ORD 23-946 - Relating to Weight and Load RegulationsORDINANCE NO.23-946
AN ORDINANCE of the City of Federal Way, Washington, relating to
Weight and Load Regulations; amending FWRC 8.40.030 Designated
vehicle routes; and adding a new Chapter 8.43 FWRC, Weight and Load
Regulations, including sections 8.43.010, 8.43.020, and 8.43.030.
(Amending Ordinance Nos. 00-365, 91-103, and Resolution No. 09-539).
WHEREAS under Chapter 8.40 of Federal Way Revised Code ("FWRC"), the City of
Federal Way ("City") has designated certain truck haul routes within the City, and restricted all other
streets within the City to allow only vehicles under 30,000 pounds gross weight, with certain
exceptions for local deliveries; and
WHEREAS the City has experienced a marked increase in the daily travel of oversized and
overweight vehicle loads over recent years; and
WHEREAS many of these oversized and overweight vehicle loads do not travel along the
City's designated truck haul routes; and
WHEREAS the City desires to minimize the wear and damage upon the City streets and
infrastructure by haulers planning and assessing proposed routes; and
WHEREAS the City desires to work cooperatively with haulers and assess risk and damage
upon the legally responsible parry; and
WHEREAS under Chapter 46.44 RCW, cities are authorized, with respect to public highways
under their jurisdiction, to require and authorize a special permit for operation of vehicles exceeding
the statutory size, weight, and/or load maximums established in said chapter; and
WHEREAS the FWRC does not currently detail the mechanism for obtaining such a special
permit, or the associated provisions, standards, and enforcement with respect to such special permit;
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and
WHEREAS the City desires to explicitly codify the special permit requirement and all
associated provisions, standards, and enforcement, in order to provide clarity to regulated haulers and
to improve permitting consistency and efficiency.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FEDERAL WAY,
WASHINGTON, DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
.Section 1. FWRC 8.40.030 is hereby amended as follows:
(1) The public works director shall erect, or cause to be erected and maintained, signs designating the
following public highway, streets and thoroughfares within the city as vehicle routes for all vehicles .
rated in excess of 30,000 pounds gross weight (gw) as defined by RCW 46.16.111, which is adopted
by this reference:
(a) State Route 5, Interstate Highway 5;
(b) State Route 18, State Route 99 to State Route 5;
(c) State Route 99, Pacific Highway South;
(d) State Route 16.1, Enchanted Parkway;
(e) State Route 509, Dash Point Road;
(f) South 320th Street, State Route 99 to State Route 5;
(g) 16th Avenue South, State Route 99 to State Route 18;
(h) Milton Road South, State Route 161 to South 369th Street;
(i) South 356th Street, State Route 99 to State Route 161.
(2) All other streets within the limits of the city shall be restricted to allow only vehicles rated under
30,000 pounds gross weight, except as provided for in FWRC 8.40.040, or as authorized by special
Ordinance No. 23-946 Page 2 of 5
permit under Chapter 8.43 FWRC.
Section 2. Chapter 8.43, Weight and Load Regulations, of the Federal Way Revised Code is
hereby added to Title 8, Traffic and Vehicles, to read as follows:
8.43.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish a special permit requirement pursuant to RCW 46.44.090
for oversized or overweight loads in the City, with associated provisions, standards, and
enforcement.
8.43.020 Special permits for oversize or overweight movements.
(1) Permit required. No vehicle of a size, weight, or load exceeding the restrictions set forth in RCW
46.44.OM 46.44.030, 46.44.034, or 46.44.041, as the same now exist or may hereafter be amended.
nna operate or move upon city streets without a special pegnit as provided in this section. In
addition and not by wa of limitation, no vehicle rated in excess of 30.000 pounds gross weight ma
operate or move upon city streets without a special permit as provided in this section, unless such
vehicle is operating and moving exclusively on designated truck routes pursuant to FWRC
8.40.030(l), or is exempt from the designated truck route restriction under FWRC 8.40.040(1).
(2)14nnlication, iss lance, compliance. The public works director, may, upon written application,
issue a special pernlit electronically or in writing authorizing the applicant to operate or move upon
such city streets as the public works director deems suitable and capable of withstanding such
increased load without undue injury to the street. The applicant shall comply with all rules,
regulations, terms, and conditions of the special permit.
(3) License required No special permit for an overweight vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be
issued to any vehicle or combination of Vehicles unless such vehicle or combination or vehicles is
Ordinance No. 23-946 Page 3 of 5
licensed for the maximum aross weight allowed by law.
(4) Fees_ Special permit fees, including any associated route inspection fees prior to and/or after
haul, shall be assessed and collected by the city as set forth in the applicable section of the current fee
schedule_
(5j Suspension or rei,occation of permit. if the public works director determines that a vehicle or a
combination of vehicles is operating in violation of the conditions of a permit issued under this
chapter, the -ublic works director may suspend or revoke the permit in writing for a period not to
exceed one year. The pen -nit holder may file a request for review of the public director's decision to
suspend or revoke the permit in writing on the form provided by the city within 14 calendar days of
the public works director's written notice of the suspension or revocation. The failure to timely file
such a request shall constitute a final bar to later seek such review. No administrative fee will be
imposed for the request, and the director of public works shall issue their determination in writing.
8.43.030 State statutes adopted.
RC W 46.44.095 and RCW 46.44.105 as the same now exist or are hereinafter amended, are ado Led
by reference.
Section 3. Severability. Should any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase
of this ordinance, or its application to any person or situation, be declared unconstitutional or invalid
for any reason, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance
or its application to any other person or situation. The City Council of the City of Federal Way
hereby declares that it would have adopted this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence,
clauses, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections,
sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Ordinance No. 23-946 Page 4 of S
Section 4. Corrections. The City Clerk and the codifiers of this ordinance are authorized to
make necessary corrections to this ordinance including, but not limited to, the correction of
scrivener/clerical errors, references, ordinance numbering, section/subsection numbers and any
references thereto.
Section 5. Ratification. Any act consistent with the authority and prior to the effective date of
this ordinance is hereby ratified and affirmed.
Section 6. Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty (30) days
from and after its passage and publication, as provided by law.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Federal Way this 17th day of January, 2023.
CITY OF FEDERAL WAY:
Owva. MIM o ri
ATTEST:
4P.6w— &A5�t
SiVPAANIE COURTNE , C C, CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
RYAN CALL, CIT ORNEY
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: 12/28/2022
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: 01/17/2023
PUBLISHED: 01 /20/2023
EFFECTIVE DATE: 02/19/2023
ORDINANCE NO.: 23-946
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