AN ACT Relating to establishing shared streets;
SB 5595 creates a new legal category of “shared streets” in Washington law and authorizes local governments to designate certain nonarterial city streets for that use if they have adopted procedures for doing so. The bill limits shared streets on state highways to primary roads through a central business district, and it requires traffic control devices to mark the designation. It also establishes basic right-of-way rules for shared streets, including that vehicles yield to pedestrians, bicyclists, and micromobility users on the shared street, while bicyclists and micromobility users yield to pedestrians on non-shared streets.
The bill also amends several traffic and pedestrian statutes to account for shared streets and related roadway users. It updates rules governing pedestrian travel where sidewalks are absent or inaccessible, speed-limit setting by local authorities, passing and overtaking, pedestrian crossing rules, and bicycle operation on roadways. In addition, it requires local governments that designate shared streets to post annual reports on crashes, speeding violations, and DUI violations occurring on those streets, including incidents involving pedestrians, bicyclists, and micromobility devices.
The bill changes Washington’s traffic code by adding a new statutory framework for shared streets and by carving those streets out of several existing roadway rules. It affects local authority powers over street designation and speed limits, modifies duties of drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and operators of micromobility devices, and creates a reporting requirement for local governments. It also references and incorporates existing statutes on vulnerable road users, traffic control devices, and speed-limit enforcement, thereby altering how those laws apply in designated shared-street corridors.
The bill appears to have broad but not unanimous support. It passed the Senate Transportation Committee 13-2, the Senate floor 45-4, the House Transportation Committee 16-1, and the House floor 64-32 before returning to the Senate for final passage 31-18. Those margins suggest general legislative approval of the concept, but with meaningful opposition, especially in the House final vote. The absence of committee transcript material limits insight into detailed debate, but the vote pattern indicates the bill was viewed favorably overall while still drawing concerns from a substantial minority.
The main points of contention likely centered on local control, roadway safety, and how much priority shared streets should give to pedestrians versus vehicles and other users. The bill restricts shared-street designation on state highways and requires annual crash and violation reporting, suggesting concern about safety and accountability. The narrower House vote compared with earlier committee and Senate votes indicates some lawmakers may have questioned whether the new designation could complicate traffic enforcement, speed management, or the balance between pedestrian-friendly design and vehicle access. Opposition appears to have been present but not dominant, with no recorded transcript available to identify specific arguments or sponsors of the dissent.