wow, this is... yeah.

[solarbird]

Oh my gods, this is the most fucked up thing. I mean, on the scale of things, maybe not, but for its scale, the clusterfuckery is magnificent.

Okay, so, there's an arterial road not far from my house, NE 145th Street. We're trying to get HOV and transit improvements on it, but it is a jurisdictional nightmare.

Here's what I mean:

It's also a state highway, designation SR 523. The state DOT state have authority because of that.

But also, Seattle city limits go up to the middle of the road, so the eastbound lanes and the southern sidewalk are City of Seattle, and City of Seattle has exclusive jurisdiction over the southern sidewalk, except that the state has a right of way covering that same sidewalk.

Meanwhile, Shoreline, which is by far most affected by this road? Their city limits start at the northern edge of the north sidewalk, and cover none of the road or that sidewalk. But! Any additional widening - necessary for HOV and/or improved transit - will be into their city limits.

You may notice that leaves the westbound lanes floating between the two cities. Yes, that in fact means that the strip in between is unincorporated King County. As is the sidewalk. Which is King County's responsibility. As you can tell, seeing as it's never, ever repaired.


to wit

This is a special kind of how-did-we-get-here-and-how-do-we-get-out, I gotta say. Fortunately, from what I'm reading, everybody is willing to hand over their chunks to Shoreline, and Shoreline is willing to take it on, because it affects them most. Except it will still be a state highway, but that's fine, all the state highways are like that and people know what to do.

But right now, wow. That's just... impressive.

Comments

[vatine]

I... What... You know... That's pretty impressively strange.

[solarbird]

So far, everybody seems onboard for consolidating it. Fingers crossed they really do.

Also, we are bad at roads.

[birke]

I've never heard of a jurisdictional problem that bad. Wow.

[solarbird]

For me, it's just the idea that there is a strip of unincorporated King County that's like, what, 8 metres wide, but at least 4km long.

Where, I might note, fireworks are legal. Because they are in unincorporated King County. SANCTUARY FOR FIREWORKS! XD

[arethinn]

I think you miiiight get some objections if you tried to stand there lighting them off, though. XD

[mdlbear]

Yup. It's all true; I lived about two blocks north of it when I first moved up here. Didn't realize just how messed up it was, but you could easily see the results.

[stickmaker]

As a transportation engineer I can confirm that using the centerline of a road as a legal boundary for incorporated areas, cities and such is not uncommon. Roads are pretty well surveyed, so the location of the centerline is usually unquestioned. Normally, things such as maintenance and utility work are a done deal before the road is even started. This, though...

I suspect that Shoreline set or altered their corporate or city limits sometime after the road was completed, and the location on the edge of the sidewalk was chosen without concern for future widening. Perhaps to deliberately avoid responsibility for sidewalk maintenance.

[solarbird]

Shoreline didn't exist - as an incorporated town - until many years after the road was completed to its current state. It only incorporated in 1995. Until then, it was unincorporated King County.

And I suspect pretty strongly that you are 100% right about the sidewalk. XD