The Seattle City Council unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Dan Strauss to legalize shared streets in Seattle, opening the door for new pedestrian-priority street designs in neighborhoods including Ballard.
According to Strauss, the legislation allows the city to begin planning for shared streets but does not designate any specific locations yet. The Seattle Department of Transportation is expected to release implementation procedures in June, after which the council could consider additional legislation.
“Shared Streets give us the opportunity to get creative and make some of our most beloved public spaces safer, more vibrant, and stronger economically,” Strauss said in the announcement. He pointed to Ballard Avenue’s cafe street as an example of the type of environment the legislation is intended to support.
Washington became the first state in the nation to legalize shared streets in 2025. Under the law, shared streets are non-arterial streets where pedestrians and people using mobility devices are prioritized over vehicle traffic, and speed limits can be reduced to as low as 10 miles per hour.
Strauss said the legislation grew out of work that began in 2021 around redesigning Ballard Avenue and establishing the cafe street program.
“Anyone who has visited a local business on Ballard Avenue and eaten at a street cafe knows that cars speeding past at 20 miles per hour can be too fast for these types of streets,” Strauss said.
Reporting from The Urbanist described shared streets as a street type where pedestrians are legally allowed to walk or stand in the roadway while vehicles must yield to pedestrians, bicyclists, and micromobility users. The publication also reported that Seattle officials have discussed shared streets as a potential tool for places like Ballard Avenue, where outdoor dining and pedestrian activity increased during the pandemic.
The Urbanist also reported that neighborhood greenways, festival streets, school streets, and Seattle’s existing “Healthy Streets” corridors could eventually receive shared street designations under the new law.
The legislation approved by the council authorizes the city traffic engineer to establish procedures for designating shared streets in Seattle.
Photo: SDOT