Street & Grounds Maintenance

To report an urgent issue with a city roadway including roadway hazards, obstructions, and spills, please call 425-587-3900.

Non-emergency road issues may be reported via the Our Kirkland portal or to 425-587-3900 during business hours.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) maintains the state highway system including I-405, its on and off ramps, and adjacent traffic signals. They can be contacted at 206-440-4000.

Abandoned vehicles should be reported to the Kirkland Police Department, 425-577-5656.

Residents with specific neighborhood traffic concerns may submit a request to the Transportation Division through the City's Our Kirkland portal.

Current Capital Improvement Program projects

Suggest a Capital Improvement project

The Street and Grounds Division maintains public sidewalks, paths, and trails in the City of Kirkland. To report an urgent issue, please call 425-587-3900.

You may report a non-emergency issue via the Our Kirkland portal or call 425-587-3900 during business hours.

In Kirkland, the adjacent property owner is responsible for keeping the public sidewalk adjoining their property clear of any debris or obstructions. This includes leaves, snow, and ice. Vegetation must be kept trimmed to a height of at least eight feet above the sidewalk.

Blowing or moving leaves and debris onto the sidewalk or into the street is prohibited.

Upon request, the City may notify a property owner that they need to clear the sidewalk of overgrown vegetation within a specified period of time.

For more information, see the following sections of the Kirkland Municipal Code:

• 11.64.040 Littering prohibited—Penalties
• 19.04.010 Obstructions in right-of-way
• 19.20.020 Abutting property owner to maintain sidewalk in safe condition
• 21.41.302 Control of Overgrown Vegetation, Removal of Overhanging Vegetation and Fire Hazards

For emergency right-of-way tree issues, such as an uprooted or fallen tree or a large branch dangling, please call 425-587-3900.

For both public and private non-emergency tree issues, please call the Planning and Building Department at 425-587-3600.  A Public Tree Removal application or Public Tree Pruning application is required for tree removal and pruning requests located within the City right-of-way. See the City’s Tree Webpage for more information on how to apply. 

For safety reasons, Puget Sound Energy handles tree issues within 12 feet of power lines, 1-888-225-5773.

The city does not respond to tree issues on private property. If a right-of-way tree has fallen onto private property, it is the private property owner’s responsibility. If you would like more information about filing a claim, please call the Human Resources Department at 425-587-3214 or visit the Claims for Damages page. 

In Kirkland, property owners are responsible for trimming and maintaining the right-of-way adjacent to their property except for maintaining right-of-way trees. Please contact the Planning and Building Department at 425-587-3600 if you wish to request pruning of a right-of-way tree.

The city does seasonal mowing on a rotating schedule in areas where larger equipment is required. 

In general, the Street and Grounds Division sweeps all roads six to seven times per year. The period from October to March is typically performed on a three- to four-week schedule. From April through August there are approximately 10 to 12 weeks between sweeps.

Sometimes street sweeping priorities are shifted by emergencies, traffic incidents, severe weather conditions, and garbage and recycling schedules. As we enter fall, the leaf volume changes and dramatically slows progress around the City.

Because the City sweeps streets on a regular basis, individual requests for sweeping in a particular area, neighborhood, or street are not accepted. The City cannot provide advance notice of sweeping days or times.

Please note that blowing or moving leaves and debris into the street is prohibited. Moving leaves into the streets increases the risk of storm drain flooding, creates hazardous driving conditions, and slows down the street sweepers. 

Snow priority route map(PDF, 2MB)

Anti-icing route map(PDF, 2MB)

City of Kirkland snow and ice response plan(PDF, 494KB)

During snow and ice events, the Public Works Department focuses resources on snow removal operations, de-icing, traction improvements, and selected road closures to mitigate hazardous traveling conditions.

During these events, personnel and resources are focused on our Priority 1, 2, and 3 routes (see maps above). They are also working alongside the Kirkland Police and Kirkland Fire Departments to ensure proper emergency response. If you have an emergency, please call 911.

Crews may begin working on non-priority roads when maintenance on the priority routes is completed.

Plowing, de-icing, and sanding is not done upon request since resources are directed primarily at the priority routes and arterials.

Please note that as a resident or property/business owner in Kirkland, you are responsible for keeping sidewalks adjacent to your property clear of any debris or obstructions including snow and ice. 

Graffiti can be reported via the Our Kirkland portal or by calling 425-587-3900 during business hours.

To report an active incident of graffiti, please call the Kirkland Police Department at 425-577-5656. 
Kirkland Police Department’s graffiti resource guide(PDF, 273KB).

The City does not remove graffiti on private property. The City will notify the property owner and encourage them to remove the graffiti quickly.

If the graffiti is on property associated with the state’s highway transportation system, it can be reported via the Washington State Department of Transportation’s graffiti reporting page.

Graffiti at bus stops can be reported to King County Metro at 206-477-3850 or Sound Transit at 1-888-889-6368. 

Litter and illegal dumping in the public right-of-way can be reported via the Our Kirkland portal or at 425-587-3900 during business hours.

Illegal dumping on private property can be reported via the Our Kirkland portal or to the Kirkland Planning and Building Department at 425-587-3600.

Dead wildlife in the public right-of-way can be reported via the Our Kirkland portal or at 425-587-3900.

Dead domestic animals should be reported to Kirkland Animal Control, 425-577-5656.

To participate in Kirkland’s Adopt-a-Road litter control program, please submit a request via the Our Kirkland portal.

Streetlights in the right-of-way in Kirkland may be maintained by the Public Works Transportation Division, Puget Sound Energy, or another agency.

You may report a streetlight outage via the Our Kirkland portal or to 425-587-3900. You will be informed if Puget Sound Energy maintains the streetlight in question.

Streetlight issues can be reported to Puget Sound Energy at 1-888-225-5773 or on their website. Examples of PSE pole numbers can be found here. 

To report an issue with a City parking lot or garage, please call 425-587-3900. For emergencies, dial 911.

For a list of City-maintained parking facilities and more information on parking in Kirkland, check out the Downtown Parking website.