CHECKLIST FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN SUBMITTAL

CHECKLIST FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN SUBMITTAL | 1

Seattle Department of Transportation

700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2300 | P.O. Box 34996

Seattle, Washington 98124-4996

(206) 684-5253 | SDOTP[email protected]

2111

CLIENT ASSISTANCE MEMO

SEATTLE PERMITS - Part of a multi-

departmental City of Seattle series

on getting a permit

www.seattle.gov/transportation

CHECKLIST FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL

PLAN SUBMITTAL

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This Client Assistance Memo (CAM) should not be used as a substitute for codes and regulations. The applicant is

responsible for compliance with all code and rule requirements, whether or not described in this CAM.

Access to Information

Client Assistance Memos are available online at:

www.seattle.gov/transportation/document-library/client-

assistance-memos. Paper copies of these documents are

available at our Permit Services Counter located on the

23rd floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower at 700 5th Avenue

in downtown Seattle; phone number (206) 684-5253.

Last Revised 12/5/17

Traffic Control Plans may be required as part of a

Street Use Permit application.

This Client Assistant Memo (CAM) explains:

1. What is a Traffic Control Plan (TCP)?

2. When are TCPs required?

3. How to develop a TCP

I. Types of plans required

II. Base map requirements

III. How to show Traffic Control

4. Coordination requirements

5. How to Submit a TCP

1. WHAT IS A TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN?

Activities in the right of way (ROW) can impede public

mobility and access. Sometimes this requires placing

temporary traffic control such as signs, cones, and

delineators on the street, alley, or sidewalk to safely

redirect the traveling public around a work zone.

A Traffic Control Plan (TCP) is a safety plan that

illustrates how you will use temporary traffic

control to safely route the traveling public—such

as pedestrians, bicycles, motorized vehicles, and

transit—around your work zone.

2. WHEN ARE TCPs REQUIRED?

TCPs are required:

 When work is on or impacts mobility on an

arterial street

 If work is on or impacts any street within the

High Impact Area or a Construction Hub:

• The High Impact Area - Mercer Street to

the north, South Spokane Street to the

south, Interstate 5 to the east, and Elliott

Bay to the west (this area includes the

Central Business District)

• City-designated Construction Hubs, where

activities from multiple projects may

congest construction and impact mobility

 At the discretion of SDOT if the work poses a

significant mobility impact

3. HOW TO DEVELOP A TCP

I. Types of plans required:

 Work-hours plan: Submit a TCP that shows all

mobility impacts during construction hours.

 Non-work hours plan: Submit a TCP that shows

all mobility impacts after work hours when

limited or no work is happening in the ROW

 Changing construction phases: Submit a TCP

at each construction phase change even if the

traffic control is not modified

2 | SDOT CLIENT ASSISTANCE MEMO 2111

II. Base Map Requirements

The base map for your TCP must include a title block,

existing channelization, and existing site conditions.

See below for a list of all requirements.

A. Title Block Requirements

In low-center or lower right corner of plan, include:

 Project address

 Brief description of work

In upper-center of plan, include:

 Label as ‘Work Hours’ or ‘Non-work Hours’

 Phase of work

In upper right corner of plan, include:

 Label as ‘Traffic Control Plan’

 Street Use permit number (if known)

 Hours the TCP will be in place

 24-hour contact person’s name, company,

phone number, and email address

 North arrow

 Scale bar if feasible (preferred scales: 1:20,

1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 1:60)

In left center of plan, include:

 Standard notes:

1. Reserve curb space with Traffic Permits

684-5086 in Pay Station blocks

2. Haul Routes to be submitted to Don Smith,

City Truck Officer, [email protected]

3. Metro trolley coaches cannot shift more

than 9' from the center of their overhead

lines. Contact Metro Trolley at 477-1150

or trolley.impacts@kingcounty.gov. For

Metro non-trolley coach or other transit

agency relocations contact 477-1140 or

construction.coord@kingcounty.gov

4. Sidewalks are either open or not open. A

sidewalk is closed if a minimum 4' path

cannot be maintained measured from

property line, or 5 ½' if created from face

of curb

5. Standard Advance Warning Signs shall

be used for plates or rough road during

after-hours, including “Motorcyclist” sign

6. If only one lane is open in a direction,

that lane shall be a minimum of 11' wide,

unless spotter/flaggers are used, in which

case the lane can be a minimum of 10'

7. Flaggers shall be used in accordance with

WAC 468-95-302. UPO will be required if a

traffic signal could be countermanded

B. Existing channelization

The TCP must show current channelization of the ROW

impacted by the work. This information may be found

using the TCP Base Map web tool provided by SDOT at

http://web6.seattle.gov/sdot/trafficcontrolplanmap/.

If the TCP Base Map web tool does not reflect current

conditions, a plan must be developed that includes:



Channelization lines (including painted

crosswalks)

 Lane widths

 Curb lines (face of curb)

 Sidewalks

 ROW limits

 Adjacent property addresses

 Street names

 Street centerline

 Other traffic controls currently in-place

C. Existing Site Conditions

Existing site conditions such as access points, transit

facilities, curb space, and other ROW elements must

be shown on the TCP. Existing site conditions may

include:

 Business access points and driveways

 Bicycle facilities

• Protected Bicycle Lanes (PBL) -- bicycle

lanes physically separated from vehicles by

barriers or other traffic-control devices

• “Cycle Tracks”

• Bicycle lanes delineated by painted striping

on pavement

• City-designated bike ways and greenways

• Refer to the City of Seattle Bike Master Plan

for additional information about existing and

proposed bicycle infrastructure

 Transit zones including bus stops, overhead

trolley lines, at-grade Street Car and Light rail

tracks.

 Visibility restrictions such as trees, power

or utility poles, and/or street furniture (such

as benches or public art) that may affect

pedestrian, bicycle, or vehicle traffic.

 Show parking lanes (also known as “curb

space”) in or adjacent to your work zone and

also on nearby streets that your work will affect.

Indicate parking designations, such as 3-minute

passenger or load zones, pay-to-park parking

stalls, parking meter locations, and residential

parking zones (RPZs).

CHECKLIST FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN SUBMITTAL | 3

III. How to Show Traffic Control

You must show temporary traffic control on your TCP

base map. The City of Seattle Traffic Control Manual

for In-Street Work (TCM) provides guidance on which

temporary traffic control devices should be used for

Seattle’s specific urban conditions. It also explains

how the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual

on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) has been

interpreted for use in Seattle. The most current edition

is available for download as a pdf: www.seattle.gov/

transportation/document-library/manuals/traffic-

control-manual.

In addition to the requirements of the above mentioned

manuals, the following elements are also required:

 Footprint of the work zone including:

• Dimensions of the work zone

• Location dimension from a fixed object or

ROW line to the edge of each work zone

limit

 Pedestrian detours or reroutes, refer to CAM

2110: How to Plan, Document and Implement

Pedestrian Mobility In and Around Work Zones

 Bike lane and trail detours and/or closures;

the public must be notified 72 hours in advance

using on-site signage

 Revised traffic lane widths:

• Each lane must be at least 11' wide when

only one lane is available in one direction

 Potential access problems for bordering

properties; label alternative access points and

routes.

 Call out and label proposed temporary traffic

control signs, as well as channelization device

locations, types, and numbers. Identify any

specially-worded signs or other necessary non-

conventional devices. Either call out spacing or

attach TCM spacing chart.

 Locations of flaggers or police officers

4. COORDINATION REQUIREMENTS

Coordination with other SDOT Divisions or agencies

may be required during or after your permitting

process.

Curb space impacts:

• Carpool space impacts: Nathanial Frost at

(206) 684-5312 or nathanial.fr[email protected]

• Short term parking and load zone impacts:

Call: (206) 684-5086

In-Person:

Seattle Municipal Tower

700 Fifth Ave, Floor 37

Seattle, WA 98104

• Long term parking impacts and pay station

removal/relocation: No-Park signs are not

recommended for long term parking impacts,

please contact Kelly Hall at (206) 684-5370 or

kelly[email protected] at least 10 business days

prior to beginning work

Haul route approval: Please contact Don Smith at

(206) 684-5125 or [email protected] at least 10

business days prior to beginning work, additional

coordination with more advance notice may be

required in High Impact Areas.

Transit impacts: The contractor shall notify King

County Metro Transit in advance of any construction

that may disrupt transit service per the following

schedule.

A. Five working day notice for any work requiring a

temporary bus stop

B. Ten working day notice for relocation of a bus

shelter or reroute of bus service

C. Fifteen working days advance notice to

deactivate overhead trolley wires (known as

an “outage”) and activate electric-storage-

battery trolley busses. Generally allowed only

on weekends and subject to vehicle and staff

support capacity restrictions.

D. No two consecutive transit stops may be closed

• If trolley wires are present, call (206) 477-1150 or

email trolley.impacts@kingcounty.gov

• If trolley wires are not present, call

(206) 477-1140 or email construction.coord@

kingcounty.gov

4 | SDOT CLIENT ASSISTANCE MEMO 2111

Traffic control requirements outside the

City of Seattle:

• King County Traffic Engineering Department:

1-800-KC-ROADS (1-800-527-6237)

• Washington State Department of Transportation

(WSDOT): Northwest Region Construction Traffic

Office (206) 440-4471

• City of Shoreline: Traffic Engineer (206) 801-2431

• City of Tukwila: City Engineer (206) 431-2455

5. HOW TO SUBMIT A TCP

Traffic Control Plans are submitted to SDOT as part

a Street Use permit application package. A TCP may

be submitted by itself if an application was previously

submitted.

• Email your TCP to SDO[email protected]v.

If submitting your TCP as part of a utility permit

application, email SDOTUtilPermits@seattle.gov.

(SIP and UMP applications must be submitted in

person)

• Or submit in person at our Street Use Permit

Services Counter. Location and hours of

operations for the Street Use Permit Services

Counter are below.

Street Use Permit Services Counter

700 5th Ave, Suite 2300

Seattle, WA 98104

Hours of Operation:

www.seattle.gov/transportation/permits-and-

services/permits/permit-counters-client-assistance-

memos

Please visit the Street Use website at the below link

for application requirements for each type of permit.

www.seattle.gov/transportation/permits-and-

services/permits

RESOURCES AND LINKS

The City of Seattle Traffic Control Manual for In-Street

Work

www.seattle.gov/transportation/document-library/

manuals/traffic-control-manual

City of Seattle Street Classification Map

http://seattlecitygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/

webappviewer/index.html?id=a808f790a24e474d86ec

de00dae81cee

City-designated Construction Hubs

www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-

programs/programs/project-and-construction-

coordination-office/construction-hub-coordination

SDOT TCP Base Map web tool

http://web6.seattle.gov/sdot/trafficcontrolplanmap/

City of Seattle Bike Master Plan

www.seattle.gov/transportation/document-library/

modal-plans/bicycle-master-plan

City of Seattle Protected Bike Lanes

www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-

programs/programs/bike-program/protected-bike-

lanes

CAM 2110 How to Plan, Document and Implement

Pedestrian Mobility In and Around Work Zones

www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SDOT/

CAMs/cam2110.pdf

Establishing Temporary No Parking Zones

www.seattle.gov/transportation/permits-and-

services/permits/parking-permits/temporary-no-

parking-permits

CAM 2114 – Temporary No Parking Signs and Easels

www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SDOT/

CAMs/CAM2114.pdf

Street Improvement Permit (SIP) Application

www.seattle.gov/transportation/permits-and-

services/permits/street-improvement-permits