Flex Zone/Curb Use Priorities in Seattle
On Seattle streets, buses, cars, streetcars, bikes and trucks move people and goods. Sidewalks provide space for pedestrians to move and wait for their bus and get to where they want to go.
In between the two is the flexible space where people find their bus, park a car, hail a cab, drop off a passenger or make a delivery. Increasingly, this space is used as a place to socialize or do business in parklets and streateries. So, we call this space the flex zone - though many it call it curb space or the parking lane.
Lots of people and vehicles want to use these spaces, so the City's Comprehensive Plan establishes policies that set priority for flex zone use by function.
Examples of functions
| Function | Definition | Examples of Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility | Moves people and goods |
|
| Access for People | People arrive at their destination, or transfer between different ways of getting around |
|
| Access for Commerce | Goods and services reach their customers and markets |
|
| Activation | Offers vibrant social spaces |
|
| Greening | Enhances aesthetics and environment health |
|
| Storage | Provides storage for vehicles or equipment |
|
Those priorities are set so that Seattle streets can safely and efficiently connect and move people and goods to their destinations while creating inviting spaces within the right-of-way.
Flex zone functions are prioritized based on surrounding land use
| Residential | Commercial & Mixed Use | Industrial | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Support for Modal Plan Priorities | Support for Modal Plan Priorities | Support for Modal Plan Priorities |
| 2 | Access for People | Access for Commerce | Access for Commerce |
| 3 | Access for Commerce | Access for People | Access for People |
| 4 | Greening | Activation | Storage |
| 5 | Storage | Greening | Activation |
| 6 | Activation | Storage | Greening |