by Bill McCallum
I have lived most of my life in the Columbia neighborhood and have walked all the streets, except for Madrona and East Maplewood, many times. The Preston Schiller article about sidewalks in the October-November 2025 issue of Whatcom Watch incentivized me to take an inventory of curbs and sidewalks within the Columbia neighborhood. The neighborhood is bounded by Eldridge, Broadway, Meridian and Squalicum Parkway. I counted 32 streets within the boundaries. I walked the streets between October 27 and November 14 and didn’t see any sidewalk obstructions. There was construction work at Franklin Academy on Northwest, but the work was not impacting the sidewalk.
Streets in the North/South Direction
Cherry Street
It runs a little over three blocks, starting at Eldridge and dead-ending just past North. The entire length has sidewalks and curbs on both sides of the street.
Elizabeth Street
It runs six blocks between Broadway and North. It starts again at Illinois and goes two blocks to Oregon. The first block is short, it has curbs on both sides of the street and a sidewalk on the west side. The following block is next to Elizabeth Park and it has sidewalks on both sides of the street, railroad ties on the park side form a curb. The next four blocks have sidewalks on both sides of the street and no curbs. The final two blocks starting at Illinois do not have sidewalks or curbs.
Elm Street
It runs nine blocks between Broadway and Oregon. The first five blocks have curbs and sidewalks on both sides of the street. The next three blocks have a sidewalk on the east side of the street and curbs. The final two blocks do not have sidewalks or curbs. Before Interstate 5 was constructed, the first five blocks starting at Broadway were Highway 99, the main route to California.
Henry Street
It runs five blocks between Eldridge and Connecticut. The entire length has sidewalks on both sides of the street. The first two blocks have curbs.
Jaeger Street
It runs five blocks, starting at Eldridge and dead-ending a block past North Street. The first four blocks have sidewalks on both sides of the street. The final block has a sidewalk on the east side of the street. The first two blocks do not have have curbs.The last three blocks have curbs.
Keesling Street
It runs almost three blocks, starting at Eldridge and dead-ending just past Jefferson. There is a sidewalk on the east side of the street. There are no curbs.
Kulshan Street
It runs eight blocks between Broadway and Oregon. The first six blocks have sidewalks on both sides of the street. Curbs on this street are very unusual. Some blocks have curbs and other blocks have curbs on part of the block. On one block, curbs start on the east side of the street, go for a short distance and stop. They start on the west side and continue to the next cross street. There are no curbs on the final three block and no sidewalks on the final two blocks.
Lafayette Street
It runs almost two blocks, starting at Eldridge and dead-ending past Monroe. There are sidewalks and curbs on both sides of the street.
Lorraine Ellis Court
It is a one-block semicircle between Williams to Utter. No sidewalks or curbs. The area between Lorraine Ellis Court and Illinois Street is a city park.
Lynn Street
It runs nine blocks between Eldridge and Northwest. The first seven blocks have curbs and sidewalks on both sides except for the block between North and Connecticut. On the west side of the street, only half the block has a sidewalk. The final two blocks have sidewalks on both sides of the street but no curbs.
Madrona Street
It runs one block that dead-ends. There are no sidewalks or curbs.
Northwest Avenue
It runs seven blocks between Elm and the bridge over Squalicum Parkway. The entire length has curbs and sidewalks on both sides of the street. Like Elm Street, before Interstate 5 was constructed, it was Highway 99, the main route to California.
Park Street
It runs six blocks between Broadway and Connecticut. The first block has sidewalks and curbs on both sides of the street. The next block between Monroe and Washington was vacated for Elizabeth Park. The the first block north of the park has a sidewalk on the east side of the street. The next four blocks have sidewalks on the both sides of the street. There are no curbs north of Elizabeth Park.
Spruce Street
It runs one block between Monroe and Jefferson. There is a sidewalk on the east side of the street, which ends three house before it reaches Jefferson Street. The street does not have curbs.
Tulip Road
It runs one block between Victor and Lynn. No sidewalks or curbs.
Utter Street
It runs eight blocks between Eldridge and Illinois. The first six blocks have sidewalks and curbs on both sides of the street. The final two blocks have curbs but no sidewalks.
Victor Street
It runs 10 blocks between Eldridge and Northwest. The first four blocks from Eldridge to Jefferson have curbs and sidewalks on both sides of the street. Curbs end at Jefferson. The next block has sidewalks on both sides of the street. The next block has a sidewalk on the west side of the street. The next four blocks from Connecticut to Northwest do not have sidewalks. The street continues in the east/west director as East Victor Street, see the east/west section below.
Walnut Street
It runs 11 blocks between Eldridge and East Maplewood. The first six blocks have sidewalks on both sides of the street and curbs. Blocks seven and eight have sidewalks on the both sides of the street and no curbs. Block nine has a sidewalk on the west side and no curb. Block 10 has a sidewalk on the east side and no curb. On the other side of the street is Peabody Plaza. The final block has a short sidewalk and curb on the west side of the street next to Franklin Academy. The rest of the block does not have a sidewalk or curb.
West Street
It runs five blocks between Eldridge and Squalicum. The first four blocks have sidewalks on both sides of the street and no curbs. The final block goes down an incline to Squalicum Way, it has a sidewalk on one side and curbs on both sides.
Williams Street
It runs eight blocks between Eldridge and Illinois. All eight blocks have curbs and seven blocks have sidewalks on both sides of the street. The blocks between North and Connecticut does not have sidewalks.
Streets in the East/West Direction
Connecticut Street, West
It runs 10 blocks between Meridian and Lynn. The first five blocks have a sidewalk on the south side of the street and end at Walnut. Curbs start at Northwest (block three) and run six blocks ending at Victor. The final five blocks do not have sidewalks and the final two blocks do not have curbs.
Illinois Street, West
It runs nine blocks between Meridian and Lynn. The entire length has sidewalks on both sides of the street and curbs. The sidewalks and curbs between Northwest and Lynn were recently installed.
Indiana Street, West
It runs three blocks between Meridian and Elizabeth. No sidewalks or curbs. Addendum: The street starts in the Cornwall neighborhood at Cornwall Avenue. The first block borders the south end of Cornwall Park. There have been a sidewalk and open ditch on the north side of the street for many years. Within the past two years, a sidewalk and curb have been installed on the south side of the first block — but the next two blocks ending at Meridian do no have sidewalks or curbs. Why?
Jefferson Street
It runs 15 blocks, starting at Meridian and dead-ends just past Spruce. The first eleven blocks have sidewalks on both sides of the street. The block between Walnut and Utter was vacated for Columbia School. The Immanuel Bible Church block has a curb on the church side. The entire length of the street, except for the church block, does not have curbs. The final three blocks do not have sidewalks.
Madison Street
It runs six blocks between Broadway and Henry. The entire street has curbs. The first five blocks have sidewalks on both sides of the street. The final block has a sidewalk on the north side. On the south side is Carl Lobe Park.
Maplewood Avenue, East
It runs six blocks between Meridian and Northwest. The Cruisin’ Coffee headquarters and Woodway Inn retirement home are on the Northwest Avenue corner, and both have short sidewalks and curbs. The rest of the street is without sidewalks or curbs. I consider this a treacherous street to walk. It is curvy with little warning of approaching vehicles. I put this street in the no sidewalks category.
Maryland Street, West
It runs two blocks between Meridian and Elm. No sidewalks or curbs.
Monroe Street
It runs 16 blocks between Meridian to Lafayette. Both sides of the street have sidewalks and curbs for the first 14 blocks. The final two blocks do not have sidewalks or curbs.
North Street, West
It runs 13 blocks between Meridian and dead-ends just past Cherry. There are sidewalks and curbs on both sides of the street for the first three and one-half blocks. A sidewalk continues on the south side of the street until West Street. Curbs stop five and a one-half blocks before the end. There is no sidewalk on the last block.
Oregon Street, West
It runs four blocks between Meridian and East Victor. No sidewalks or curbs.
Victor Street, East
It runs five blocks between Meridian and Northwest. It has curbs and sidewalks on both sides of the street.
Washington Street
It runs 11 blocks between Broadway and West. The entire length has sidewalks and curbs. For the two blocks on the north side of Elizabeth Park, there are railroad ties on top of a concrete base to form a curb.
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Bill McCallum creates the Whatcom Watch layout.
