About the study area
The study area encompasses a 5.5-mile section of SR 162 from SR 410 in Sumner to Williams Boulevard in Orting. Municipalities within the study area include portions of Puyallup, Orting, and Sumner.
Travelers and emergency services who use SR 162 often experience delays during peak commute hours. Continued development in this part of Pierce County will likely increase traffic volumes and emergency response times along the study corridor.
SR 410 is just north of the study area. WSDOT conducted a separate study focused on the SR 162/410 interchange in 2017.
Average Daily Traffic
Along the study corridor, generally the greatest traffic volumes occur on SR 162 around 128th Street East, between 96th Street East and Pioneer Way East, and just South of SR 410. In these stretches of the corridor, the annual average daily traffic (AADT) is between 21,000 and 23,000 vehicles. AADT is the total volume of vehicle travel on a road for an entire year, divided by 365.
Transportation modes
People use multiple travel modes to move along the SR 162 study corridor:
Active Transportation:
People biking, walking, and rolling along SR 162 can use the Foothills Trail, which has a separate path for bicyclists and pedestrians. This trail allows them to travel safely through the area. The Foothills Trail runs along the west side of SR 162 and is immediately adjacent to the SR 162 right-of-way south of Military Road East. North of Military Road East, the trail diverges from being immediately adjacent to SR 162.
There is limited infrastructure for people biking, walking, or rolling, beyond the Foothills Trail. SR 162 does not have sidewalks, and though the roadway may have a wide shoulder, they are paired with high traffic volumes and speeds from motor vehicles.
Taking transit:
SR 162 is currently outside of the Pierce Transit service area so there are limited transit options.
Crashes on SR 162 in the study area
Safety is WSDOT’s number one priority. This study will incorporate Target Zero practices to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on Washington’s roadways. Across the study area, there were 421 total vehicle crashes between 2019 and 2023, with 4 of them resulting in serious injury. There were 2 vehicle-to-pedestrian crashes and 1 vehicle-to-bicycle crash during that same period.
Disclaimer: Under 23 U.S. Code 148 and 23 U.S. Code 407, safety data, reports, surveys, schedules, list complied or collected for the purpose of identifying, evaluating, or planning the safety enhancement of potential crash sites, hazardous roadway conditions, or railway-highway crossings are not subject to discovery or admitted into evidence in a Federal or State court proceeding or considered for other purposes in any action for damages arising from any occurrence at a location mentioned or addressed in such report, surveys, schedules, lists, or data.
| Severity | Crashes | Percentage |
| No Apparent Injury | 283 | 67% |
| Other Injury | 134 | 32% |
| Serious Injury | 4 | 1% |
| Fatality | 0 | 0% |
| Total | 421 | 100% |
Emergency evacuation
Businesses and residents along the SR 162 corridor and in the Orting Valley can follow established Lahar evaluation walking routes in the event of a Mount Rainier eruption. This study’s recommendations will be in support of existing Pierce County emergency preparedness and evacuation plans. To learn more, visit Pierce County’s website.
Environment
The study will identify the impact of potential improvement strategies on river crossings, wetlands, flood hazard zones, fish passage barriers, and hazardous waste sites. Improvement strategies may be modified or removed from consideration depending on the level of impact they have on these environmental factors.
Equity and health disparities
The study will look at the challenges and advantages of possible improvement strategies for areas where minority, low-income, or other overburdened and vulnerable populations might be affected. These strategies will aim to direct more resources to places that have not received enough funding and support in the past.
Planned future improvements
There are several projects in the study area that improve travel for people driving, walking, rolling, or biking:
- SR 162 / 128th St Roundabout Project (Complete April 2026)
- SR 162 / SR 410 Interchange Roundabouts (Complete Summer 2026)
- Foothills Trail Realignment
- Rivergrove Community Pedestrian Bridge
- Orting Pedestrian Bridge