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Engineering Services
CITY AND COUNTY DESIGN STANDARDS COMMITTEE
Statement of Purpose
Updated: June 4, 2002
The City Design Standards Committee and the County Design Standards Committee exist to conform with the requirements of Chapter 35.78.030 and Chapter 43.32.020 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). The Committees work together as one, and the members are from Washington Cities and Counties. The Operations Engineer, Highways & Local Programs, Washington State Department of Transportation chairs the Committee.
As required by law, the Committee meets to review and update the City and County Design Standards. These standards apply to new construction, reconstruction, 2-R, 3-R projects, and low volume road and street projects on routes with federal functional classifications as Principal Arterials, Minor Arterials, and Collectors.
The Local Agency Engineer may otherwise use American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and related standards as noted and contained in the references. Construction utilizing lesser standards than these are considered deviations and must have the approval of the Operations Engineer to meet the requirements of RCW 35.78.040 or RCW 36.86.080 as appropriate.
In adopting these standards, the committees seek to encourage standardization of road design elements where necessary for consistency and to assure that motoring, bicycling, and pedestrian public safety needs are met. Considerations include safety, convenience, pleasant appearance, proper drainage, and economical maintenance. The committees recognize that cities and counties must have the flexibility to carry out the general duty to provide streets, roads, and highways for the diverse and changing needs of the traveling public.
These standards cannot provide for all situations. They are intended to assist, but not to substitute for, competent work by design professionals. It is expected that land surveyors, engineers, and architects will bring to each project the best skills from their respective disciplines. These standards are also not intended to limit any innovative or creative effort that could result in better quality, better cost savings, or both. An agency may adopt higher standards to fit local conditions. Special funding programs may also have varying standards.
For comments or suggestions contact:
Ruth McIntyre
Highways and Local Programs
E-mail:mcintyr@wsdot.wa.gov
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