In the event there is a conflict between the development standards of this Chapter 23.80 and provisions of Chapter 23.66 , Chapter 25.12 , or Chapter 25.16 , the provisions of Chapter 23.66 , Chapter 25.12 , or Chapter 25.16 shall apply. A. Blank facades. Street-facing facades and facades facing publicly accessible spaces, blank segments between 2 feet and 8 feet above the sidewalk, may not exceed 20 feet in width. For purposes of this subsection 23.80.008.A, facade segments are considered blank if they do not include at least one of the following: windows, publicly accessible doorways or entryways, porticos, architectural detailing or treatments that provide visual interest and variety, screening, public art, murals, landscaping, or green walls. B. Transparency. At least 60 percent transparency between 2 feet and 8 feet above the sidewalk shall be provided for all facades of publicly accessible enclosed spaces facing a street or other publicly accessible exterior spaces. Transparent areas of facades shall be designed and maintained to provide views into and out of the structure. Entryways and doorways to publicly accessible areas may be excluded from the transparency requirement if open during operation and perforated metal, or similar material allowing visibility into and out of a structure, is provided when temporarily closed. C. Screening. Freestanding fences, walls, or retaining walls that are accessory to a light rail transit facility, exceeding 4 feet in height and facing a publicly accessible area, shall include: 1. A minimum 5-foot depth of landscaped area adjacent to the wall or fence where site dimensions and site conditions allow; and 2. Aesthetic treatment consisting of architectural detailing, artwork, trellises, decorative fencing, or similar features to provide visual interest. D. Maximum unmodulated facade length. The maximum length of a facade without modulation is 50 feet. The Director may allow unmodulated facades to exceed 50 feet if the facades include architectural detailing, artistic features, materials, textures, transparency, or similar features to effectively modulate the building facade. E. Entry structures and entry plazas. Entry or portal structures or portions of structures with entries to underground light rail transit stations shall be designed with building form, signage, colors, and related features and characteristics that support visibility and wayfinding at system entry points. F. Overhead weather protection. Continuous overhead weather protection shall be provided on all light rail transit station structures that abut public pathways, at station entries, at bus loading locations, and outdoor platform waiting areas. 1. Overhead weather protection shall have a minimum depth dimension of 8 feet measured horizontally. 2. The installation of overhead weather protection shall not result in any obstructions in the sidewalk area. At ground level, the lower edge of the overhead weather protection must be a minimum of 10 feet and a maximum of 15 feet above the sidewalk. 3. Overhead weather protection at designated outdoor platform waiting areas shall protect platform waiting areas to the platform edge, or to the maximum feasible extent without interfering with the movement of trains, to minimize effects of weather on passengers at train doors. 4. Overhead weather protection in the rights-of-way shall be subject to review and approval by the Director of Transportation. Overhead weather protection for bus loading locations shall be determined by the bus service provider in coordination with the Director of Transportation. G. Height. Light rail transit facilities, including stations and guideways, are not subject to zoned height limits except for the height limits in Chapter 23.64 . H. Landscaping 1. Green Factor. Light rail transit stations with above-grade, at-grade, or retained cut platforms, and ancillary facilities, including but not limited to venting structures and traction power substations, shall provide landscaping that achieves a Green Factor score of 0.3 or greater. 2. Street trees are required at light rail transit stations and ancillary facilities, including but not limited to venting structures and traction power substations. The Director of Transportation will determine the number, type, and placement of street trees to be provided. I. Light and glare. Adequate lighting for pedestrians shall be provided. Exterior lighting shall be shielded and directed away from adjacent uses. J. Odor. The venting of odors, fumes, vapors, smoke, cinders, dust, and gas shall be at least 10 feet above finished sidewalk grade and directed away from uses located within 50 feet of the vent. K. Access, street improvements, and motor vehicle parking 1. The Director shall consult with the Director of Transportation to determine the required location for motor vehicle access from a right-of-way to a light rail transit facility. The access location shall enhance pedestrian safety and comfort, facilitate transit operations and maintenance, facilitate the movement of vehicles, minimize the on-street queuing of vehicles, enhance vehicular safety, and minimize hazards. 2. Light rail transit stations and ancillary facilities, including but not limited to venting structures and traction power substations, shall be subject to Chapter 23.53 . Light rail transit stations and ancillary facilities may not utilize the street and alley improvement exceptions in Chapter 23.53 that are based on minimum gross floor area thresholds for non-residential uses and expansions of outdoor storage or parking supply. 3. Light rail transit facilities, including motor vehicle, transit, pedestrian, bicycle, and shared micromobility facilities for operation of new light rail transit facilities, shall demonstrate a right-of-way design consistent with Chapter 23.53 and the Streets Illustrated Right-of-Way Improvements Manual or successor rule unless otherwise allowed by the Director of Transportation. Where such facilities cannot be accommodated in the right-of-way, they shall be provided on the station site. Site and right-of-way design shall be reviewed in consultation with the Director of Transportation. 4. Pedestrian lighting shall be provided in the right-of-way adjacent to light rail transit facilities. 5. Light rail transit facilities' vehicle and pedestrian access outside of the rights-of-way shall meet the following requirements unless the requirements are waived or modified by the Director to enhance pedestrian safety and comfort, facilitate transit operations and maintenance, facilitate the movement of vehicles, minimize the on-street queuing of vehicles, enhance vehicular safety, or minimize hazards: a. A maximum of two vehicle travel lanes may be provided to connect light rail transit facilities to the right-of-way. Vehicle travel lanes have a maximum width of 9 feet, except vehicle travel lanes used by buses or freight vehicles have a maximum width of 11 feet. Lanes for bus loading and unloading and bus layover are not considered travel lanes. b. Curb cuts for one-way traffic shall be a minimum of 12 feet and a maximum of 15 feet, and curb cuts for two-way traffic shall be a minimum of 22 feet and a maximum of 25 feet. c. Vehicle travel lanes shall meet sight triangle requirements of Section 23.54.032 . d. Pedestrian walkways shall be provided adjacent to vehicle travel lanes and have a minimum unobstructed width of 8 feet except that the minimum pedestrian walkway width shall be 18 feet adjacent to station entries and the minimum unobstructed multiuse path width shall be 12 feet where the pedestrian walkway is shared with bicycles and other mobility devices. Where pedestrian walkways and paths for bicycles and other mobility devices are separated, the paths for bicycles and other mobility devices shall comply with the minimum requirements of the Streets Illustrated Right-of-Way Improvements Manual or successor rule. e. Pedestrian walkways shall include a horizontal or vertical separation between the walkway and a vehicle travel lane. f. Curb ramps are required where a pedestrian walkway crosses a vehicle travel lane or right-of-way. g. Lighting shall be provided along all travel lanes, pedestrian walkways, multiuse pathways, and bicycle facilities. 6. Vehicle parking provided at light rail transit facilities shall comply with Sections 23.54.030 , 23.54.031 , 23.54.032 , 23.54.033 , and 23.54.034 . L. Bicycle parking and shared micromobility device parking for light rail transit stations 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this subsection 23.80.008.L: "Bicycles-on-board ratio" is the assumed proportion of bicycle riders that will take their bicycles with them on a train trip, which is 50 percent. "Central stations" are stations located within the Downtown Urban Center with greater than 10,000 projected daily boardings. "Daily total boardings" is the projected horizon year daily passenger boarding volume at a station, as defined in a final EIS for a link extension, or other subsequent documentation if prepared for a future system expansion. "Horizon year" means the year used in projecting the highest analyzed level of future ridership. "Local stations" are those stations located in intermediate vicinities that are not served by central stations, mid-center stations, or terminus stations. "Mid-center stations" are those located within one-half mile of the Downtown Urban Center or stations within the Downtown Urban Center with less than 10,000 projected daily boardings. "Morning peak passenger ridership" is assumed as one-third of daily total boardings at a station projected for the horizon year, based on boarding volumes documented in a final EIS for a link extension, or other subsequent documentation if prepared for a future system expansion. Daily boardings generated by riders transferring to and from trains on other light rail link segments shall not be included in the daily total boardings. "Planned bicycle mode share" is defined as an estimated proportion of a station's total boardings that will made by persons using bicycles as their primary means of accessing a light rail station. "Shared micromobility" refers to fleets of small, low-speed vehicles designed for personal transport, including but not limited to bicycles and scooters, and operated as a network by for-profit, non-profit, or government entity. They are available for membership to the general public on a pay-per-use or pass basis. "Terminus stations" are those stations located at the end of a light rail system route in the City of Seattle. 2. Bicycle parking demand "D" is calculated as the morning peak passenger ridership multiplied by the planned bicycle mode share percentages in Table A for 23.80.008, which is then multiplied by 0.5 (the bicycles-on-board ratio). 3. To serve the bicycle parking demand "D" for opening day of service, the required minimum number of bicycle parking spaces shall be provided as follows: a. The minimum bicycle parking amount required at opening day of service at a light rail station shall be calculated using the "day-of-opening" planned bicycle travel mode share percentages in Table A for 23.80.008; b. Two-thirds of the minimum bicycle parking shall be long-term bicycle parking; c. One-third of the minimum bicycle parking shall be short-term bicycle parking; d. If the bicycle parking demand "D" is less than 54 total spaces, a minimum number of 54 bicycle parking spaces shall be provided, which shall be allocated two-thirds to long-term spaces and one-third to short-term spaces; e. Bicycle parking to meet day-of-opening requirements shall be provided on the light rail transit station site, or may be located within the right-of-way if approved by the Director of Transportation. Table A for 23.80.008 Planned bicycle mode percentages for light rail station types Station type Day-of-opening In-reserve Terminus 5.5% 1.5% Local 4% 3% Mid-center 2% 2% Central 1% 1% 4. If average use of the bicycle parking at a light rail transit facility exceeds 85 percent of capacity at a future date, measured using methods that the Director shall adopt by rule, additional bicycle parking shall be required. The amount of additional required bicycle parking, described as the "in-reserve requirement," shall be calculated using the planned bicycle travel mode shares for the "in-reserve requirement" in Table A for 23.80.008. In-reserve required bicycle parking may be provided on the light rail transit station site, or within 200 feet of the site, or in right-of-way if approved by the Director of Transportation. 5. The Director may require more or fewer than the minimum number of bicycle parking spaces and micromobility space requirements based on the following: area topography; pattern and volume of expected bicycle users; nearby residential and employment density; proximity to the Urban Trails system and other existing and planned bicycle facilities; projected transit ridership and expected access to transit by bicycle; and other relevant transportation and land use information. Prior to adjusting the minimum number of parking spaces for bicycles, the Director shall consult with the Director of Transportation. 6. The minimum space for shared micromobility device parking shall be: 240 square feet for terminus stations and 120 square feet for other station types. 7. Bicycle and micromobility device parking locations shall be located as close to station entrances as feasible and may be located within the right-of-way if approved by the Director of Transportation. 8. Bicycle parking shall meet the following performance standards: subsections 23.54.037.B.1, 23.54.037.B.3, 23.54.037.B.4, 23.54.037.B.5, 23.54.037.B.8, and 23.54.037.B.9. 9. Parking locations shall be provided with level-entry routes, and, if bicycle parking is located above or below the surface level, it shall be served by features such as elevators sized to accommodate bicycles and runnels on stairs to aid bicycle movement. 10. The applicant shall demonstrate bicycle parking design will accommodate a variety of bicycle types, including but not limited to, electric bikes and cargo bikes. 11. Shared micromobility device parking shall be clearly delineated, located at ground level, be without access obstructions and not encroach on pedestrian access paths, include adequate lighting, and include directional signage to promote easy wayfinding. M. Solid waste. Solid waste and recyclable storage space shall be provided for light rail transit stations. Requirements for solid waste and recyclable storage space shall be determined by the Director in consultation with the Director of Seattle Public Utilities. (Ord. 127376 , § 72, 2025; Ord. 127228 , § 34, 2025.)