Murray Morgan Bridge Closures in February Rescheduled

Closures to vehicle traffic on the Murray Morgan Bridge (11th Street in Tacoma) are planned to allow for dredging to be conducted in the Thea Foss Waterway.

This dredging activity has been delayed by one day from the original announcement and now will occur Feb. 4-5, and Feb. 10-11, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. During these times the lift span of the bridge will be raised to allow marine vessels to pass; however, vessels are urged to use caution while passing due to the presence of barges under the bridge.

During the closures there will be limited pedestrian access from ‘A’ Street to the elevator and stairs only, with all other pedestrian access closed until work is complete.

For more information on the Murray Morgan Bridge, visit here.

City's Response to Unsightly Camps

Exhibit A
T Street Encampment Cleanup
*Arrows demarcate the approximate areas of
dumping and encampment related debris

The City of Tacoma began their search to find a contractor to provide on-call transient camp clean up and removal of hazardous materials. Although this is not intended to solve homelessness, these sites are unsightly and discourage other citizens and visitors to enjoy our city.

The Environmental Services Department proposal shows the first transient camp site to be remedied is the "T-Street Encampment" near Portland Avenue Park. This cleanup is in direct response to trash left at these encampments when transients are evicted from sites. The contracting services include environmental assessment, containment, cleanup, and disposal of hazardous materials and debris from City managed locations.

The bid deadline expires on February 10 at 11 a.m. A contract is expected to be awarded in March with work to be completed by the end of 2016. More information on the contract can be found here.

Murray Morgan Bridge Closures Scheduled for Waterway Dredging in February

Closures to vehicle traffic on the Murray Morgan Bridge (11th Street in Tacoma) are scheduled to allow for dredging to be conducted in the Thea Foss Waterway.

These closures are scheduled for Feb. 3-4, and Feb. 9-10, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. During these times the lift span of the bridge will be raised to allow marine vessels to pass; however, vessels are urged to use caution while passing due to the presence of barges under the bridge.

During the closures there will be limited pedestrian access from ‘A’ Street to the elevator and stairs only, with all other pedestrian access closed until work is complete.

For more information on the Murray Morgan Bridge, visit here.

Accessing Downtown - Detour Delayed Two Hours for Jan. 21, 2015

The Washington State Department of Transportation released a time delay in the detour scheduled to start on Wednesday, January 21, 2015. 

This Traffic Advisory announced that the ramp closure for southbound I-705 time has been pushed back to start at 7 p.m. and will continue until 5 a.m. Thursday, January 22. Please be advised that this detour will direct motorists onto southbound I-5 and through the South 56^th Street interchange causing heavy traffic delays for motorist who access downtown.

This closure was initially scheduled at 5 p.m. but has been rescheduled to 7 p.m. Which means if you were expecting delays at 5 p.m., you have been given a two hour reprieve! The WSDOT mindfully changed the delay time away from one of the busiest times in traffic for our area.

The ramp is set to close for bridge construction to allow contractor crews to situate heavy equipment on the ramp to build a particularly challenging foundation for a new bridge pier. For more information on the changes to the bridge click here. 

Please check the latest roadway conditions with WSDOT’s online travel tools, such as Tacomatraffic.com, Travel Alerts web page, the Olympic Region Weekly Construction and Traffic Updates web page, and follow the WSDOT Twitter feed. 

Remembering the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The City of Tacoma celebrated the 27th Annual birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this past weekend and was held in downtown on January 19, 2015 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center that drew a crowd of more than 2,000 people.

Many came to the event in a solidarity march with a performance that included several choirs,  several artists depicting the days in the life of the civil rights leader and impassioned words from representatives. This annual celebration was created as a reminder of Dr. King's legacy focusing on the words he once spoke, "Life's most persistent and urgent question, 'What are you doing for others?'"

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray also spoke, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve,’” Murray said, quoting a King speech. “Let’s take Dr. King up on that challenge for greatness.” Murray urged the community leaders to expand educational opportunities for all and stressed that we should all find a way to serve in our community. Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy and South Sound Democratic congressmen Denny Heck and County Councilmen Derek Kilmer along with Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland were also among the representatives who spoke.

This January let us remember the legacy of our American hero - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by conscientiously living his dream of equality and service.

Tacoma Link Expansion on the Horizon

There is an expansion of the Tacoma Link on the horizon which comes as great news for the Tacoma-Pierce County region! At the beginning of January Sound Transit's Capital Committee officially launched Phase 3 of the Tacoma Link expansion project that should be complete at the end of 2015.

Sound Transit approved the contract for $1.7m with CH2m Hill, Inc to provide engineering services. This preliminary engineering process will bring the Tacoma Link Expansion project to 30% design. The engineers will begin to review additional design specification for the final construction. 

The BIA is excited for this project and what it can mean for our local business. Furthering our public transit in the City of Tacoma will continue to connect the city and bring visitors into the downtown region.  We will be following this story as more information is announced. 

Council Consideration Request: Theatre District Branding

The Tacoma City Council is continuing a conversation for a formal designation of the Downtown Theater District. The City started their conversation during the Committee of the Whole on January 6th. Council member Thoms brought up this request to the Council to designate a formal point of center for the Theater District on 9th and Broadway.

The promotion and marketing of the district is aligned with City of Tacoma's North Downtown Subarea Plan that was adopted this past year. This plan highlighted the Theater District as an area that is identified as a key public gathering place and hub of cultural and civic events.

Although Council member Thoms initially proposed a district with boundaries shown in the map below, the City decided that a central designation would be a more flexible plan, and at the same time adding the prestige and sense of identity. During the committee  meeting Thoms stated, "(legitimizing an official name) is more of a mechanism than a formal district, not as a way to apply for grants, but for signage and formal designation purposes. It is something we have been calling it for a long time, but we do this now in the hopes that it would have some economic benefits to use as a tool in the future."

This request would allow the City to brand and promote the Theater District identity. The BIA welcomes this official designation and believes that it will enhance the legitimacy of what Downtown Tacoma has to offer.

Previous Proposed Theater District Boundaries
City of Tacoma