skip navigation
MRSC logo

Have a Research Question?

Ask MRSC

Have a Research Question?

Ask MRSC
About Our Blog Our Authors

MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for Streets and Sidewalks

Reducing Local Street Speed Limits in Bellevue: Safety Starts on Your Street – Part 2

January 21, 2025  by  John Murphy
Category:  Guest Author ,  Streets and Sidewalks ,  Traffic Regulation and Enforcement

Following a multiyear, iterative process, the City of Bellevue lowered the default speed limit on city streets to 20 mph. How did planning staff work with the city council and other departments to coordinate such a huge effort, and what advice would they offer to others?

Read more

Reducing Local Street Speed Limits in Bellevue: Safety Starts on Your Street – Part 1

January 13, 2025  by  John Murphy
Category:  Guest Author ,  Streets and Sidewalks ,  Traffic Regulation and Enforcement

Partly in response to concerns about speeding, Bellevue lowered the default speed limit on city streets to 20 mph, but only after a three-year process that included laying the groundwork and running pilot programs to test the efficacy of lower speed limits on public safety.

Read more

Continued Use of the Public Right-of-Way for Outside Dining

May 12, 2022  by  Steve Butler
Category:  COVID-19 ,  Streets and Sidewalks

This blog examines the key components of local parklet/streatery programs that were established during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and how Washington’s local governments are now evaluating the future of those programs.

Read more

A How-To Guide to Sponsoring Summer Celebrations

April 26, 2022  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Streets and Sidewalks ,  Gift of Public Funds

Summer is coming and with it, the possibility of public celebrations! But a local government should plan carefully to both make the event a success and be sure that it does not unintentionally violate the constitutional gift of public funds prohibition. 

Read more

An Emerging Issue: Robot Delivery Devices May Be Coming to a Neighborhood Near You

September 2, 2021  by  Nick Fisher
Category:  Guest Author ,  Cycling and Walking ,  Streets and Sidewalks

Coming soon: delivery by robot! While the state offers some guidance on safety requirements and where these devices can operate, local governments will need to consider creating their own regulations, including where device storage units can be located.

Read more

Six Suggested Actions for Planners during the Extended COVID-19 Pandemic

January 28, 2021  by  Steve Butler
Category:  Development Regulations and Zoning ,  Streets and Sidewalks ,  Strategies and Programs ,  Land Use Administration

This blog suggests some action items planners can undertake during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage commerce, promote recreational opportunities, and streamline the planning process. 

Read more

Creative Use of Street ROW During the COVID-19 Pandemic

June 3, 2020  by  Steve Butler
Category:  COVID-19 ,  Streets and Sidewalks

This blog post reviews how local governments can allow temporary use of the public ROW for business activity during the pandemic. 

Read more

Street Names: Where Policy and History Meet

March 5, 2018  by  Lynn Nordby
Category:  Streets and Sidewalks

Wherever you travel the names of the local streets can help you find your way, confuse you, or very often tell you a bit about the unique history of the community. Having a logical, local policy on street naming (or renaming) can provide help future generations understand and retain the original meaning.

Read more

Understanding Municipal Rights-of-Way: From Centerline to Edge (Part 3)

December 6, 2017  by  Oskar Rey
Category:  Streets and Sidewalks

In Part 3 of Legal Consultant Oskar Rey's series on municipal rights-of-way, he looks at utilities, franchises, small cell facilities, and right-of-way use permits. 

Read more

Understanding Municipal Rights-of-Way: From Centerline to Edge (Part 2)

November 7, 2017  by  Oskar Rey
Category:  Streets and Sidewalks

In the second of three posts on understanding municipal rights-of-way, Legal Consultant Oskar Rey discusses sidewalks, street trees, and the areas near the outer edge of the right-of-way. 

Read more

Understanding Municipal Rights-of-Way: From Centerline to Edge (Part 1)

September 27, 2017  by  Oskar Rey
Category:  Streets and Sidewalks

MRSC gets a lot of inquiries about street rights-of-way. In this multi-part series, we cover the fundamentals of rights-of-way and the duties of local government and abutting owners.

Read more

Smarter, Safer Roads by Design

November 8, 2016  by  John W. Carpita, PE
Category:  Streets and Sidewalks

This post looks at how "smart roads" of the future might impact how local and state agencies design roads and traffic management systems.

Read more

Municipalities Now Responsible for Addressing View-Obstructing Roadside Vegetation

February 4, 2016  by  Bob Meinig
Category:  Streets and Sidewalks

In a short, unanimous opinion issued last week, the Washington Supreme Court concluded that a municipality – a city or county – can be held liable for hazardous conditions on its roads created by naturally occurring roadside vegetation.

Read more

Filling Gaps in your City’s Streetscape

April 23, 2015  by  John W. Carpita, PE
Category:  Streets and Sidewalks

How can cities or towns orchestrate streetscape retrofits adjacent to undeveloped lots so that the improvements are installed in a manner that is cost-effective and not haphazard?

Read more

What is the Nature of a Public Right-of-Way?

January 2, 2014  by  Bob Meinig
Category:  Streets and Sidewalks

I often come across misconceptions that local government officials have regarding the nature of a city or county right-of-way – the improved part termed a “street” if located in a city and a “road” if located in the unincorporated county. These misconceptions center on the issue of ownership.

Read more