Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law

Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.

1 minute read

May 22, 2025, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Close-up of 10 mph speed limit sign.

Joseph / Adobe Stock

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed a bill that allows cities to create “shared streets” with speed limits of 10 miles per hour that allow pedestrians to use the middle of the street.

As Mark Ostrow explains in The Urbanist, Senate Bill 5595 eliminates jaywalking laws on shared streets, giving pedestrians true priority. For Ostrow, “Shared streets have the potential to dramatically change the way we move around cities in the state of Washington.”

The model, common in Europe and Asia, allows for multiple traffic modes while improving safety for all users. “Residents use shared streets as an extension of their homes, cafes spill into the street, and children move about freely.”

Ostrow offers examples from global cities, showing how even wide boulevards can become pedestrian-oriented corridors. Ostrow cites three key characteristics of successful shared streets: low speed limits, the legal right for pedestrians to use the entire street, and “a physical design compatible with the other two.” Washington’s SB 5595 offers the first two — but not the third, Ostrow notes. It will be up to cities to bring infrastructure up to a safe standard to make streets truly safe and walkable.

Monday, May 19, 2025 in The Urbanist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 18, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Woman and young girl looking at subway map, woman pointing.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?

Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

June 9, 2025 - John Pobojewski

Close-up of cracked and damaged two-lane roadway with double yellow stripes on a bright sunny day.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?

With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.

June 19 - Transportation for America

Group of e-scooters messily parked on street in London with black cab in background.

The European Cities That Love E-Scooters — And Those That Don’t

Where they're working, where they're banned, and where they're just as annoying the tourists that use them.

June 19 - Bloomberg CityLab

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19 - Outdoor Life