SDOT’s Street Use team reviews, issues, and inspects up to 35,000 permitted right-of-way uses each year, and continues to improve services with updates to regulations, fees, and hours.
PORR to ROWORR and More 2017 Street Use Changes
The Pavement Opening and Restoration Rule (PORR), is now the Right-Of-Way Opening and Restoration Rule (ROWORR). The change expands the scope of the rule beyond street pavement to public right-of-way areas. The updated regulations and requirements include:
- Increasing the pavement opening moratorium from 3 to 5 years
- A sliding scale for restoration requirements, based around the street’s condition
- More guidance on ADA accessibility ROW requirements, including ADA-compliant curb ramps
- A wider scope that better includes Green Storm Infrastructure
- Shorter timeframes for permanent restoration projects
- Making it more cost-effective for groups to coordinate projects, while increasing costs for groups that fail to coordinate
For additional details on the upcoming changes for ROWORR, please reference the Right-of-Way Opening and Restoration Manual, available in PDF form at: www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/ROWORR_Manual.pdf
New Fee Structure
Our hourly review and inspection rate fee is now $209, up from $196. However, some fee decreases are also now in effect, for 2017. 
For example, occupancy fees for installing or removing public art are now $138, down from $146. Miscellaneous private temporary right-of-way use is decreasing to $146, from $305. And, for street and alley paving under 750 sq. ft. we are eliminating use fees including transit-related infrastructure, but not utility installation.
For more details on these changes, please contact Street Use Operations Manager Liz Sheldon at elizabeth.sheldon@seattle.gov or read our 2017 Fee Schedule Fact Sheet.
New Counter Hours
Starting in 2017, permit services hours are:
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 8 AM to 5 PM
- Tuesday and Thursday: 10:30 AM to 5 PM
The change comes after reviewing our customers’ needs and priorities. An increasingly high number of permit applicants submit their applications electronically, which requires a higher number of our permit reviewers to be behind a computer. By adjusting our hours, we can expand our team’s capacity to process permits.
The new hours also align with Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections’ (SDCI) permit counter service hours; the change helps streamline permit processing for larger projects involving both departments.
Happy New Year!