OLYMPIA, Wash. – A new law will allow Washington cities to designate certain non-arterial highways as shared streets, where pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles share the same space.
Governor Bob Ferguson signed SB 5595 into law on Saturday.
The legislation permits cities to set a maximum speed limit of 10 miles per hour on these shared streets.
An annual report must be posted by cities designating shared streets, including data on traffic accidents, speeding violations and driving under the influence incidents.
The goal is to monitor the impact of these changes and ensure the effectiveness of the shared street initiative.
The new shared street designation means certain traffic provisions will not apply.
These include the rules for pedestrians walking on roadways, vehicles overtaking pedestrians and bicyclists, pedestrian crossing rules and some cycling requirements.
