What are Transportation Impact Fees (TIFs)?

• If you build a project that brings more people to Shoreline's streets (like an extra apartment or a new business), you'll need to pay a transportation impact fee.
• The more people and trips on the transportation system your project is likely to bring, the higher the fee. Larger projects have a bigger impact on the transportation system.
• Washington State law requires cities to manage traffic caused by growth. Impact fees help pay for the roads and other transportation improvements needed to handle more people.
• These fees can only be used to make our transportation system handle more people and trips, not for regular maintenance.

Why does Shoreline have TIFs?

• The Growth Management Act, A Washington state law, requires cities to provide transportation facilities to accommodate growth.
• The City has pinpointed the projects that need to be implemented as development comes to different areas of the City. Impact fees will pay for improvements in these areas to ensure our transportation system can handle added growth.

Want to learn more? 

• Check out Shoreline Municipal Code 3.80 for more details on TIF
• You can also read about recent changes to the fee program in Ordinance 998 and Ordinance 1005.

How are fees calculated? 

• The City has a fee schedule that shows how much different types of projects (new homes, businesses, etc.) will need to pay.
• If you are replacing something that already existed, you may get a discount on your fees based on what was previously there.
• You can use our Traffic Impact Fee estimation form  for a rough idea of how much your project might cost.
• High Activity Areas (HAAs): Projects located in a High Activity Area will have less of an impact on the transportation system with lots of existing travel options other than vehicles. Projects in HAAs qualify for an automatic 15% reduction. 

Important Note: HAA reduction doesn't apply to the following types of projects: 

Are there any Exemptions? 

Yes, some projects may be exempt from paying the full fee, or any fee at all. You can find the full list of exemptions in the Shoreline Municipal Code 3.80.070. Here’s a brief summary of some key exemptions:

• Remodels or other minor projects that do not expand the usable space
• Public benefit projects
  • Low-Income Housing provided
  • Community-based human service agencies
  • Early Learning Facilities
  • Community Land Trusts

• Certain Businesses
  • Ground-floor non-residential uses
  • Eating and drinking establishments
  • Office and production-oriented uses such as light industrial or manufacturing

Important Note: the following business uses are not eligible for the exemption:

Independent Fee Calculation

Per Shoreline Municipal Code 3.80.060, an applicant may opt to provide an independent fee calculation, rather than using the fees determined by the fee schedule. The independent calculation must use the same methodology used to establish impact fees in the fee schedule, which can be found in the 2023 Transportation Impact Fees Rate Study. An independent calculation is limited to adjustments in trip generation rates and person trip adjustments which then adjusts the transportation impact fees.

Can my fees be adjusted?

In some cases, yes. The City may be able to approve adjustments to trip rates based on specific factors about your project through an Independent Fee Calculation. Here are some examples of adjustments that have been considered in the past:

• Similar Site: If you have data showing your project will generate less traffic based on a comparable project, the City might agree to a reduction. If you’re providing your own traffic data, the City Traffic Engineer will need to approve it.
• High Activity Areas (HAAs): Project submitting an independent fee calculation can still receive a reduction when located in a High Activity Area.

Important Notes: 

•  If your independent calculation uses trip rates from the latest version of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual, any land use that gets a reduction for proximity to transit cannot also receive a reduction for HAA.
• In High Activity Areas, it’s assumed that trips taken are lower impact, so the fee is reduced, but the trip rate remains the same. 

• Travel Demand Management: If you include strategies designed to encourage people to use alternatives to driving alone, the City Traffic Engineer may approve a reduction in your fees. Here's how it works:

Strategies and their level of impact:

High Impact: Free or discounted ORCA transit passes, on-site amenities (like coworking space, gym, bicycle service center), providing safe and convenient bike/walking routes through the site (higher reductions for lighting, greenery, vehicle separation).

Medium Impact: Unbundled parking (charging separately for parking) and reduced onsite parking, onsite childcare, employer-supported telework or compressed work week, vanpools, shuttles to transit hubs (may be high impact in some cases).

Lower Impact: Reduced cost carpool parking, locker rooms with showers for bike commuters, bike share (medium in some cases), vehicle share programs and ride-hailing space (may be medium or high in some cases).

Important Notes:

• These are just examples – you'll need to work directly with the City Traffic Engineer to discuss potential adjustments for your specific project.
• You won't get credit for things you're legally required to do anyway in the City’s code (like providing bike parking).
• The surrounding area is already factored into other potential discounts through the HAA reduction.

• Internal Trips: If your project has different uses (like homes and a store), some people might walk between them instead of driving. This means fewer cars on the road, so your fees may be reduced. National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) developed a report and associated spreadsheet to calculate internal trips of a given site.
• Pass-by Trips: Some people might already be driving by your project and decide to stop (like picking up groceries on the way home). Since they're not making a special trip just for your project, these may also reduce your fees. The standard TIF calculation already takes pass-by trips into account, so when submitting an independent calculation, you may also assume the same percentage of pass-by trips found in the 2023 TIF Rate Study.

SEPA Mitigation Areas

Sometimes, when growth occurs beyond what was expected, an additional project is scoped in order to address the additional growth. In these cases, projects within a specific area are required to pay an additional fee related to the additional project.

1st Ave and N 155th St – Projects within the NE 148th Link Station Sub-Area must pay a mitigation fee proportional to the number of trips the project is expected to add to the intersection. Shoreline has developed a standard calculation based on estimated total project trips and proximity to the intersection. Please reach out to Alec Bumgarner (abumgarner@shorelinewa.gov) for more information regarding the fee.