Shared streets

AN ACT Relating to establishing shared streets; amending RCW 1
46.61.250, 46.61.415, 46.61.110, 46.61.240, and 46.61.770; and adding 2
a new section to chapter 46.61 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 46.61 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) A local authority may designate any nonarterial highway to be 7
a shared street under this section, if the local authority has 8
developed procedures for establishing shared streets.9
(2) Vehicular traffic traveling along a shared street shall yield 10
the right-of-way to any pedestrian, bicyclist, or operator of a 11
micromobility device on the shared street. 12
(3) A bicyclist or operator of a micromobility device shall yield 13
the right-of-way to any pedestrian on a shared street.14
(4) For purposes of this section: 15
(a) "Micromobility device" means personal or shared nonmotorized 16
scooters, "motorized foot scooters" as defined in RCW 46.04.336, and 17
"electric personal assistive mobility devices" (EPAMD) as defined in 18
RCW 46.04.1695; and 19
H-0511.1
HOUSE BILL 1772
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Reed, Fitzgibbon, Berry, Parshley, Ramel, Nance,
and Pollet
Read first time 01/31/25. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
p. 1 HB 1772
(b) "Shared street" means a city street designated by placement 1
of official traffic control devices where pedestrians, bicyclists, 2
and vehicular traffic share a portion or all of the same street.3
Sec. 2. RCW 46.61.250 and 2022 c 235 s 3 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) Where sidewalks are provided and are accessible, it is 6
unlawful for any pedestrian to walk or otherwise move along and upon 7
an adjacent roadway. Where sidewalks are provided but wheelchair 8
access is not available, persons with disabilities who require such 9
access may walk or otherwise move along and upon an adjacent roadway 10
until they reach an access point in the sidewalk. 11
(2) Where sidewalks are not provided or are inaccessible, a 12
pedestrian walking or otherwise moving along and upon a highway, and 13
any personal delivery device moving along and upon a highway, shall:14
(a) When shoulders are provided and are accessible, walk or move 15
on the shoulder of the roadway as far as is practicable from the edge 16
of the roadway, facing traffic when a shoulder is available in this 17
direction; or 18
(b) When shoulders are not provided or are inaccessible, walk or 19
move as near as is practicable to the outside edge of the roadway 20
facing traffic, and when practicable, move clear of the roadway upon 21
meeting an oncoming vehicle. 22
(3) A pedestrian traveling to the nearest emergency reporting 23
device on a one-way roadway of a controlled access highway is not 24
required to travel facing traffic as otherwise required by subsection 25
(2) of this section. 26
(4) When walking or otherwise moving along and upon an adjacent 27
roadway, a pedestrian shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with 28
any vehicle upon the roadway. 29
(5) Subsections (1) and (2) of this section do not apply when the 30
roadway is duly closed to vehicular traffic by placement of official 31
traffic control devices for the sole purposes of pedestrian and 32
bicyclist use of the roadway. 33
(6) Subsections (1), (2), and (4) of this section do not apply on 34
a shared street as defined in section 1 of this act.35
Sec. 3. RCW 46.61.415 and 2022 c 235 s 1 are each amended to 36
read as follows: 37
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(1) Whenever local authorities in their respective jurisdictions 1
determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation 2
that the maximum speed permitted under RCW 46.61.400 or 46.61.440 is 3
greater or less than is reasonable and safe under the conditions 4
found to exist upon a highway or part of a highway, the local 5
authority may determine and declare a reasonable and safe maximum 6
limit thereon which 7
(a) Decreases the limit at intersections; or 8
(b) Increases the limit but not to more than 60 miles per hour; 9
or 10
(c) Decreases the limit but not to less than 20 miles per hour.11
(2) Local authorities in their respective jurisdictions shall 12
determine by an engineering and traffic investigation the proper 13
maximum speed for all arterial streets and shall declare a reasonable 14
and safe maximum limit thereon , which may be greater or less than the 15
maximum speed permitted under RCW 46.61.400(2) but shall not exceed 16
60 miles per hour. 17
(3)(a) Local authorities in their respective jurisdictions may 18
establish a maximum speed limit of 20 miles per hour on a nonarterial 19
highway or part of a nonarterial highway or a maximum speed limit of 20
10 miles per hour on a shared street as defined in section 1 of this 21
act. 22
(b) A speed limit established under this subsection by a local 23
authority does not need to be determined on the basis of an 24
engineering and traffic investigation if the local authority has 25
developed procedures regarding establishing a maximum speed limit 26
under this subsection. Any speed limit established under this 27
subsection may be canceled within one year of its establishment, and 28
the previous speed limit reestablished, without an engineering and 29
traffic investigation. This subsection does not otherwise affect the 30
requirement that local authorities conduct an engineering and traffic 31
investigation to determine whether to increase speed limits.32
(c) When establishing speed limits under this subsection, local 33
authorities shall consult the manual on uniform traffic control 34
devices as adopted by the Washington state department of 35
transportation. 36
(4) The secretary of transportation is authorized to establish 37
speed limits on county roads and city and town streets as shall be 38
necessary to conform with any federal requirements , which are a 39
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prescribed condition for the allocation of federal funds to the 1
state. 2
(5) Any altered limit established as hereinbefore authorized 3
shall be effective when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are 4
erected. Such maximum speed limit may be declared to be effective at 5
all times or at such times as are indicated upon such signs; and 6
differing limits may be established for different times of day, 7
different types of vehicles, varying weather conditions, and other 8
factors bearing on safe speeds, which shall be effective when posted 9
upon appropriate fixed or variable signs. 10
(6) Any alteration of maximum limits on state highways within 11
incorporated cities or towns by local authorities shall not be 12
effective until such alteration has been approved by the secretary of 13
transportation. 14
Sec. 4. RCW 46.61.110 and 2023 c 471 s 4 are each amended to 15
read as follows: 16
The following rules shall govern the overtaking and passing of 17
vehicles proceeding in the same direction: 18
(1)(a) The driver of a vehicle overtaking other traffic 19
proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left of it at a 20
safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the 21
roadway until safely clear of the overtaken traffic.22
(b)(i) When the vehicle being overtaken is a motorcycle, motor-23
driven cycle, or moped, a driver of a motor vehicle found to be in 24
violation of (a) of this subsection must be assessed an additional 25
fine equal to the base penalty assessed under RCW 46.63.110(3). This 26
fine may not be waived, reduced, or suspended, unless the court finds 27
the offender to be indigent, and is not subject to the additional 28
fees and assessments that the base penalty for this violation is 29
subject to under RCW 2.68.040, 3.62.090, and 46.63.110.30
(ii) The additional fine imposed under (b)(i) of this subsection 31
must be deposited into the vulnerable roadway user education account 32
created in RCW 46.61.145. 33
(2)(a) The driver of a vehicle approaching an individual who is 34
traveling as a pedestrian or on a bicycle, riding an animal, or using 35
a farm tractor or implement of husbandry without an enclosed shell, 36
and who is traveling in the right lane of a roadway or on the right-37
hand shoulder or bicycle lane of the roadway, shall:38
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(i) On a roadway with two lanes or more for traffic moving in the 1
direction of travel, before passing and until safely clear of the 2
individual, move completely into a lane to the left of the right lane 3
when it is safe to do so; 4
(ii) On a roadway with only one lane for traffic moving in the 5
direction of travel: 6
(A) When there is sufficient room to the left of the individual 7
in the lane for traffic moving in the direction of travel, before 8
passing and until safely clear of the individual: 9
(I) Reduce speed to a safe speed for passing relative to the 10
speed of the individual; and 11
(II) Pass at a safe distance, where practicable of at least three 12
feet, to clearly avoid coming into contact with the individual or the 13
individual's vehicle or animal; or 14
(B) When there is insufficient room to the left of the individual 15
in the lane for traffic moving in the direction of travel to comply 16
with (a)(ii)(A) of this subsection, before passing and until safely 17
clear of the individual, move completely into the lane for traffic 18
moving in the opposite direction when it is safe to do so and in 19
compliance with RCW 46.61.120 and 46.61.125. 20
(b) A driver of a motor vehicle found to be in violation of this 21
subsection (2) must be assessed an additional fine equal to the base 22
penalty assessed under RCW 46.63.110(3). This fine may not be waived, 23
reduced, or suspended, unless the court finds the offender to be 24
indigent, and is not subject to the additional fees and assessments 25
that the base penalty for this violation is subject to under RCW 26
2.68.040, 3.62.090, and 46.63.110. 27
(c) The additional fine imposed under (b) of this subsection must 28
be deposited into the vulnerable roadway user education account 29
created in RCW 46.61.145. 30
(d) For the purposes of this section, "vulnerable user of a 31
public way" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 46.61.5259.32
(e) This subsection (2) does not apply on a shared street as 33
defined in section 1 of this act.34
(3) Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, 35
overtaken traffic shall give way to the right in favor of an 36
overtaking vehicle on audible signal and shall not increase speed 37
until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.38
p. 5 HB 1772
Sec. 5. RCW 46.61.240 and 2019 c 214 s 13 are each amended to 1
read as follows: 2
(1) Every pedestrian or personal delivery device crossing a 3
roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within 4
an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way 5
to all vehicles upon the roadway. 6
(2) Where curb ramps exist at or adjacent to intersections or at 7
marked crosswalks in other locations, persons with disabilities or 8
personal delivery devices may enter the roadway from the curb ramps 9
and cross the roadway within or as closely as practicable to the 10
crosswalk. All other pedestrian rights and duties as defined 11
elsewhere in this chapter remain applicable. 12
(3) Any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a 13
pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided 14
shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.15
(4) Between adjacent intersections at which traffic-control 16
signals are in operation pedestrians shall not cross at any place 17
except in a marked crosswalk. 18
(5) No pedestrian or personal delivery device shall cross a 19
roadway intersection diagonally unless authorized by official 20
traffic-control devices; and, when authorized to cross diagonally, 21
pedestrians and personal delivery devices shall cross only in 22
accordance with the official traffic-control devices pertaining to 23
such crossing movements. 24
(6) No pedestrian or personal delivery device shall cross a 25
roadway at an unmarked crosswalk where an official sign prohibits 26
such crossing. 27
(7) This section does not apply on a shared street as defined in 28
section 1 of this act.29
Sec. 6. RCW 46.61.770 and 2019 c 403 s 10 are each amended to 30
read as follows: 31
(1) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a rate of 32
speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and 33
place shall ride as near to the right side of the right through lane 34
as is safe except: 35
(a) While preparing to make or while making turning movements at 36
an intersection or into a private road or driveway;37
(b) When approaching an intersection where right turns are 38
permitted and there is a dedicated right turn lane, in which case a 39
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person may operate a bicycle in this lane even if the operator does 1
not intend to turn right; 2
(c) While overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle 3
proceeding in the same direction; and 4
(d) When reasonably necessary to avoid unsafe conditions 5
including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or 6
moving vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, animals, and surface 7
hazards. 8
(2) A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway or highway other 9
than a limited access highway, which roadway or highway carries 10
traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic 11
lanes, may ride as near to the left side of the left through lane as 12
is safe. 13
(3) A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway may use the 14
shoulder of the roadway or any specially designated bicycle lane.15
(4) When the operator of a bicycle is using the travel lane of a 16
roadway with only one lane for traffic moving in the direction of 17
travel and it is wide enough for a bicyclist and a vehicle to travel 18
safely side-by-side within it, the bicycle operator shall operate far 19
enough to the right to facilitate the movement of an overtaking 20
vehicle unless other conditions make it unsafe to do so or unless the 21
bicyclist is preparing to make a turning movement or while making a 22
turning movement. 23
(5) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more 24
than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for 25
the exclusive use of bicycles. 26
(6) This section does not apply on a shared street as defined in 27
section 1 of this act.28
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