Walking Redmond
Redmond offers many opportunities to walk, bike or skate. There are many trails, sidewalks and walking paths to walk whether for fun, exercise or simply to get from place to place within the city or on an urban trail. Visit Redmond’s East walking map (PDF) and West walking map (PDF) offer many choices to encourage you to put one foot in front of another.
Read our Share the Trail brochure (PDF) filled with best behavior and safe practices when sharing the trail with others.
Resources
Redmond’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee helps enhance Redmond’s non-motorized transportation system to better enable people to safely and efficiently move about the community by foot and bicycle.
Go Redmond provides incentives for people using alternative modes of transportation to get to work.
The following are safety elements the City has deployed for pedestrian safety:
- RRFB (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon)
- Crosswalks
- Countdown Signals & Push Buttons
- Pedestrian Zone Signs
- School Zones
NEW Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) Crosswalk enhancements were installed in 3 locations throughout 2020.
- NE 90th St & 161 Ave NE near the Bella Botega Complex
- NE 104th St & 172nd Ave NE adjacent to Hartman Park, Redmond High School and Horace Mann Elementary
- 140th Ave NE & NE 74th St on the Rose Hill & Stella Schola Middle Schools walking routes
The installations were paid with funds from the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. The enhancements were installed in-house as a coordinated effort between Redmond’s Street Maintenance Technicians and Traffic Operation, Safety and Engineering’s Signal Technicians.
Below is a Solar Configured System which saves the City money upfront and in the future.
Location: NE 104th St & 172nd Ave NE near Hartman Park, Horace Mann Elementary and Redmond High School
NE 90th St & 161st Ave NE is also a Solar system
140th Ave NE & NE 74th St. is an AC powered system, which was installed thanks to a nearby power source
Upcoming Project
RFFB to be installed at NE 79th & 169th Ave in the near future
Washington State Law
The law in Washington State places a legal obligation on drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, drivers must come to a complete stop.
Washington State's crosswalk law (RCW 46.61.235) says:
1. Drivers must stop if a pedestrian is in their half of the roadway
2. Drivers must stop if a pedestrian is within one lane of their half of the roadway
3. Once the pedestrian is beyond one lane of their half of the roadway, drivers may go
A crosswalk is any portion of the road outlined with white paint, or created by reflective pavement markings or a different texture of concrete like brick pavers. These markings identify the portion of the road that is designated for pedestrian travel and define a "marked" crosswalk. It is the preferred crossing location for pedestrians, particularly if the crosswalk is enhanced by a traffic signal. However, using a crosswalk does not relieve pedestrians from using due care for their own safety.
A mid-block crosswalk is a crossing marked in between intersections, usually at an uncontrolled location (without a traffic signal or a stop sign). They are designed to discourage pedestrians from making random crossings by offering a convenient location to cross in an area without frequent intersection crossings.
Legal pedestrian crossings exist at every intersection, whether the crosswalk is marked or not.
Requesting a Marked Crosswalk
The decision to install a marked crosswalk is taken very seriously. Crosswalks are not marked unless anticipated benefits clearly outweigh the risks. When a request comes into the City for a marked crosswalk, the location will be reviewed to determine if marking a crosswalk is warranted.
Criteria for crosswalk installation is determined differently for a stop controlled intersection and an uncontrolled location.
At Controlled crossing locations, marked crosswalks may be installed when any of the below conditions are met:
- Signalized intersections, regardless of volume
- School walking routes, regardless of volume
- Multi-use path, regardless of volume
- Stop-controlled intersections with over 3,500 vehicles per day
At uncontrolled crossing locations, marked crosswalks may be installed when any of the below conditions are met:
- There is a high volume of pedestrian traffic
- The distance to the nearest crosswalk is substantial
Uncontrolled crossings must be installed with enhancements such as crosswalk signs, advance warning signs, rectangular rapid flashing beacons, median refuge islands, in-street pedestrian signs on delineators, etc.. Because of the necessary enhancements, these crosswalks can be costly and may take years to acquire funding.
These crosswalks will be installed if funding is available and they meet any of the below conditions are met:
- Multi-use paths
- School walking routes
- Significant pedestrian generators ( stores, restaurants, parks )
- Significant transit stops
- The City of Redmond marks crosswalks under limited conditions, considering such factors as pedestrian volume, traffic volume, traffic speed, and roadway configuration.
If you would like the City to consider a marked crosswalk at a specific location, you can submit your request via email to Crosswalk Request.
Countdown signals tell pedestrians the number of seconds that are left to cross the street before the traffic signal changes. Pedestrian countdown signals are installed at all of Redmond's signalized intersections. These new signals improve safety by helping pedestrians make an informed decision about crossing the street. Traffic engineers calculate crossing distances based on a pedestrian walking speed at 3.5 feet per second, which is slower than most people walk.
Meaning Of Signal Displays
Pedestrian "Walk" Signal When the pedestrian signal shows a steady white image of a walking person, it is your turn to cross. Watch for turning traffic | Flashing "Don't Walk" Hand SignalWhen the red hand is flashing, pedestrians should not begin to cross, but those already crossing may continue. The countdown timer display shows pedestrians how many seconds they have to finish crossing. | Solid Red "Don't Walk" Hand SignalThe solid red hand means do not start crossing. Pedestrians should not be in the crosswalk. Push the pedestrian button and wait for the next "walk" signal. |
If you are concerned about pedestrian signal timing at a particular location, or have another traffic safety issue, Report an Issue or email Signal Timing.
Pedestrian Push Buttons
Pedestrian actuated signals are installed at intersections where traffic signals are timed primarily for vehicular traffic. If you don't push the button to activate the pedestrian signal, the traffic signal may not allow you time to safely cross the street. It only requires one push of the button to activate the pedestrian crossing signal.
Located around Redmond's Downtown Pedestrian District communicate to drivers they are in an area where they can expect higher volumes of people walking.
Look for the pedestrian zone signs at these locations:
- Leary Way north of West Lake Sammamish Parkway
- Redmond Way west of West Lake Sammamish Parkway
- NE 85 Street east of 154 Avenue NE
- NE 90 Street east of 154 Avenue NE
- Redmond-Woodinville Road north of NE 90 Street
- 166 Avenue NE north of NE 85 Street
- Redmond Way near Bear Creek Crossing
- Avondale Way from westbound Union Hill Road
- NE 80 Street at 170 Avenue NE
Encouraging traffic to move safely when approaching schools and school crosswalks is an important part of what we do in the Public Works Department.
Twenty-three 20-MPH school zone speed limit signs with interactive radar feedback are installed throughout the city to help calm traffic near schools and help pedestrians more safely negotiate school crosswalks. These sophisticated signs display the driver's speed, displays a prominent "Slow Down" message when exceeding the active speed limit, and amber beacons flash to notify drivers when the 20-MPH speed limit is active.
Each year, in late August, the school district finalizes their calendar and schedule, including holidays, vacation days and parent/teacher conferences, for each school within the city. The Public Works department updates the programming of each of our interactive 20- MPH school zone speed limit locations with the information from the school schedules.
City maintenance staff maintain and repair these units as well as, add orange flags to school crosswalk signs each Fall to remind the motoring public that school is about to start.
While technology, signs, markings and flags all make a critical contribution to traffic safety, we must never forget that it is the careful attention shown by drivers and pedestrians that is paramount to ensuring safety in school zones!
The City of Redmond encourages children to walk to school. Learn more about the program on the GoRedmond SchoolPool program page.
Update
The Albert Einstein Elementary school zone has been extended to the east on NE 116th St. This was done to capture the many students that walk further east than the previous school zone boundary.
An ordinance change was approved in August 2020 to alter the school zone.
Look out for the newly installed signs which have been flagged. Please be aware of this change and adjust speeds accordingly.
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Report an Issue
Use the City’s request management system to report non-emergency issues, make requests, and find answers to common questions.
In case of emergency, call 911.
Report Issue or Make Request
Related Documents
Other Resources
To Request a Crosswalk
Use the City's "Report an Issue" tool above.