Updated October 2023

Traffic safety in Shoreline is reviewed holistically and on an annual basis to identify top collision locations that warrant additional review and potential improvement, working toward the Statewide Target Zero goal of zero fatal and serious injury collisions. This process is called the Annual Traffic Report and can be found online. We are unable to accept individual requests for speed bumps. 

Because there are so many competing transportation safety needs citywide, this data-driven process is used to equitably guide and prioritize limited traffic safety improvement resources. If your area of concern is not listed in the tables below, it has not been identified for new safety improvements at this time. The intersections and streets in the tables below have been prioritized as a result of demonstrated collision history over the latest 3-5 years of available data. In general, intersection locations with more than 3 collisions per year on average are prioritized, as are ½ mile corridors with more than 5 collisions per year on average. Petitions do not influence the way staff prioritizes limited traffic safety resources, as this form of prioritization can lead to inequitable outcomes for some communities.

Intersection Collisions (2021-2023)

Corridor Collisions (2021-2023)

Pedestrian Collisions (2019-2023)

Bicycle Collisions (2019-2023)

The majority of concerns received by the City are voiced by residents of local streets. The following graphic helps to demonstrate the disparity in perceived safety issues versus the reality of where pedestrian and injury collisions are occurring. People live along arterial streets too, but we hear from them much less frequently.

Note: the pedestrian and + symbols represent an individual collision that occurred over the 5-year period.

You are welcome to use our radar speed feedback sign and/or we can deliver “drive like your kids live here” signs. You can contact Shoreline Police online with regard to enforcement or at (206) 296-3311. 

Updated October 2023

Traffic safety in Shoreline is reviewed holistically and on an annual basis to identify top collision locations that warrant additional review and potential improvement, working toward the Statewide Target Zero goal of zero fatal and serious injury collisions. This process is called the Annual Traffic Report and can be found online here. We are unable to accept individual requests for speed bumps.

Because there are so many competing transportation safety needs citywide, this data-driven process is used to equitably guide and prioritize limited traffic safety improvement resources. If your area of concern is not listed in the tables below, it has not been identified for new safety improvements at this time. The intersections and streets in the tables below have been prioritized as a result of demonstrated collision history over the latest 3-5 years of available data. In general, intersection locations with more than 3 collisions per year on average are prioritized, as are ½ mile corridors with more than 5 collisions per year on average. Petitions do not influence the way staff prioritizes limited traffic safety resources, as this form of prioritization can lead to inequitable outcomes for some communities.

Intersection Collisions (2021-2023)

Corridor Collisions (2021-2023)

Pedestrian Collisions (2019-2023)

Bicycle Collisions (2019-2023)

The majority of concerns received by the City are voiced by residents of local streets. The following graphic helps to demonstrate the disparity in perceived safety issues versus the reality of where pedestrian and injury collisions are occurring. People live along arterial streets too, but we hear from them much less frequently.

Note: the pedestrian and + symbols represent an individual collision that occurred over the 5-year period.

You are welcome to use our radar speed feedback sign and/or we can deliver “drive like your kids live here” signs.  You can contact Shoreline Police online with regard to enforcement or at (206) 296-3311.

Updated July 2025

The need for sidewalks Citywide is widespread. In March 2017, the City began a year-long process to create a Sidewalk Prioritization Plan to better understand the needs and prioritize them for funding and construction. In June 2018, City Council adopted the Sidewalk Prioritization Plan and you can read all about this plan and what criteria were used to form the plan and priorities online. 

From this plan, 12 sidewalk projects were selected and proposed to voters for funding via a sales and use tax. In 2018, this proposal was approved by voters. To see which sidewalks the City has constructed, and which projects are scheduled next, visit our Sidewalk Project webpage. If your street of interest is not listed within the table on the page, it was not one of the segments selected for funding and construction. You can view whether your area of interest ranks as a low, medium, or high priority online here. 

For more information on how the City prioritizes and implements traffic safety improvements more generally, please visit the Traffic Calming FAQ's page. The City’s overarching Transportation Master Plan, as well as the policies and programs that support this vision are available to the public.  

Updated October 2023

While it may seem counterintuitive, installing marked crosswalks does not inherently improve safety. If it did, we would see a much more widespread use of crosswalk markings at legal crossings (all public street intersections). Instead, studies have found either no difference in collision rates, or in certain circumstances, an increase in collision rates associated with marked crosswalks (even when controlling for other factors). Key points from 4 crosswalk marking studies are summarized as follows:

• Federal Study: [The study results revealed that under no condition was the presence of a marked crosswalk alone at an uncontrolled location associated with a significantly lower pedestrian crash rate compared to an unmarked crosswalk.] [Marked crosswalks are appropriate at some locations (e.g., at selected low-speed, two-lane streets at downtown crossing locations) to help channel pedestrians to preferred crossing locations.]
• JAMA Study: Crosswalk markings appear associated with increased risk of pedestrian-motor vehicle collision to older pedestrians at sites where no signal or stop sign is present to halt traffic.
• Nevada Study: Crosswalk marking is a useful traffic control device, but it is very important for engineers and the general public to realize the positive as well as the negative consequences of marking crosswalks. Marked crosswalks appears to increase pedestrian mobility [driver yield behavior], but with perhaps a deceived sense of security.
• San Diego Study: But in general, more pedestrian accidents occur in marked crosswalks than in unmarked crosswalks by a ratio of approximately 6 to 1. Further comparison of the volume of pedestrians using the marked and unmarked crosswalks shows that the crosswalk use ratio is approximately 3 to 1. This would indicate, in terms of use, that approximately twice as many pedestrian accidents occur in marked crosswalks as in unmarked crosswalks.

This is not to say that crosswalks are useless. They do increase driver yield rate, which can help to prioritize pedestrian movement/mobility, important in certain busy areas like school zones, however again it is important to note that increased yield rate does not necessarily correlate to a lower collision rate. Crosswalk markings can also help to guide pedestrians to a preferred crossing location in an area, and similarly can help to consolidate what would otherwise be multiple crossings to a single location. Importantly, they also establish a legal pedestrian crossing at non-intersection locations.

For additional context on how traffic safety is prioritized and addressed citywide, visit: Traffic FAQs - Speed bumps. If you still feel installation of a marked crosswalk would be appropriate, contact Kendra Dedinsky at kdedinsky@shorelinewa.gov or at (206) 801-2431.

Updated October 2023

When all way stop control is implemented without meeting traffic volume and/or collision warrants, it can have the effect of increasing collisions. When volumes are very imbalanced, the main street comes to expect they will rarely face conflicting traffic and some drivers will choose to blow through or roll through the stop sign. At the same time, minor street traffic, pedestrians, and bicyclists are set up with the expectation that all traffic will come to a complete stop. This dynamic can result in worse outcomes for an intersection. Due to this dynamic, the engineering standards that cities are required to follow regarding all way stop control implementation specify the following:

• YIELD or STOP signs should not be used for speed control.
• Multi-way stop control is used where the volume of traffic on the intersecting roads is approximately equal.

 To implement all way stop control, the collision warrant specifies:

• Five or more reported crashes in a 12-month period that are susceptible to correction by a multi-way stop installation. Such crashes include right-turn and left-turn collisions as well as right-angle collisions.

The City reviews collision history annually and specifically analyzes locations meeting the collision frequency threshold. If your area of concern is not listed in the following table, it is not eligible for all way stop control (based on safety warrants) at this time. 

If your request for all way stop control relates specifically to delay, please contact Kendra Dedinsky at kdedinsky@shorelinewa.gov or at (206) 801-2431.

For more information on how the City prioritizes and implements traffic safety improvements, please visit the Traffic Calming FAQs page. 

Updated October 2023

According to Shoreline Model Traffic Ordinance and Washington State law, drivers are not allowed to park next to mailboxes between 10 AM and 3 PM on a scheduled mail delivery day. Additionally, it is illegal to park within 5 feet of a driveway. Residents can paint the curb adjacent to their driveways and/or curb in front of mailboxes “traffic yellow” as shown in the diagram below. You can also contact Shoreline Police Department online directly with regard to enforcement and via phone at (206) 296-3311.

The City does not typically install signs for individual driveway or mailbox issues given that this manner of parking violation is enforceable without signs. It is also worth noting that the City of Shoreline is forming a new parking enforcement unit which will be operational in late 2024 and will help to ensure parking issues are responded to in a timely fashion.

Updated October 2023

There are multiple ways in which the City accounts for development related traffic impacts to the City’s road network.

Citywide Analysis & Transportation Impact Fees

At a high level, the City of Shoreline, like other jurisdictions, uses regional travel demand modeling to forecast future traffic on City streets. The traffic growth assumed in this model is based on planned population and employment growth as informed by the City’s land use designations and Comprehensive Plan (the City’s strategy for accommodating expected growth).

As part of the Comprehensive Plan, the City established a policy for Adequacy of Streets based on a traffic level of service. This level of service establishes the maximum average allowable delay to vehicles during the PM peak hour. In most areas of the City, the standard allows delays of up to 55 seconds (as an average of all trips on all legs of the intersections over the peak hour) at signalized intersections, and delays of up to 35 seconds (as an average of all trips on all legs of the intersections over the peak hour) at unsignalized intersections. The City’s high activity areas allow a bit more delay (i.e., up to 80 seconds per vehicle on average at signals during the peak hour).

Using the future conditions model, the City identified locations where an anticipated level of service is expected to occur due to growth, and developed project plans and estimates for mitigating these level of service failures. These planned growth related projects, and associated costs, are the basis for Transportation Impact Fees in the City of Shoreline. Each development adding trips to the road network pays a fee per estimated trip. Trip estimates are based on standard engineering guidelines established by the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Once enough impact fees are collected, growth projects will be designed and built by the City. Some lane use categories are exempt from this fee (as established by Council action), however the City is still responsible for accounting for the increase in trips.

Project Transportation Impact Analysis

In addition to redevelopments’ impacts being accounted for through Transportation Impact Fees, larger scale projects are required to submit a Traffic Impact Analysis to identify localized impacts to the surrounding street network. Projects must demonstrate that their added vehicle trips do not trigger an intersection failure. If analysis shows that added trips do cause a level of service failure, the developer is required to mitigate their impacts to meet the level of service standard. The City works with the developer to identify appropriate mitigation – for example, widening to add a turn lane, or increasing the level of control at an intersection (i.e. all way stop control conversion to signalized intersection). The Traffic Impact Analysis also provides an opportunity to address other impacts that do not have specific thresholds set by code or other industry standards, such as local street, pedestrian and bicyclist impacts. The City must carefully consider nexus and proportionality when determining any project improvements so as not to unduly penalize a particular project for a preexisting deficiency. 

Updated August 2024

The City receives many inquiries from residents on converting private streets to public streets thereby transferring ownership and maintenance responsibility to the City.   In order to consider such a conversion, the street would need to meet City public street standards, which includes sidewalks, appropriate pavement design, and in many cases street end treatments.  Private streets typically do not meet City standards and bringing them up to current public street standards is typically costly or infeasible based on property constraints, making the possibility cost prohibitive for the residents on the private street.  The City would not take responsibility for making improvements to bring the private street to current public street standards.

If the private street does or could meet street standards, the City would then need to consider the overall benefit to the public for such a conversion.   An example of public benefit could be if it provides increased and needed connectivity by connecting two streets and/or providing increased access to pedestrians, bicyclists or vehicles.   Benefits would need to be balanced with increased costs associated with maintaining the street.    Most private streets only serve a few residents and the likelihood of the conversion to a public street is low.   

If your street can or does meet street standards and you feel there is an overall public benefit, please contact Noel Hupprich at nhupprich@shorelinewa.gov or (206) 801-2472.

Updated October 2023

No, the right of way in front of your home is public property and can be used by anyone (in accordance with applicable laws and codes). Restricted Parking Zone permitting is a tool sometimes used for neighborhoods adjacent to significant trip generators like, schools, business campuses, mass transit, or arenas. These permits are not used to discriminate on a residential basis - between new or preexisting residents or between owners or renters for example.

You can read more about Restricted Parking Zones and find other helpful information about on-street parking online.