(a) To improve the pedestrian and bicycling environment by making it easier, safer, and more comfortable to walk or ride among residences, to businesses, to the street sidewalk, to transit stops, through parking lots, to adjacent properties, and connections throughout the City.

(b) To enhance access to on- and off-site open space areas and pedestrian/bicycle paths.

(a) For sites with multiple buildings:

(ii) Pedestrian connections shall be made at intervals no greater than 280 feet. Refer to CMC 18.31.260 for related through-block connection standards.

(b) Sites with Residential Units. Direct pedestrian access shall be provided between all ground unit entries and a public street or to a clearly marked pathway network or open space that has direct access to a public street. Residential developments shall provide a pedestrian circulation network that connects all main entrances on the site to other areas of the site, such as:

For townhouses or other residential units fronting the street, the sidewalk may be used to meet this standard.

The entries of the example on the left connect directly to a public sidewalk while the entries in the right example connect to a common path that extends to the sidewalk.

(c) Crosswalks. Crosswalks are required when a pathway crosses an on-site paved area accessible to vehicles.

(d) Pedestrian Walkways Through Parking Lots. Developments with 50 or more parking spaces shall include specially marked or paved walkways through parking areas. At least one pathway shall be provided every four rows of parking, or at a maximum spacing of 200 feet. The pathways shall provide a safe connection to the building entrance and meet the walkway design standards in subsection (4) of this section. See examples below.

Note the location of the parking lot walkway in the upper right example (connecting shops in one building to the main entry of a grocery store).

Note in both examples that the concrete walkway extends into the vehicular area to provide a highly visible and safe crosswalk.

(e) Connections to Adjacent Properties (Including Parks and Trails). Except when adjacent properties have less than five dwelling units, pedestrian walkways that connect to adjacent properties shall be provided. Public sidewalks in the right-of-way shall not count towards this requirement.

DEPARTURES will be considered where it is determined that internal connections are not necessary or practical due to shallow lot depths, steep slopes, or other contextual challenges.

(f) Barriers that limit future pedestrian access are prohibited. Gates that limit access to employees and residents are permitted. See subsection (4) of this section for walkway design standards.

(a) All internal pedestrian walkways shall have a minimum five-foot-wide unobstructed walking surface, except where wider walkways are prescribed in this article or where the applicable uses and context dictate wider walkways.

(b) Where a pedestrian walkway is adjacent to perpendicular or angled parking, see CMC 18.31.450(3)(f) regarding wheel stop requirements. In lieu of wheel shops, an extra two feet of walkway width shall be provided.

(c) Pedestrian walkways shall be separated from structures by at least three feet of landscaping except where the adjacent building facade meets the storefront block-frontage standards per CMC 18.31.320.

DEPARTURES will be considered where other landscaping and/or facade design treatments to provide attractive walkways are proposed. Examples include, but are not limited to, sculptural, mosaic, bas-relief artwork, or other decorative treatments that meet the purpose. Figure 18.31.430(4)(a) below provides one example.

Internal walkways adjacent to building walls that do not meet storefront facade standards shall provide at least three feet of landscaping to enhance the character of the walkway. The reviewing authority will consider alternative treatments, such as decorative walls (right example).

(d) Where walkways are between a parking lot and a multi-tenant commercial or mixed-use building which is 100 feet or more long, walkways shall feature a 12-foot-wide sidewalk with:

(iv) See also CMC 18.31.435(6), Internal Roadway Design.