Overdoses in Bellevue
Overdoses treated in the East region, Bellevue's overdose deaths, who died and which drugs, and where to get help. Public Health data, explained.
All stories
Reporting and practical guides about Bellevue. Dated work appears newest first.
Bellevue expects 18 intersections to be busier than its limit by 2045
Bellevue's plan forecasts 18 intersections busier than the city's limit at the evening rush by 2045, mostly beside I-405 downtown and on 148th Avenue. The Transportation Commission takes up the list on 12 November.
What a Bellevue building permit costs
Bellevue's permit fees come to $24,606 for the city's example new house and $8,705 for a small commercial project. The city proposes about 6% more on each for 2027, with hourly review rates up about 9.5% and some flat fees up by a third or more; the Council is scheduled to adopt the budget on 17 November.
Fewer people are reporting homelessness to Bellevue this year. Police mental-health calls are heading for a record.
Homelessness reports filed through Bellevue's MyBellevue app fell 40% in January to September 2026 against the same months of 2025, while police calls coded behavioural health rose 35%; neither counts homeless people, and why reports fell is not known.
About 1,900 people were homeless on the Eastside at the last count. Here is who they are, and how that number is made.
In January 2024 East King County had 1,910 homeless people, 1,114 of them outside, by a survey estimate with no published margin of error; HUD's annual file repeats the outdoor count in odd years, so most published trend charts are wrong.
How much of Bellevue is parking lot
Surface lots cover about 5 to 6% of the city, the most of them in BelRed, while nearly a quarter of downtown's renters own no car. The story measures the lots from aerial photographs and follows the Council's new parking rules.
BellHop: downtown Bellevue's free shuttle
BellHop, the free electric shuttle around downtown Bellevue, gave 185,602 rides from 2023 to May 2026, and half its ten busiest stops are grocery stores. The preliminary 2027–28 budget keeps the city's share at $150,000 a year, the same as 2025 and 2026; the Council adopts it on 17 November.
Groceries and food in BelRed, along NE 20th Street
The food businesses around NE 20th Street, a dated parcel-level inspection baseline, and what BelRed’s proposed grocery and affordable-commercial incentives would mean for existing tenants.
We found no Eastside police report on facial recognition
Washington asks police to report on facial recognition used in public. We found no Eastside department that has.
Factoria Mall: its shops, T&T and the apartments to come
The shops, errands and food around Factoria Mall, T&T's arrival and Amazon Fresh's exit, and the approved plan to rebuild the mall with apartments, a hotel and offices.
Inside the Bellevue Collection
A place guide to Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place and Lincoln Square North and South, with dated sources and a separate sale story.
Three-bedroom apartments are scarce in Bellevue
County property records list 832 apartments with three or more bedrooms in Bellevue's rental complexes. The story maps where they are and compares the city with King County; rented houses and condominiums fall outside the count.
BelRed's draft has no bonus for three-bedroom homes
City staff, planning commissioners and a property owners' lawyer each proposed an incentive. The draft code package includes one for Wilburton, leaving two neighboring districts with different rules for family-sized homes.
Downtown and Overlake drove Redmond's apartment growth
Between 2015 and 2023, the two neighborhoods took 87% of the city's new apartments. Redmond added 768 a year over that period, compared with Bellevue's 525, with much of the building done by national apartment companies.
Bellevue Downtown Park
How Downtown Park grew from school land into a public gathering place, who maintains it, how improvements are funded, and how events and everyday use share the park.
The Bravern
A profile of the Bravern’s shops, restaurants, apartments and offices, with a dated business directory and the distinct histories behind its connected buildings.
The Bellevue Collection may change hands
The Freeman family is exploring a sale of its connected downtown district. Follow the shops, workplaces, hotels and cultural programs, then the property records and the development questions a sale leaves open.
Your first month in Bellevue
Set up electricity, close the old utility account, handle mail and document the move-in inspection. This guide follows the first few weeks of a move, including the final bills that arrive after you leave.
Renting with no U.S. credit history
A good income doesn't create a U.S. credit file. This guide compares what large landlords publish about screening, guarantors and deposits, and explains where their requirements can leave a newcomer stuck.
The 2 Line through Bellevue
A station-by-station guide to light rail through Bellevue, with photographs and connections along the route. It covers paying for a ride, reaching the platforms and choosing the stop for your trip.
How Bellevue's Planning Commission works, and how to take part
Seven residents review the zoning rules that shape Bellevue's neighborhoods. A guide to what the commission decides, what serving involves, and how to apply for a seat or comment on a proposal.