Bainbridge Island will take the last step this week to finalize a $10 increase in vehicle license fees on the island.

The Bainbridge council is expected to approve a change to its contract for collecting fees with the Washington State Department of Licensing at the council meeting Tuesday, March 5 that will allow the higher fees to be collected.

If an amendment to the interlocal agreement is approved Tuesday, the increase in fees will take effect Aug. 1.

The city first adopted a $20 vehicle license fee in 2013, and earlier this year, the council voted 5-1 to set “car tab” fees at $30 (Councilman Ron Peltier voted against the measure).

The increase in car tabs will help pay for traffic calming measures and other safety improvements, climate change mitigation, as well as increased marketing for Kitsap Transit’s BI Ride; officials hope increased use of the BI Ride service will reduce the island’s dependence on single-occupancy vehicles.

The fee increase is expected to increase annual revenues from car tabs from $200,000 to $600,000.

The proposal, jokingly referred to by Mayor Kol Medina earlier as the “Tirman Car Tab Increase,” was the idea of Councilman Matthew Tirman. Tirman has been a stalwart advocate for the increased use of mass transit to reduce the number of vehicles on Bainbridge roadways, as well as moves to slow down traffic in Bainbridge neighborhoods that are beset by speeding drivers.

Bainbridge residents have long complained of speeding drivers on some of the city’s non-arterial streets, and increased congestion on Highway 305 has prompted more drivers to seek short cuts through neighborhoods along the busy highway.

Tirman has suggested spending half of the $200,000 on outreach efforts for BI Ride, with the rest of the funding going toward small traffic calming projects in neighborhoods across the island.

The car tab fee increase is not permanent. The increase was approved with a sunset date of Dec. 31, 2022.