HIGHWAYS AND STREETS

RCW 35A.47
in effect

RCW 35A.47.010 Highways, granting land for.

A code city may exercise the powers relating to granting of property for state highway purposes as authorized by RCW 47.12.040 in accordance with the procedures therein prescribed. A code city may exercise the powers relating to granting of property for state highway purposes as authorized by RCW 47.12.040 in accordance with the procedures therein prescribed.

RCW 35A.47.020 Streets — Acquisition, standards of design, use, vacation and abandonment — Funds.

The designation of code city streets as a part of the state highway system, the jurisdiction and control of such streets, the procedure for acquisition or abandonment of rights-of-way for city streets and state highways, and the sale or lease of state highway land or toll facility to a code city, the requirements for accounting and expenditure of street funds, and the authority for contracting for the construction, repair and maintenance of streets by the state or county shall be the same as is provided in RCW 36.75.090 , chapters 47.08 , 47.12, 47.24 and 47.56 RCW, and the regulation of signs thereon as provided in chapter 47.42 RCW. Code cities shall be regulated in the acquisition, construction, maintenance, use and vacation of alleys, city streets, parkways, boulevards and sidewalks and in the design standards therefor as provided in chapters 35.68 through 35.79, 35.85, and 35.86 RCW and *RCW 79.93.010 relating to dedication of tidelands and shorelands to public use and in the use of state shared funds as provided by general law. The designation of code city streets as a part of the state highway system, the jurisdiction and control of such streets, the procedure for acquisition or abandonment of rights-of-way for city streets and state highways, and the sale or lease of state highway land or toll facility to a code city, the requirements for accounting and expenditure of street funds, and the authority for contracting for the construction, repair and maintenance of streets by the state or county shall be the same as is provided in RCW 36.75.090 , chapters 47.08 , 47.12, 47.24 and 47.56 RCW, and the regulation of signs thereon as provided in chapter 47.42 RCW. Code cities shall be regulated in the acquisition, construction, maintenance, use and vacation of alleys, city streets, parkways, boulevards and sidewalks and in the design standards therefor as provided in chapters 35.68 through 35.79, 35.85, and 35.86 RCW and *RCW 79.93.010 relating to dedication of tidelands and shorelands to public use and in the use of state shared funds as provided by general law.

RCW 35A.47.030 Public highways — Acquisition, agreements, transfers, regulations.

The provisions of Title 47 RCW shall apply to code cities, its officers and employees to the same extent as such provisions are applicable to any other class of city within the state, including, without limitation, the following: (1) The acquisition by the state of municipal lands and the exchange of state highway and municipal lands, as provided in chapter 47.12 RCW; (2) the dedication of public land for city streets as provided by RCW 36.34.290 and 36.34.300 ; (3) city contributions to finance toll facilities as provided in RCW 47.56.250 ; (4) contracts with the department of transportation, as provided in RCW 47.01.210 ; (5) the construction, maintenance, jurisdiction, and control of city streets, as provided in chapter 47.24 RCW; (6) agreements between the department of transportation and a city for the benefit or improvement of highways, roads, or streets, as provided in RCW 47.28.140 ; (7) sales, leases, or transfers as authorized by RCW 47.12.063 , 47.12.066 , and 47.12.080 ; (8) the erection of information signs as regulated by RCW 47.42.050 and 47.42.060 ; (9) provisions relating to limited access highways under chapter 47.52 RCW; (10) the acquisition and abandonment for state highways as provided by RCW 36.75.090 and 90.28.020 ; and (11) the sharing of maintenance of streets and alleys as an extension of county roads as provided by RCW 35.77.020 . The provisions of Title 47 RCW shall apply to code cities, its officers and employees to the same extent as such provisions are applicable to any other class of city within the state, including, without limitation, the following: (1) The acquisition by the state of municipal lands and the exchange of state highway and municipal lands, as provided in chapter 47.12 RCW; (2) the dedication of public land for city streets as provided by RCW 36.34.290 and 36.34.300 ; (3) city contributions to finance toll facilities as provided in RCW 47.56.250 ; (4) contracts with the department of transportation, as provided in RCW 47.01.210 ; (5) the construction, maintenance, jurisdiction, and control of city streets, as provided in chapter 47.24 RCW; (6) agreements between the department of transportation and a city for the benefit or improvement of highways, roads, or streets, as provided in RCW 47.28.140 ; (7) sales, leases, or transfers as authorized by RCW 47.12.063 , 47.12.066 , and 47.12.080 ; (8) the erection of information signs as regulated by RCW 47.42.050 and 47.42.060 ; (9) provisions relating to limited access highways under chapter 47.52 RCW; (10) the acquisition and abandonment for state highways as provided by RCW 36.75.090 and 90.28.020 ; and (11) the sharing of maintenance of streets and alleys as an extension of county roads as provided by RCW 35.77.020 .

RCW 35A.47.040 Franchises and permits — Streets and public ways.

Every code city shall have authority to permit and regulate under such restrictions and conditions as it may set by charter or ordinance and to grant nonexclusive franchises for the use of public streets, bridges or other public ways, structures or places above or below the surface of the ground for railroads and other routes and facilities for public conveyances, for poles, conduits, tunnels, towers and structures, pipes and wires and appurtenances thereof for transmission and distribution of electrical energy, signals and other methods of communication, for gas, steam and liquid fuels, for water, sewer and other private and publicly owned and operated facilities for public service. The power hereby granted shall be in addition to the franchise authority granted by general law to cities. No ordinance or resolution granting any franchise in a code city for any purpose shall be adopted or passed by the city's legislative body on the day of its introduction nor for five days thereafter, nor at any other than a regular meeting nor without first being submitted to the city attorney, nor without having been granted by the approving vote of at least a majority of the entire legislative body, nor without being published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the city before becoming effective. The city council may require a bond in a reasonable amount for any person or corporation obtaining a franchise from the city conditioned upon the faithful performance of the conditions and terms of the franchise and providing a recovery on the bond in case of failure to perform the terms and conditions of the franchise. A code city may exercise the authority hereby granted, notwithstanding a contrary limitation of any preexisting charter provision. Every code city shall have authority to permit and regulate under such restrictions and conditions as it may set by charter or ordinance and to grant nonexclusive franchises for the use of public streets, bridges or other public ways, structures or places above or below the surface of the ground for railroads and other routes and facilities for public conveyances, for poles, conduits, tunnels, towers and structures, pipes and wires and appurtenances thereof for transmission and distribution of electrical energy, signals and other methods of communication, for gas, steam and liquid fuels, for water, sewer and other private and publicly owned and operated facilities for public service. The power hereby granted shall be in addition to the franchise authority granted by general law to cities. No ordinance or resolution granting any franchise in a code city for any purpose shall be adopted or passed by the city's legislative body on the day of its introduction nor for five days thereafter, nor at any other than a regular meeting nor without first being submitted to the city attorney, nor without having been granted by the approving vote of at least a majority of the entire legislative body, nor without being published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the city before becoming effective. The city council may require a bond in a reasonable amount for any person or corporation obtaining a franchise from the city conditioned upon the faithful performance of the conditions and terms of the franchise and providing a recovery on the bond in case of failure to perform the terms and conditions of the franchise. A code city may exercise the authority hereby granted, notwithstanding a contrary limitation of any preexisting charter provision.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=35A.47&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026

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