When an individual or company develops property in unincorporated Pierce County, they pay traffic impact fees. The fees are charges on new development that help pay for transportation system improvements required to accommodate higher travel demand added by new development. 

Fees can only be used to add transportation system capacity required to support new development and are not used for maintenance or operations work.

Traffic impact fees are used to help:

• Reduce traffic congestion
• Reduce delays at intersections
• Build more roadway connections
• Encourage economic development

Changes to the Traffic Impact Fee program went into effect Feb. 1, 2019. Learn about rates, methods used for calculating rates, policies, and regulations adopted by Pierce County Council Ordinance 2018-71s. You may also view the fee schedule.

The Pierce County Transportation Advisory Commission (TAC), working with Pierce County Planning and Public Works, started meeting January 2017 to review the Traffic Impact Free program and develop recommendations for the 2019 update.

The program was initially passed by Ordinances 2006-60s and 2006-61s with effective date of Jan. 1, 2007. It was later updated by Ordinance 2012-63.

Pierce County is divided into four Transportation Service Areas under the updated program. These geographical areas are based on future land use, growth and transportation investment needs. Traffic impact fees by type of development vary within the areas.

Roadway and intersection projects anticipated to support future transportation needs reflect a total cost of $700 million, with Traffic Impact Fees expected to generate $253 million for these projects.

The projects include:

• Intersections (traffic signals, turn lanes and roundabouts)
• Road projects that address:
  • Concurrency (keeping roadways within acceptable congestion levels)
  • Corridors and connectors (linking roadways to improve traffic flow)
  • Plateau corridors (Tehaleh and nearby communities)
  • Mobility (economic development)
  • Completed projects (awaiting additional Traffic Impact Fees)