Chamber Supports Stronger Involvement in Sounder Route Selection

Following robust discussion at this morning’s Board of Directors meeting, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber agreed to work more closely with Sound Transit to pursue context sensitive solutions in selection of route alternatives and setting design standards in the Dome District for expanded Sounder service.

Directors also embraced the following broad goals by which to measure design and routing alternatives:

• Improve arterial traffic flow and linkages
• Preserve Historic Highway 99 as a community asset
• Minimize business closures and relocations
• Minimize train and vehicle conflicts
• Create new commercial development opportunities
• Improve the sense of entry to Downtown Tacoma and the Dome District

Directors tabled a motion to convene a new Programming & Design Summit, agreeing instead to work through the regional agency’s ongoing outreach efforts to examine alternative routing, reach community consensus and expedite action on the preferred alternative that results.

Chamber Chair Dave Senner observed that the routing decision “is a long-term decision that won’t be made again in our lifetimes” and hence needs to be carefully considered. After viewing multiple alternatives under study by Sound Transit—including two displayed in public for the first time anywhere—directors were asked by Pierce County Executive (and Sound Transit chair) John Ladenburg to consider that “the resolution is redundant—we’re already doing that [working with the community to foster broad public involvement].” Ladenburg and Sound Transit Executive Director Joni Earl invited directors and other Chamber members to participate in meetings that will culminate with a final alignment selected in April.