MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for Streets and Sidewalks

Street Names: Where Policy and History Meet

March 5, 2018 by Lynn Nordby
Category: Streets and Sidewalks

Wherever you travel the names of the local streets can help you find your way, confuse you, or very often tell you a bit about the unique history of the community. Having a logical, local policy on street naming (or renaming) can provide help future generations understand and retain the original meaning.

Understanding Municipal Rights-of-Way: From Centerline to Edge (Part 3)

December 7, 2017 by Oskar Rey
Category: Streets and Sidewalks

In Part 3 of Legal Consultant Oskar Rey's series on municipal rights-of-way, he looks at utilities, franchises, small cell facilities, and right-of-way use permits.

Understanding Municipal Rights-of-Way: From Centerline to Edge (Part 2)

November 7, 2017 by Oskar Rey
Category: Streets and Sidewalks

In the second of three posts on understanding municipal rights-of-way, Legal Consultant Oskar Rey discusses sidewalks, street trees, and the areas near the outer edge of the right-of-way.

Understanding Municipal Rights-of-Way: From Centerline to Edge (Part 1)

September 27, 2017 by Oskar Rey
Category: Streets and Sidewalks

MRSC gets a lot of inquiries about street rights-of-way. Over the years, we have touched on specific aspects of rights-of-way on our website and in blog articles. In this two part series, MRSC Legal Consultant Oskar Rey will cover the fundamentals of rights-of-way and the duties of local government and abutting owners.

Summer Fun: Tips on Holding Summer Community Celebrations

June 19, 2017 by Flannary Collins
Category: Administration and Management , Streets and Sidewalks

Summer officially commences on Tuesday, June 20, and a lot of Washington cities and counties take advantage of the lovely Washington summers by holding a community celebration. In this post, Flannary Collins covers how to incorporate food and drink into your festivities as well as considerations related to parades.

Smarter, Safer Roads by Design

November 8, 2016 by John W. Carpita, PE
Category: Streets and Sidewalks

A while ago, I asked a group of city and county PWDs/Engineers these questions: “What neat and innovative things are your public works consultants and contractors doing on your road projects and what is on your wish list?” Aside from this tongue-in-cheek response: “I’m anxious for pre-striped, asphalt roads that come in big rolls, like sod,” no one r...

Municipalities Now Responsible for Addressing View-Obstructing Roadside Vegetation

February 4, 2016 by Bob Meinig
Category: Streets and Sidewalks

In a short, unanimous opinion issued last week, the Washington Supreme Court concluded that a municipality – a city or county – can be held liable for hazardous conditions on its roads created by naturally occurring roadside vegetation.

Filling Gaps in your City’s Streetscape

April 23, 2015 by John W. Carpita, PE
Category: Streets and Sidewalks

Your city likely has locations where undeveloped lots are platted, or just exist, without the full range of improvements that are required in today's subdivisions – and now you have folks who want to build on these lots. A likely scenario is that the street serving those lots was once a rural two-lane road without sidewalks, curb and gutter, or storm drains, or that city ordinances at...

What is the Nature of a Public Right-of-Way?

January 2, 2014 by Bob Meinig
Category: Streets and Sidewalks

I often come across misconceptions that local government officials have regarding the nature of a city or county right-of-way – the improved part termed a “street” if located in a city and a “road” if located in the unincorporated county. These misconceptions center on the issue of ownership.

Sidewalk Trip and Fall . . . Who is at Fault? Who Pays?

May 1, 2013
Category: Streets and Sidewalks

Many damage claims are brought against municipalities as a result of someone slipping, tripping, or falling on a sidewalk. If a jurisdiction fails to keep its sidewalks in a reasonable state of repair, free of...