§ 21.70.100. Public transportation and pedestrian circulation design requirements for commercial development.

A.

Site Access.

1.

Projects should maximize public transportation access for buses and ride share vehicles by providing for their physical requirements. Projects also need to provide the necessary physical environment for those who use public transportation. To meet this intent, the following criteria should be met:

a.

Public transportation vehicles need to be accommodated on the road network to service the development.

b.

Roads need to accommodate heavyweight and large vehicle requirements.

c.

Public transportation facilities, such as bus pullouts, should be considered in the initial design.

d.

Streets adjacent to a development shall have sidewalks and other pedestrian facilities, such as bus shelters. Pedestrians shall be provided with convenient and safe access between a transit or bus area and entrance to a building or cluster of buildings.

B.

Building Location. To locate buildings in a manner that helps create a public transportation compatible development. In mixed use and commercial zones with a pedestrian emphasis the following criteria shall be met. In other commercial zones the following criteria is recommended where feasible:

1.

Buildings shall be located as close as possible to streets with transit facilities or to internal transit stops.

2.

Buildings shall be clustered around a central pedestrian space.

3.

In a building cluster, an identifiable and dominant entrance to the cluster shall be provided that is clearly visible from the nearest transit facility. Within clusters, each building's entrance shall face the other entrances or shall be in close proximity so that the clear pedestrian destination can be identified.

C.

Parking Design and Public Transportation. Placement of parking is the key ingredient for successful pedestrian and public transportation circulation. To create developments that are less reliant on autos and encourage the use of public transportation and pedestrian access, all the following criteria shall be considered in design of all commercial projects:

1.

Intercity Transit shall be consulted to develop transit ridership marketing programs for the development.

2.

Preferential parking close to building entrances for ride-share vehicles should be provided.

3.

Parking shall be designed substantially similar to the following design types:

a.

Legend. The diagrams depicted in Illustration 11 here illustrate parking location and design ideas that can help make an area more transit and pedestrian-friendly. The diagrams are intended only to show conceptually how buildings and parking lots might be arranged to make streets more inviting to pedestrians and to keep parking from becoming a barrier between buildings, sidewalks and bus stops. The diagrams are not to scale.

Illustration 11.

b.

Parking Location and Design.

i.

Zones with Pedestrian Emphasis. Whenever pedestrian friendly site design is desirable, parking arrangements behind buildings, interior block or pocket park arrangements should be provided. In the neighborhood commercial zone and mixed use corridors where pedestrian friendly design is the major emphasis these arrangements are required. In automobile-oriented zones such as some Central Business District 6 zone, other arrangements more friendly to commuters are permitted. In such situations, shared parking is encouraged and extensive landscaping throughout the parking lot is required in concert with highly visible pedestrian access. Landscaping of pedestrian access should minimize conflict between autos and pedestrians, create pedestrian intersections between adjacent uses and beautify the site. See Illustration 12 below.

Illustration 12.

Illustration 12. (Continued)

ii.

Combinations of Parking Arrangements. The following examples show possible combinations of parking arrangements that can help make development more friendly for transit and pedestrians. See Illustration 13 below.

Illustration 13.

Illustration 13. (Continued)

4.

Where parking lots are in front of structures, special attention shall always be given to pedestrian walkways to the structure; see requirements for pedestrian circulation subsection E of this section below.

5.

Bus stops and passenger drop-offs should be located at the major entrances to buildings when feasible rather than across the parking lot.

6.

Site design needs to balance the location of parking with pedestrian and transit access and circulation. Parking lots shall provide clear, direct pathways for safe, easy pedestrian movement.

D.

Internal Circulation for Commercial Developments. Successful internal circulation requires that pedestrian and public transportation be designed together as compatible integrated circulation systems. To promote an integrated circulation system, the following criteria shall be met:

1.

Where requested by Intercity Transit and the county, the internal road improvements shall be designed to handle transportation vehicles. Roads shall be able to accommodate large, heavyweight buses and have places for stopping for brief periods. Standards for transit-compatible road design shall be those approved by the county.

2.

For large developments to be served by Intercity Transit, direct streets should be designed through a development. Consultation with Intercity Transit shall be required to consider bus bypasses through bottlenecks such as congested intersections and parking lots.

3.

Transit use shall be designed so transit can serve the main entrances of buildings. On site, transit shall serve the main entrances of buildings and main entrances to clusters of buildings.

4.

When requested by Intercity Transit and the county and when traffic volumes warrant such facilities, exclusive bus lanes, entrances and exits should be provided.

E.

Pedestrian Circulation. It is expected that people will walk five hundred to one thousand feet to a bus stop. This distance should be measured using the actual walking route. Walkways need to be built according to the following criteria:

1.

Walkways should be located so the pedestrian has a short distance to walk between the transit facility or street with a transit stop and entrance to the building. Visual as well as physical pathways to streets with transit facilities need to be provided. Transit centers or bus stops need to be integrated with other pedestrian areas and corridors.

2.

Buildings on site shall be connected to abutting land use with walkways. To stimulate walking, all buildings within a development shall be connected by paved walkways, not only to each other, but also to adjoining buildings, particularly in mixed use developments.

3.

Roads and parking areas shall be separated from pedestrian pathways by grade or other devices. Pedestrian and auto conflict shall be minimized by consolidating driveways, creating safe pedestrian crossings, and providing continuous sidewalks and curbs. Adequate width pathways and transit facilities available from buildings shall be provided for pedestrian security.

4.

Walkways must meet all state and local barrier free design standards.

5.

Every parking lot should have a minimum of one pedestrian lane. Additional pedestrian lanes should be provided at a ratio of one for every four parking rows or approximately one hundred forty feet of parking lot width, whichever is greater. Pedestrian lanes shall be designed and located to accommodate the greatest number of parking stalls and pedestrian interconnections possible while providing the most convenient pedestrian situation. The pedestrian lane shall be a minimum of six feet wide, paved and have a minimum of four feet of Type II or III landscaping on each side. The landscaping shall be protected and separated from the parking area by wheel stops or other features such as curbs or two man rocks; wheel stops shall be located a minimum six feet from the edge of the pedestrian walk. To reduce impervious surfacing, paving does not need to extend beyond the wheel stop and the applicant may opt to grass the additional two feet of parking area for additional credit on drainage treatment requirements. Curb cuts or wheel stop breaks and clearly marked pedestrian area for pedestrian access shall be provided adjacent to each landscape island along the pedestrian path. Striping, different textured surfacing, pedestrian markers or other design features shall be placed across automobile access lanes from pedestrian lanes and bus stops to provide clear, convenient and safe pedestrian movements throughout the parking lot.

F.

Pedestrian and Transit Facilities. Designing quality into the walk to and the wait at a transit facility is as important for design consideration as is the provision of walkways and bus stops. People will walk farther in a quality pedestrian environment. The Northwest weather can also have a marked effect on the extent people will use public transit and must be considered in designs. The following criteria shall be followed in design of pedestrian walkways:

1.

All walkways shall be paved and lighted. Paving materials should be safe under wet weather conditions. Walkways shall be enhanced with screening from parking lot sand by landscaping as required in Chapter 21.80. For pedestrian safety, landscaping must not interfere with visibility. A Type 3 or Type 2 landscaping shall be utilized. Landscaping shall be an integral part of early design plans. Walkways should be designed to capture landmarks and views where available.

2.

The size of facilities shall be scaled to correspond to pedestrian volumes. A ten-foot minimum width sidewalk shall be provided adjacent to a transit stop. The minimum width of a pedestrian walkway shall be six feet. An increased width for the transit area or pedestrian walkway may be required if the number of users warrants additional circulation space. Pedestrian facilities such as lighting, signs, benches, and trash cans shall be provided as the volume and need requires.

3.

The pedestrians should be sheltered from the weather. Covered colonnaded walkways, arcades or canopied tree-lined pedestrian paths should be provided.

G.

Transit Facilities. Special attention needs to be given to pedestrian facilities near bus stops and transit centers. All transit facilities considered for a site must be developed with and approved by Intercity Transit. The following criteria will be required to make transit stops work effectively:

1.

Shelters shall be provided to protect patrons from the weather. Design should provide shelter while remaining safe, easy to maintain, and relatively vandal proof.

2.

Bus stops shall be considered as a significant destination and an important part of design of all development. Transit facilities may be combined with a shared plaza placed between neighboring buildings or at the main entrance to a development.

3.

Separate waiting places shall be provided for transit patrons as part of the walking path to improve pedestrian circulation.

4.

Pedestrian facilities shall be provided at transit stops. All facilities must be approved by the local Intercity Transit and the department. The following types of facilities should be provided: benches with back rests, attractive well-maintained landscaping, trash containers with lids, walkway lighting between transit stops and buildings and at transit waiting areas, community information displays and guides.

(Ord. 11274 § 1 (part), 1996)