Curb Use Priorities in Seattle

Curb space is part of the public street system, and as such it is a public good that is available for all people to use. The Seattle Department of Transportation regulates the use of curb space to address competing needs, to assist in moving people and goods more efficiently, to support the vitality of business districts, and to create liveable neighborhoods. The Department prioritizes the uses for curb space as follows (click here for definitions of common parking terminology).

In residential areas the priorities for curb space use are:

1. transit use (bus stops and spaces for bus layover),
2. passenger and commercial vehicle loading zones (click here for more information on load zones),
3. parking for local residents and for shared vehicles, and
4. vehicular capacity.

In business or commercial areas, including blocks with mixed-use buildings containing residential units, the priorities for curb space use are:

1. transit use (bus stops and spaces for bus layover),
2. passenger and commercial vehicle loading zones (click here for more information on load zones),
3. short-term customer parking (time limit signs and paid parking typically for 1- or 2-hours);
4. parking for shared vehicles, and
5. vehicular capacity.

The Department strives to balance the diverse and competing needs for curb spaces uses, and considers the adjacent land uses both in terms of each specific block as well as the larger surrounding area. In general the City's priorities (as present in the Comprehensive Plan and other similar documents) do not support the use of on-street parking for long-term commuter parking.