City of Seattle
Traffic Control Manual
For In-Street Work

The 2005 edition of the city of Seattle Traffic Control Manual for In-Street work is now available at the SMT 37th floor permit counters. The TCM has been a long, long time in the making, and has received input from all users of the streets, including contractors, utilities, agencies, vendors, and the community at large. Important changes are as follows:

• Reflects MUTCD changes
• Added language for curb space use
• Rewrite of ped section, with input from the Ped Board
• New Bicycle access section written with input from the Bike Board
• New TWLT sketch
• Requirement change for arrow board use
• Web version should be more accessible

Attention: The city of Seattle is adopting new signs for our previously coded T-38’s and T-39’s. These new signs reflect the need to carefully restrict our removal of parking to those times that are needed by the contractor, promoter, or other permit holder that has a need for the space. Instead of preset times, or the removal of parking after a certain date or time, these new signs give more room for a complete message, the actual dates, day of week, and times that parking needs to be removed. Examples of New Signs:     T-38 T-39

For information on creating a No Parking zone, please click here.

If you have any questions about the current Traffic Control Manual or Regulations, call Marilyn Vancil at (206) 684-5111 or e-mail marilyn.vancil@seattle.gov.

The Traffic Control Manual files are in PDF format. Download the free Acrobat Reader from the Adobe website.

Traffic Control Manual

Title Page and Letter from City Traffic Engineer

Index

1. General Information
   
   
   1. Purpose and Intent
   2. Responsibility
   3. Glossary
   
   
2. General Requirements
   
   
   1. General
   2. Planning
   3. Time of Work
   4. Work Area
   5. Placing Signs and Equipment
   6. Intermittent Work
   7. Speed Control
   8. Parking Control
   9. Existing Traffic Control Devices
   10. Maintenance of Traffic Control Devices
       
   
   
3. Procedure for Obtaining Permission to Work in City Streets
   
   
4. Materials and Personnel for Traffic Control
   
   
   1. Channelizing Devices
      1. General Application
      2. Vehicular Barricades
         1. General Requirements
         2. Type I and Type II Barricades
         3. Type III Barricades
      3. Vertical Barricades
      4. Cones
      5. Tubular Guide Posts
      6. Drums
      7. Others
   2. Channelizing Device Placement
   3. High Level Warning Device
   4. Illumination and Light Device
   5. Pavement Markings
   6. Flagger
      1. Qualifications
      2. Equipment
      3. General
      4. Stations
      5. Control Procedures and Signals
   
   
5. Types and Methods of Signing
   
   
   1. General Requirements
   2. Regulatory Signs
   3. Warning Signs
   4. Guide Signs
   5. Special Signs
   
   
6. Pedestrian Access, Control and Protection
   
   
7. Bicycle Access
   
   
8. Detours and Street Closures
   
   
   1. Permission and Notification
   2. Detour Requirements
   3. Requirements within Streets Closed to through Traffic
   
   
9. Emergency Work
   
   
10. Enforcement
    
    
11. Barricading and Signing Illustrations
    
    Symbols and Legends
    Shoulder Work
    Work Area on Right Side of Street (Minor Arterials)
    Right Lane Closure (4 lane 2-way street)
    Left Lane Closure (4 lane 2-way street)
    Work Area in Center of Street
    Center Lane Closure (one-way street)
    Multiple Lane Closure (one-way street)
    Half Roadway Closure (Traffic Over Centering)
    Work Area in Center of Intersection
    Work Area Beyond Intersection (curb lane)
    Work Area Beyond Intersection (center lane)
    Work Area Beyond Intersection (center lane - left turn provided)
    One Lane Closure (2 lane 2-way street - horizontal curve)
    Survey Crew (Intersection - arterial street)
    Warning Light Applications During Nighttime Operations