The city of Bellevue has undertaken a project designed to give their streets a little more bounce. Taking cues from cities like Seattle, Olympia and Tacoma, Bellevue city hall launched a pilot project this year that will test the viability of rubber sidewalks in the downtown core.
Starting with a small stretch of sidewalk on NE 10th, just west of 102nd Ave NE, the experimental footpath will help the city evaluate the long term costs and durability of rubber sidewalks as opposed to concrete ones. If the project proves successful, city officials plan to use the rubber pavers in another 700 sidewalk locations throughout the city.
One of the main advantages of the rubber sidewalks is their ability to bend. Though everyone loves a shady, tree lined street – when those gnarly old roots start tearing up the pavement, children trip, wheelchairs get stuck, people sue. When this happens, it’s a bit of a showdown: sidewalk vs. tree. Last year, 12 trees lost the battle and had to be cut down. Even when the tree can be spared, if the roots are cut to save the sidewalk the tree can still die. Either way, all the time and money spent on maintenance is costly....