The bill creates a new chapter in Title 47 RCW (sections 1–7) that requires permittees doing work in certain public right-of-way zones to maintain continuous, accessible pedestrian passage for the duration of the work. It makes same-side temporary pedestrian routes the default and prohibits sidewalk closures in those zones unless a same-side route is infeasible; detours to the opposite side are allowed only when same-side reroutes are infeasible and the detour provides accessible curb ramps, marked crossings, and meets Americans with Disabilities Act design standards. The act takes effect January 1, 2027. The bill adds procedural requirements: permittees must submit a pedestrian access safety plan for work in the covered zones that includes maps of reroutes/detours/barriers/signage, an accessibility analysis, and an emergency access plan, with additional hospital projects required to document coordination with hospital transportation, security, and emergency departments. Local permitting authorities may inspect work zones and must give notice and an opportunity to correct compliance issues within no more than 24 hours; continued noncompliance may lead to stop work orders, civil penalties, orders to correct or replace temporary pedestrian facilities, and repeated violations may lead to permit revocation. The bill also directs the department to adopt implementing rules, including design standards for pedestrian reroutes and detours, and states that local government is not liable for damages or injury incurred as a result of any lack of compliance. The new rules apply to the department, to local governments that have not adopted their own standards for pedestrian reroutes and detours as of the act’s effective date, and to all public or private entities performing work that requires right-of-way permits within the covered zones. Hospital and public park impact zones are defined as public right-of-way within 300 feet of the property border; school speed zone and school walk zone protections apply during “school days” as defined elsewhere in statute. The bill also adds conforming new sections to city/town (chapter 35.68 RCW), code city (chapter 35A.21 RCW), and county (chapter 36.01 RCW) codes. Some important specifics are not included in the extracted text: the new chapter number in Title 47 RCW is not specified, the identity of “the department” is not stated here, the amounts of any civil penalties and exact permit application or plan submission timelines are not provided, the bill does not list the specific ADA technical standards cited, and the objective criteria for when a same-side reroute is “feasible” are not detailed.

If this becomes law on January 1, 2027, contractors, utility crews, cities, counties and other permit holders doing work near hospitals, parks, schools, or in specified right-of-way zones will likely have to spend more time and money planning and building accessible, protected pedestrian routes instead of closing sidewalks. That means extra up-front work to prepare and submit pedestrian access safety plans, buy or install temporary barriers, decking, ramps, lighting and signage that meet ADA standards, and in hospital zones coordinate with hospital transportation, security and emergency departments to keep entrances and ambulance routes open; failure to comply can lead to inspections, stop-work orders, civil penalties and possible permit revocation after a brief (no more than 24-hour) correction period, which raises the risk of project delays and additional costs for permittees and may require more enforcement capacity and rulemaking from state and local permitting authorities. Key financial and operational effects are therefore concentrated on permittees, who bear most of the added costs and coordination responsibilities, and on permitting authorities and local governments, which must adopt standards, inspect work zones and enforce the new rules; hospitals and park/school operations will see fewer blocked entrances but must be available for required coordination. Important details that affect how big these impacts will be—such as the dollar amounts for fines, the precise ADA technical specifications to apply, the department named to write rules, and exact submission and review timelines for safety plans—are not specified in the provided facts, so the practical scope of costs and enforcement workload is uncertain.