HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSS 2023-11-27 Item 1B - Ordinance - TMC Section 9.28.038 "Avoiding an Intersection"TO:
FROM:
BY:
City of Tukwila
Allan Ekberg, Mayor
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
Community Services & Safety Committee
Chief Eric Dreyer
Sgt. Bill Devlin
CC: Mayor Ekberg
DATE: 11/13/2023
SUBJECT: Avoidance of Intersection Ordinance
ISSUE
Increase public safety on the city roadways through enforcement and education with a new
ordinance. The ordinance would address drivers that avoid signaled intersections by cutting
through public and private parking lots or drives.
BACKGROUND
It was brought to the police department's attention via complaints from citizens, and police on -
viewing vehicles who were cutting through private and public lots to avoid backups at signaled
intersections. These areas just to name a few include Foster High School public parking lot to
avoid the signals at the intersection of S. 144th Street and 42nd Ave S. This area is a crosswalk
for the students and faculty to ingress and egress through the main front doors of the school,
and typically has a large amount of pedestrian traffic. These activities have also been viewed at
multiple other locations throughout the city to include 10800 block of East Marginal Way S. with
the intersection of Boeing Access and Tukwila International Blvd. In this location vehicles have
been seen cutting through several different parking lots and businesses to avoid the signals, as
this is a very large and busy intersection. These activities are frequently observed at the
Chevron AMPM lot located at 15252 Tukwila International Blvd. Vehicles traveling westbound
on Southcenter Blvd, will cut through this lot, to avoid the signals at Southcenter Blvd and
Tukwila International Blvd. Westbound vehicles on Southcenter Blvd are also seen cutting
through the north lot of the light rail station behind the above mentioned AMPM to avoid the
signals at S.154th Street and Tukwila International Blvd.
ANALYSIS
The proposed new ordinance will help decrease the likelihood of injuries and/or property
damage by providing Tukwila police with a new tool to educate and enforce drivers cutting
through private or public property to avoid a signaled intersection. The police, prosecutor, and
city attorney support this ordinance, and have reviewed it for presentation to Council.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
None.
RECOMMENDATION
The Committee is being asked to forward this item to the 12/04/2023 Regular City Council
Meeting.
ATTACHMENTS
Avoidance of Intersection ordinance.
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AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON,
ESTABLISHING TUKWILA MUNICIPAL
CODE (TMC) SECTION 9.28.038, "AVOIDING
AN INTERSECTION"; PROVIDING FOR
SEVERABILITY; AND ESTABLISHING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to improve traffic safety and pedestrian safety
throughout the City; and
WHEREAS, motorists avoiding intersections disrupts the orderly flow of traffic and
increases the likelihood of vehicle and/or pedestrian collisions; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to establish regulations, as set forth herein, to
prohibit avoidance of an intersection;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA,
WASHINGTON, HEREBY ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Adoption of Findings of Fact. The City Council hereby adopts the
foregoing recitals and incorporates them herein as support for this ordinance.
Section 2. Regulations Established. Tukwila Municipal Code (TMC) Section
9.28.038 is hereby established to read as follows:
9.28.038 Avoiding an Intersection
It is unlawful for any person operating a motor vehicle on the roadways of the City,
upon approaching or leaving an intersection, to proceed across any public or private
property in such a way as to avoid the intersection or any traffic control device controlling
the intersection, unless so directed by lawful authority.
CC:\Legislative Development\Intersection Avoidance 11-1-23
B. Devlin A. Youn
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Section 3. Corrections by City Clerk or Code Reviser Authorized. Upon
approval of the City Attorney, the City Clerk and the code reviser are authorized to make
necessary corrections to this ordinance, including the correction of scrivener's errors;
references to other local, state, or federal laws, codes, rules, or regulations; or ordinance
numbering and section/subsection numbering.
Section 4. Severability. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause or
phrase of this ordinance or its application to any person or situation should be held to be
invalid or unconstitutional for any reason by a court of competent jurisdiction, such
invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the
remaining portions of this ordinance or its application to any other person or situation.
Section 5. Effective Date. This ordinance or a summary thereof shall be published
in the official newspaper of the City and shall take effect and be in full force five days after
passage and publication as provided by law.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, at
a Regular Meeting thereof this day of , 2023.
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED:
Christy O'Flaherty, MMC, City Clerk Allan Ekberg, Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM BY: Filed with the City Clerk:
Passed by the City Council:
Published:
Effective Date:
Office of the City Attorney
Ordinance Number:
CC:\Legislative Development\Intersection Avoidance 11-1-23
B. Devlin A. Youn
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