Transportation Commission

Brian Magee

Transportation is a passion of mine and has been ever since I was a kid. That passion led me to a career in civil engineering where, today, I am a Senior Transportation Engineer in HDR’s Bellevue office and an expert in complete streets design. I truly enjoy taking an active role in applying evolving trends in the industry to make transportation facilities safer, more welcoming, and more sustainable.

My family came to Kirkland in 2013 because we wanted to live in a community is committed to being walkable and a wonderful place for our young children to grow up. Over time, I’ve become an avid volunteer building community as a Board Member of the Juanita Neighborhoods Association (JNA), making our streets safer through the Neighborhood Safety Program (NSP), and as an Adopt a Pedestrian Crosswalk Flag volunteer. On the Transportation Commission, I am excited to apply my expertise as an engineer and as an engaged member of the community help Kirkland maximize investments into transportation to make our City an even better place to walk, bike, travel, and live.  

Patrick Vu

As a professional civil engineer, I have over 20 years of experience in the transportation planning, design, construction, and operations, with a passion for finding and implementing mobility solutions for public agencies and communities.  I founded my transportation consulting firm six years ago with the philosophy of offering innovative, yet pragmatic solutions for my clients.  It is this same philosophy and my experience working with diverse stakeholders that I would like to contribute back to the community my family and I live in.  Growing up in Juanita and having seen it and the region’s tremendous transformation over the past 30 years, I am excited to help the City navigate the challenges and opportunities it is facing to balancing growth and mobility in a sustainable way.

I am a retired civil traffic engineer and have lived on Finn Hill in Kirkland for 38 years. Over that time, I’ve been an advocate for school walkway improvements (both for Juanita Elementary and city-wide), for transit improvements as a member of Metro Transit community task force, and I’ve been an active member of One Kirkland working toward annexation of Finn Hill, Kingsgate and North Juanita neighborhoods.  I have been privileged to serve as City Traffic Engineer for Kirkland and for Seattle – giving me a taste of the responsibilities on the agency to serve the traveling public in all travel modes.  Through my career I have worked for enhancements for traveler safety along with an emphasis on effective traffic operations and transit mobility within the public right of way.  I look forward to this opportunity to serve as a member of the Transportation Commission, bringing my professional and long-term resident perspective to the changing travel environment within Kirkland.

I’ve lived in Kirkland since 2020. My family and I enjoy using the many different walkways and love exploring the walkable charm of Downtown and Juanita Beach. I just graduated from University of Washington with a degree in Health Studies and look forward to a career in public health.

Living with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects my feet primarily, has given me a unique understanding of the critical need for well-maintained sidewalks, frequent public transit, and accessible transportation options for all residents. These experiences have fueled my passion for improving transportation infrastructure and services in Kirkland. I am excited to contribute my experience and dedication to the commission, contributing to Kirkland’s efforts to balance growth with sustainability, ensuring our community remains vibrant and accessible for generations to come.

My family moved to Kirkland because we were drawn to the community’s walkability and bikeability - you’ll regularly see us out running and biking on the Cross Kirkland Corridor as we commute to work, exercise, and explore our city’s many parks and green spaces. 

I work in health promotion: I am a public health consultant working on local and global public health issues, and also own a Kirkland-based business called Running Joyfully. My passion for health promotion stems from my experience as a former professional distance runner; I am a 4-time Olympic Trials Qualifier and spent a decade competing as a professional track & field athlete. I believe that people can achieve their best personally and professionally when they live their healthiest lives. 

Part of living a healthy life is having access to safe spaces to be physically active, including safe streets on which to commute, connect, recreate, and explore. I am deeply passionate about transportation issues and volunteer my time with Safe on the Road, a nonprofit that educates and empowers individuals to advocate for safe, equitable streets in their communities. I am excited to bring a public health perspective to the Transportation Commission and aspire to help make our city an even better place to walk, bike, travel, and live.

My wife and I have lived in the Houghton neighborhood for the past 11 years after a decade in Bellevue. Both of us have been involved in transportation issues in one form or another our entire professional and personal lives. My involvement primarily stems from decades as a public finance professional, working with states, counties and local governments to finance their public infrastructure projects, including transportation financings. I was fortunate enough to be counsel to the State of California for its investment banking team in several large project financings, including California’s inaugural grant anticipation revenue financing program. Whether it’s been transporting our combined group of five offspring to their various schools or activities, transporting ourselves to our workplaces or our own activities, taking advantage of the region’s public transit options, or being involved in the public financing of state and municipal transportation projects we have a keen interest in ensuring the ability to travel safely and efficiently in our lives. Locally, we are fortunate enough to have access to the Cross Kirkland Corridor and its recreational opportunities.

I live in the Everest Neighborhood with my husband and our two cats. Whether it's traveling to work, running errands, getting exercise or enjoying our beautiful city; you can likely find me walking, biking, or running along Cross-Kirkland Corridor just about every day, rain or shine.

In my day to day working in real estate, I primarily help prospective homeowners buy their first home. I see firsthand daily the importance of reliable transportation, and through the lens of studying Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies at the University of Washington, I see the importance of equitable access to our transportation system and how that is intertwined with affordable housing.

I grew up in Marysville, WA and have traveled to 42 states becoming intimately familiar with many cities and towns across the country. The walkability, bikeability, and transit accessibility that Kirkland provides makes me incredibly grateful to call Kirkland home for decades to come. I’m excited to help Kirkland grow, and help make our neighborhoods more safe, accessible and resilient for the futures we share together.

Nithin Balamurugan 

Transportation should be easily accessible, affordable, and safe. Ever since I started riding the bus, I have wanted to voice my opinions and the ones of my friends, family, and peers. I eagerly anticipate making changes throughout Kirkland and helping public transportation be more popular around the city. I have loved Kirkland ever since my family and I moved here in 2018 and hope to make it an even better community by improving its transportation.