Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

Chapter 17H.010

Section 17H.010.060

Title 17H Engineering Standards

Chapter 17H.010 Street Development Standards

Section 17H.010.060 Street Width - General

Minimum curb-to-curb street widths are shown in Tables 17H.010-1 and 17H.010-2. Street width varies based on the required street elements including number of lanes, on-street parking, bike lane, median, and turn lanes.

Generally, street design shall allow for a twenty-feet clear width for emergency vehicle access. New streets with less than a twenty-feet clear width shall provide emergency vehicle staging areas as described in SMC 17H.010.140.

The clear width may be reduced to fourteen feet on each side of a median for distances of fifty linear feet or less. This may be used for purposes of traffic calming, crosswalks or neighborhood entry medians.

Where infill development occurs on partially constructed blocks, the proposed street width may match the existing street width for the rest of that block.

Table 17H.010-1 Arterial Right-of-way Widths
	Right-of-way Width		Street Width
	Minimum¹	Typical	Curb to Curb
ARTERIAL (all types)
2 lanes²	60 ft	60 ft – 80 ft	Varies³
3 lanes²	65 ft	65 ft – 80 ft	Varies³
4 lanes²	75 ft	75 ft – 100 ft	Varies³
5 lanes²	90 ft	80 ft – 100 ft	Varies³
6 lanes²	100 ft	90 ft - 110 ft	Varies³
7 lanes²	100 ft	90 ft – 125 ft	Varies³
Notes: ¹Additional right-of-way may be required if roadside swales are used to control storm drainage, for bike lanes if designated on the plan, or for wider sidewalks depending on the zoning. ²Lanes can be through lanes, turn pockets, or continuous TWLTL. ³Curb-to-curb width varies depending on street features including number of lanes, on-street parking, bike lane, median and turn lanes. See Design Standards for more detail.

Table 17H.010-2 Local Access Right-of-way and Street Widths
	Minimum Right-of-way Width¹		Minimum Street Width
	Sidewalks in ROW	Sidewalks on Easements	Curb to Curb
LOCAL ACCESS
Commercial/ Industrial	60 ft.	50 ft.	36 ft.
Residential High Density²	60 ft.	50 ft.	36 ft.
Residential Standard³	56 ft.	46 ft.	32 ft.
Residential One-side Parking⁴	51 ft.	41 ft.	27 ft.
Hillside Development^4,5	40 ft.	35 ft.	27 ft.
Cul-de-sac (radius)	56 ft.	51 ft.	50 ft.
Alley⁶	20 ft.	20 ft.	12 ft.
Notes: ¹Additional right-of-way may be required if roadside swales are used to control storm drainage. ²Appropriate in areas where parking on both sides of the street is expected on a regular basis, such as apartment complexes. Refer to SMC 17H.010.070 for more information. ³Appropriate in areas where homes have street-facing garages and driveways for parking. On-street parking is used by visitors and extra vehicles. Refer to SMC 17H.010.070 for more information. ⁴Parking is allowed on one side of the street only. Refer to SMC 17H.010.120 for on-street parking requirements. ⁵Refer to SMC 17H.010.110 for more information. ⁶Alleys do not require sidewalk or curb. The widths shown apply to right-of-way and pavement width.

Date Passed: Monday, November 30, 2020

Effective Date: Sunday, January 3, 2021

ORD C35985 Section 3