhaven and Taylor Dock that’s starting in late July. 

The reason for the closure isn’t a surprise and has been known for awhile now: Construction is starting on the three-building Fairhaven Center complex, which will bring approximately 200 new units of housing to “The Pit” site on Mill Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street, opposite the Fairhaven Village Green and Village Books. From a transit perspective, the new complex, which includes affordable units, is very sensible with the Whatcom Transit Authority’s Route 1 buses serving the 12th Street & Mill Avenue stop one block away. 

While plenty of Bellinghamsters will certainly bellyache over the loss of The Pit’s free-for-all potholed gravel parking in the heart of Fairhaven — there will be underground parking — the new housing will be very welcome when completed. The neighborhood needs additional residents to better support local businesses that are, these days, looking to offset the economic losses from the lamentable steep downturn in Canadian visitors.

In its current form, the South Bay Trail just north of Mill Avenue runs across private property, something that throngs of local residents and visitors likely don’t realize as they’re enjoying views of Bellingham Bay and picking blackberries along the gravel path. As part of the Bellingham City Council’s June 2024 approval of the new mixed-use complex, there will be permanent easement to accommodate the South Bay Trail, which will be rebuilt through the Fairhaven Center footprint and accommodate a new public overlook.  

To get there though, the trail must be temporarily shuttered to accommodate the construction. The trail closure will disrupt some of the daily rhythms of life in Fairhaven and South Hill, where scores of locals and visitors regularly enjoy bay breezes and scenic views of the bay and Lummi Island beyond. There’s something very special about strolling from Fairhaven on the South Bay Trail with friends and family, perhaps with some dessert in hand from Sirena Gelato (960 Harris Avenue, Unit 102), to enjoy the views from Taylor Dock, which offers an amazing sunset-viewing experience.  

To go between Fairhaven and Taylor Dock on foot or bicycle, the City of Bellingham’s planned South Bay Trail detour via 11th Street leaves a lot to be desired. But it is likely workable for most trail users thanks to city crews coming through on Monday to lay down a wide ribbon of compacted gravel on the west side of the 1000 block of Finnegan Way, where it meets 11th Street, as an interim trail pathway. Up until Monday, there was no continuous sidewalk, so the gravel is an interim gap filler. 

“These temporary paths are specifically for the duration of the trail closure and are designed to provide a delineated walking surface for detouring pedestrians,” Riley Grant, City of Bellingham Public Works communications and outreach manager, told me via email. “They are not intended as permanent pedestrian infrastructure for the area.”

There are some big reasons why locals and visitors gravitate toward the South Bay Trail compared to 11th Street, which is one block uphill. For starters, many motorists on 11th Street and Finnegan Way, which form part of the main arterial route between Downtown Bellingham and Fairhaven, travel well beyond the posted 35 mph speed limit. 

While the gravel pathway fills in gaps in the discontinuous sidewalks along the west side of the 1000 block of Finnegan Way and 11th Street to the north and south, this intersection can be somewhat hazardous. This is where southbound motorists travel at higher speeds and some veer off downhill toward the right along 11th Street, following the former streetcar tracks embedded in the roadway, en route to the heart of Fairhaven’s commercial district. Unfortunately, there’s no marked crosswalk for people crossing 11th Street and this particular area, despite its adjacency, fell outside the scope of the City of Bellingham’s recent 12th Street & Finnegan Way multimodal projects.  

“The intersection of 11th and Finnegan, along with the larger section of 11th Street between Adams and Knox, is recognized as needing pedestrian improvements,” according to Grant. “This area remains on our list of high-priority pedestrian upgrades within the City's Pedestrian Master Plan, but it is currently unfunded.” 

It’s hard to imagine family and friends enjoying using 11th Street on their way to and from Taylor Dock, but the detour is adequate. Ultimately, many Fairhaven visitors will forgo the walk and instead drive a few blocks to get around the trail detour, unnecessarily adding to the on-street parking crunch on 10th Street near The Chrysalis Inn & Spa during peak times. This area will be impacted by future construction as part of a planned mixed-use bay-facing development on 10th Street between Taylor Dock and Douglas Avenue and will incorporate a public plaza and 10-foot-wide concrete path for the South Bay Trail. While Taylor Avenue, on the steep block between 10th and 11th streets and near the northbound Route 1 bus stop, has a sidewalk, the partial sidewalk on the adjacent block of Bennett Avenue does not connect    

Transit Offers a Quick Bypass for the South Bay Trail Closure 

Since the City of Bellingham rarely promotes the use of transit as a way to reach local parks and other outdoor destinations in the city, I’ll happily let you in on some simple local WTA bus tricks to either avoid parking pains at destinations along the South Bay Trail, including Boulevard Park and Taylor Dock, or otherwise bypass the less-than-desireable trail detour via 11th Street. 

WTA’s Route 1, connecting Bellingham Station with the Fairhaven Transportation Center, can be used to not only reach Fairhaven’s historic commercial core but also Taylor Dock and Boulevard Park along the South Bay Trail.

• From the Fairhaven Village Green, walk to Route 1’s downtown-bound Harris Avenue & 9th Street stop. Take a Route 1 bus three stops to 11th Street & Taylor Avenue and you’re one block from Taylor Dock. Stay on the bus for one more stop to S. State Street & 12th Street, the closest WTA stop to Boulevard Park. (From S. State Street, walk downhill on Bayview Drive to reach the South Bay Trail access points in Boulevard Park.)
• For the return trip to Fairhaven from Taylor Dock, walk to Route 1’s Fairhaven-bound stop at 11th Street & Bennett Avenue and ride the bus to 12th Street & Mill Avenue, 12th Street & McKenzie Avenue, or Harris Avenue & 9th Street in Fairhaven.
• While Route 1 is not one of WTA’s GO Line frequent service corridors, there’s three buses per hour on weekdays through 7 p.m. and service every 30 minutes weekday evenings and weekends.   
• Remember, with real-time transit arrival predictions available via numerous apps, including WTA’s BusTracker, it’s simple to know when the next bus is coming so you can avoid waiting around a bus stop longer than you need to be.
• A WTA bus ride is only $1.

While many Bellinghamsters may not realize it, Route 1 buses are an underutilized local asset for accessing Boulevard Park, Taylor Dock, and the South Bay Trail and low-hanging fruit for easing parking pressures at some of the city’s most visited waterfront destinations. 

My two cents: The City of Bellingham and WTA should consider some targeted investments, including enhanced wayfinding, for certain Route 1 bus stops — 11th Street & Bennett Avenue (southbound), 11th Street & Taylor Avenue (northbound), S. State Street & 12th Street, and Harris Avenue & 9th Street. That would improve the rider experience and make the bus a more seamless and visible choice for reaching points along the South Bay Trail and some of the best transit-oriented waterside scenery in the state of Washington.