SB 5595 — Establishing shared streets.

S-0348.2ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5595 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Senators Alvarado, Liias, Frame, Nobles, Pedersen, Saldaña, and Shewmake Read first time 01/30/25.

(1) A local authority may designate any nonarterial highway that is not a state highway to be a shared street under this section, if the local authority has developed procedures for establishing shared streets.

(4) ForAny purposeslocal ofauthority that designates a nonarterial highway to be a shared street as provided by this section:section must post an annual report on the local authority's website of the number of traffic accidents, including those that involve a pedestrian, bicyclist, or operator of a micromobility device, that occurred on the designated shared street.

The report must also include the number of speeding p.

1 ESB 5595 violations and driving under the influence violations that occurred on the designated shared street.

(5) For purposes of this section:

and p.(b) "Shared street" means a city street designated by placement of official traffic control devices where pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicular traffic share a portion or all of the same street.

1 SB 5595 (b) "Shared street" means a city street designated by placement of official traffic control devices where pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicular traffic share a portion or all of the same street.

(5) Subsections (1) and (2) of this section do not apply when the roadway is duly closed to vehicular traffic by placement of official trafficp. control devices for the sole purposes of pedestrian and bicyclist use of the roadway.

2 ESB 5595 traffic control devices for the sole purposes of pedestrian and bicyclist use of the roadway.

p.(1) Whenever local authorities in their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the maximum speed permitted under RCW 46.61.400 or 46.61.440 is greater or less than is reasonable and safe under the conditions found to exist upon a highway or part of a highway, the local authority may determine and declare a reasonable and safe maximum limit thereon which (a) Decreases the limit at intersections;

2 SB 5595 (1) Whenever local authorities in their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the maximum speed permitted under RCW 46.61.400 or 46.61.440 is greater or less than is reasonable and safe under the conditions found to exist upon a highway or part of a highway, the local authority may determine and declare a reasonable and safe maximum limit thereon which (a) Decreases the limit at intersections;

(2) Local authorities in their respective jurisdictions shall determine by an engineering and traffic investigation the proper maximum speed for all arterial streets and shall declare a reasonable and safe maximum limit thereonthereon, , which may be greater or less than the maximum speed permitted under RCW 46.61.400(2) but shall not exceed 60 miles per hour.

(c)p. When establishing speed limits under this subsection, local authorities shall consult the manual on uniform traffic control devices as adopted by the Washington state department of transportation.

(4)3 TheESB secretary5595 of(c) transportationWhen isestablishing authorized to establish speed limits onunder countythis roadssubsection, andlocal cityauthorities andshall townconsult streetsthe asmanual shallon beuniform necessarytraffic tocontrol conformdevices withas anyadopted federalby requirements,the whichWashington arestate adepartment p.of transportation.

3(4) SBThe 5595secretary of transportation is authorized to establish speed limits on county roads and city and town streets as shall be necessary to conform with any federal requirements, which are a prescribed condition for the allocation of federal funds to the state.

(ii) The additional fine imposed under (b)(i) of this subsection must be deposited into the vulnerable roadway user education account created in RCW 46.61.145.

(2)(a) The driver of a vehicle approaching an individual who is traveling as a pedestrian or on a bicycle, riding an animal, or using a farm tractor or implement of husbandry without an enclosed shell, and who is traveling in the right lane of a roadway or on the right- hand shoulder or bicycle lane of the roadway, shall:

4 SBESB 5595 (i)(ii) OnThe aadditional roadwayfine withimposed twounder lanes(b)(i) or more for traffic moving in the direction of travel,this beforesubsection passingmust andbe untildeposited safely clear of the individual, move completely into a lane to the leftvulnerable ofroadway theuser righteducation laneaccount whencreated itin isRCW safe46.61.145. to do so;

(2)(a) The driver of a vehicle approaching an individual who is traveling as a pedestrian or on a bicycle, riding an animal, or using a farm tractor or implement of husbandry without an enclosed shell, and who is traveling in the right lane of a roadway or on the right- hand shoulder or bicycle lane of the roadway, shall:

(i) On a roadway with two lanes or more for traffic moving in the direction of travel, before passing and until safely clear of the individual, move completely into a lane to the left of the right lane when it is safe to do so;

(e) This subsection (2) does not apply on a shared street as defined in section 1 of this act.

(3) Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, overtaken traffic shall give way to the right in favor of an overtaking vehicle on audible signal and shall not increase speed until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.

5 SBESB 5595 Sec.(e) This subsection (2) does not apply on a shared street as defined in section 1 of this act.

(3) Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, overtaken traffic shall give way to the right in favor of an overtaking vehicle on audible signal and shall not increase speed until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.

Sec.

(1)p. Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place shall ride as near to the right side of the right through lane as is safe except:

6 ESB 5595 (1) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place shall ride as near to the right side of the right through lane as is safe except:

(b) When approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right turn lane, in which case a p.person may operate a bicycle in this lane even if the operator does not intend to turn right;

6 SB 5595 person may operate a bicycle in this lane even if the operator does not intend to turn right;

7 SBESB 5595