Pierce County Adopts Complete Streets Ordinance

Last week Pierce County joined the growing list of local and regional jurisdictions in Washington state to adopt Complete Streets when the County Council passed the Complete Streets Ordinance by a 4-1 vote. Passage of this ordinance will help ensure that public roadways offer safe and convenient access to all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit and motorists.

The movement for Complete Streets in Pierce County began in 2007 when the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health endorsed a policy that supported the adoption and implementation of Complete Streets policies by local municipalities. The Coalition for Active Transportation and other community groups have worked in earnest for the past couple of years for the passage of a county ordinance.

The State of Washington established a Complete Streets Program under WSDOT in 2011 that currently remains unfunded.

The following Washington municipalities have adopted some form of Complete Streets policy:

Airway Heights
Bremerton
Burien
Edmonds
Everett
Federal Way
Issaquah
Kirkland
Moses Lake
Mountlake Terrace
Ocean Shores
Pierce County
Redmond
Renton
Seatac
Seattle
Sedro Woolley
Spokane
Tacoma
University Place
White Salmon