The City’s vision is to provide a safe, balanced, and efficient multi-modal transportation system that serves local and regional circulation needs and accommodates all users. To meet this vision, the City shall provide a transportation system that allows users of all ages, abilities and financial resources to safely, effectively, and efficiently use the public right-of-way to drive, access public transit, bicycle, walk or use any other legal mode of travel. The City recognizes the public health and environmental benefits of encouraging active transportation modes through a safe, welcoming, connected network of modal choices. The City’s Resolution No. 14-235 adopting target zero as a City goal is a core component of this vision, seeking to have zero pedestrian or cyclist deaths or serious injuries as the result of a collision with a motorized vehicle by the year 2025.
(Ord. 23-0578 § 2 (Exh. 1))
The term “complete streets” is a guiding principle for the consideration of all modes of travel within the public right-of-way. This chapter constitutes the City’s “complete streets” policy. Through the adoption of a layered network approach to complete streets (as described in the transportation element of the comprehensive plan), the City recognizes that it can be a challenge for a single roadway to meet the demands of all modes at one time. Safety is a primary concern for the City, and the target zero resolution guides the pursuit of increased safety for pedestrians and cyclists, which can require the separation of some uses on certain roads. In addition to safety, pedestrian and bicycle comfort is of high importance and policies and plans shall consider comfort for pedestrians and bicyclists where practical. A City-wide network (as described in the comprehensive plan transportation element) which accommodates users of all modes of transportation (including air/seaplane and freight) and users of all abilities on appropriate networks of roads, paths and trails balances the principles of complete streets with the realities of promoting a transportation system that is fiscally, economically and environmentally sustainable within existing and future constraints.
Using a toolbox of diverse techniques, the City will plan, design, construct, operate and maintain a transportation network that meets these goals. Recently developed projects and those in future years will incorporate traditional and modern tools to create a safe, effective and efficient transportation network, such as, but not limited to:
Traditional
Modern
Sidewalks
Shared use paths
Paved shoulders
Bike lanes (buffered) and sharrows
Street trees and planting strips
Narrow vehicle lanes
Curbs with ramps
Transit priority lanes
Crosswalks
Enhanced pavement markings and symbols
Pedestrian signals
Countdown and lead pedestrian signals
Signage
Bulb-outs
Transit stops and facilities
Rectangular rapid-flash beacon enhanced crosswalks
Speed bumps
Bike parking
Raised medians
Street furniture and temporary installations
Street lighting
Textured and colored pavements
 
Focused LED street lighting and pedestrian-level lighting
 
Traffic circles and roundabouts
 
Chicanes
The City will emphasize the layered network approach to complete streets in the review of private development plans, transportation system improvements, and the City’s six-year transportation improvement plan (TIP). This approach shall include new construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation/overlay projects, except as noted in KMC § 12.45.040, Exceptions. A context-sensitive approach to each project will consider neighborhood character, underserved/underutilized modal choices, and school transportation routes (including busing, walking and vehicle circulation around schools), in addition to safety and fiscal considerations. Projects must meet the requirements of the current system and the needs of the updated future network (as described in the comprehensive plan), specifically as it applies to nonmotorized modal choices. Consideration will be given to accommodation of future transportation technologies, such as driverless cars, and the impact these may have on other modes of travel in the layered network.
(Ord. 23-0578 § 2 (Exh. 1))
The department maintains design criteria, standards and guidelines based upon recognized best practices in street design, construction and operation. These criteria, standards and guidelines include, but are not limited to, the latest editions of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Offices (AASHTO) policies for vehicular and bicycle facilities, National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway and Street Design Guides, publications and recommended practices from the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the WSDOT Design Manual, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), and the Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG).
The City has adopted Road Standards and a street planning toolkit (Transportation Element), which include a number of complete streets principles, to guide all public and private transportation projects in the City. These documents emphasize consideration of multiple modes of travel, especially pedestrian and bicyclists, through the use of a number of the techniques described in KMC § 12.45.020, Policy. The Road Standards include provisions for flexibility and the adoption of new techniques and tools with the approval of the city manager. New techniques and future developments in design which enhance the safety of all transportation users may be incorporated into future versions of the Road Standards.
(Ord. 23-0578 § 2 (Exh. 1))
Exceptions to the policies of this chapter must be approved by the city manager. The circumstances under which the city manager may consider exceptions to a complete streets approach to enhancement of the layered network are as follows:
A. 
City projects may exclude those elements of the policies of this chapter that would require the accommodation of road uses that are prohibited by law, grants, or other agencies, or that would otherwise pose a public safety risk unacceptable to the City;
B. 
Maintenance activities, such as mowing, snowplowing, sweeping, spot repair, joint or crack sealing, surface treatments, minor pavement marking changes, or pothole filling, do not require that elements of the policies of this chapter be applied beyond the scope of that maintenance activity;
C. 
City projects may exclude elements of the policies of this chapter when the accommodation of a specific use or mode is expected to:
1. 
Require more space than is physically available (topographic or right-of-way, where acquisition of additional right-of-way isn't possible or would significantly increase project costs), or
2. 
Be located where both current and future demand is demonstrated as being absent, including a lack of current or planned transit routes, or
3. 
Significantly increase project costs and equivalent alternatives for those travel modes that are documented to exist within close proximity, or
4. 
Be incompatible with the layered network (comprehensive plan transportation element), or
5. 
Have an adverse impact on disadvantaged communities, or
6. 
Have adverse impacts on environmental resources such as streams, wetlands, ditches, floodplains or historic structures or sites above and beyond the impacts of currently existing infrastructure.
(Ord. 23-0578 § 2 (Exh. 1))
The City recognizes that many other agencies have a direct or regional interest in the City's transportation network. Because transportation frequently crosses City borders, it is crucial for an effective network to ensure compatibility for all modes across jurisdictional lines with neighboring cities. The City fosters partnerships with adjacent cities, local transit providers, King and Snohomish Counties, WSDOT and Northshore School District to implement complete streets principles in City projects involving these entities. WSDOT maintains a regionally significant highway passing through the City and shares in the City's dedication to complete streets and a layered network approach.
The City has developed and continues to update a six-year TIP based on the comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan identifies both pedestrian and bicycle priority networks, in addition to vehicular transportation network improvements. The TIP and comprehensive plan shall guide the development of City projects. City projects will be constructed using a combination of City funds and/or grant funding. The City will stay informed of, and will apply for, grant funding programs, especially those with a focus on complete streets and nonmotorized travel improvements. Funding agency partnerships, such as those mentioned above, are key to implementation of complete streets projects within the layered network. Low-cost City projects which can be achieved within existing pavement widths using temporary installations, signing and striping are continually identified and implemented by the City.
(Ord. 23-0578 § 2 (Exh. 1))
The city manager shall report annually to the city council on City projects that were completed in the last year, that are planned for the coming year, and that further the vision of this complete streets chapter. The report shall identify yearly progress in advancing the lineal feet and connectivity of the bicycle and pedestrian network.
(Ord. 23-0578 § 2 (Exh. 1))