18.31.430 Internal pedestrian access and design.
(1) Purpose.
(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.
(2) Access to Sidewalk. All buildings shall feature pedestrian connections to a sidewalk per applicable block-frontage standards in Article IV of this chapter. See subsection (4) of this section for walkway design standards.
(3) Internal Circulation.
(a) For sites with multiple buildings:
(i) Pedestrian paths connecting businesses and residential entries on the same development site shall be provided. Routes that minimize walking distances shall be utilized to the extent practical.
DEPARTURES will be considered where an indirect route would enhance the design and/or use of a common usable open space. See subsection (4) of this section for pathway design standards.
(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:
(i) Parking areas.
(ii) Recreational areas.
(iii) Common outdoor areas.
(iv) Any pedestrian amenities.
For townhouses or other residential units fronting the street, the sidewalk may be used to meet this standard.
(c) Crosswalks. Crosswalks are required when a pathway crosses an on-site paved area accessible to vehicles.
(i) Appearance. All crosswalks shall contain contrasting material (such as concrete) and/or patterns (such as stamped asphalt), excluding painted surfaces.
(ii) Raised Crosswalks (Speed Tables). On sites larger than one acre, all crosswalks near major building entrances, parking garage entries, vehicular entries to the site, and other high-traffic areas shall be vertically raised to sidewalk level. The purpose of raised crosswalks is to provide a continuous walking or rolling surface, increase the visibility of pedestrians, and slow the speed of vehicular traffic.
(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.
(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.
(4) Walkway Design.
(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.
(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:
(i) Eight feet minimum unobstructed width.
(ii) Trees placed at an average of 50 feet on-center and placed in grates or in planting strips as set forth in subsection (4)(d)(iii) of this section.
DEPARTURE: Breaks in the tree coverage will be considered near major entries to buildings to enhance visibility.
(iii) Planting strips may be used between any vehicle access or parking area and the walkway; provided, that the trees required above are included, the walkway meets the applicable width standards herein, and the combined walkway and planting strip is at least 12 feet wide.
(iv) See also CMC 18.31.435(6), Internal Roadway Design.
(Ord. 08-21 § 3 (Exh. B))