A Facelift for Freighthouse Square

After two years of strenuous conversations over the location of the new Tacoma Amtrak station, the Washington State Department of Transportation is happy to announce that the new location will be located at the historic Freighthouse Square. 

The new station and construction will be necessary because passenger trains will now be using new routes starting in 2017. Instead of the existing station on Puyallup Ave, the new location with be at the to-be renovated Freighthouse Square. The new location will cut eight minutes off travel time for those going to and from the Seattle-Portland stations and will relieve congestion on the waterfront line. Along with these improvements, Amtrak will be increasing the number of passenger trains traveling from Seattle to Portland from five daily trips to seven in 2017. The Washington State Department of Transportation are putting the final touches on the plans and will be advertising for bids in February and are hoping that construction will begin mid-spring. 

So far the plans for Freighthouse square include the middle portion of the building to be demolished and replaced with the new station, on the original footprint. Currently WSDOT is still negotiating details and selling price with the building’s owner, Brian Borgelt. While the process has been rather long and drawn out, Borgelt is hopeful that everything will be settled soon. 

One thing that comes to mind when talking about Freighthouse is all the small business located within the building. Borgelt has made it one of his goals to keep the businesses in the non-demolition location open and viable for business. The businesses located within the breakdown sight have already been moved out in preparation. 

For more information click here.

Two Big Wins for Tacoma Transit

Last week the Sound Transit Board approved their 2016 budget, which dedicated funds to Tacoma, Lakewood, Federal Way, Seattle, Everett and other transit systems. The Sound Transit Board approved an overall budget of $1.2 billion; $802.9 million of that was dedicated to expansions with an emphasis on light rail expansions. 

Some of the plans include $44 million to complete the final design and begin constructing the Tacoma Trestle, $7 million for the Tacoma Link extension, $11 million to complete final design and start construction of an expanded Sounder layover facility in Lakewood that will accommodate added south line service by 2017, $9 million to purchase new coaches for expanded Sounder service to Lakewood, and many other projects around Western Washington. 

More funding will be made available to Tacoma from the Federal Transit Administration's budget, as voted on last week by the House and Senate. Sound Transit reports $74.99 million in Small Starts funding will be dedicated to extending the Tacoma Link light rail line into the Hilltop neighborhood. The funding will go specifically towards the expansion voters approved in 2008. The expansion will create an additional 2.4 miles along Stadium Way to the Hilltop District. 

Moving forward with the strong support for continued expansions the Sound Transit Board will be placing a comprehensive package for voters to consider next November. The measure will be known as the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure and will be available as a draft in early 2016. 

Follow the links below for more information: 

RT&S

Business Examiner 

$15 Mil. for Tacoma LINK Expansion

Today, Sen. Patty Murray announced the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the City of Tacoma $15 million for the Tacoma LINK Expansion through the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant program Sen. Murray created in 2009.

The project will expand downtown Tacoma's existing streetcar line to more than double its current length, and add several stations with improved bicycle and pedestrian access.

“This is the kind of investment that can transform neighborhoods and help local economies grow and create jobs,” Senator Murray said. “As Tacoma continues to grow, it’s critical that all citizens-- including students, workers, and families-- have access to safe, reliable transit. I’m proud to keep fighting for the federal TIGER grant program because it continually reinvests in our communities, brings our transit systems into the 21st century, and helps our economy grow from the middle out, not the top down.”

Earlier this year in an official letter of support, Sen. Murray urged Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to consider the grant, citing the project’s ability to connect communities and spur economic activity. In addition to the Tacoma LINK Expansion grant, Sen. Murray also announced today that the Washington State Department of Transportation has been awarded $10 million to construct a new ferry terminal in Mukilteo.

Since Sen. Murray created the TIGER program, it has awarded $4.1 billion to 342 innovative, multimodal projects around the country, including $204 million going to 13 projects in Washington state. Past projects include the North Spokane Corridor, the Mercer Corridor Redevelopment, the South Park Bridge Replacement in King County, the West Vancouver Freight Access project at the Port of Vancouver, improvements to I-5 to relieve congestion around JBLM, and moderation of Terminal 46 at the Port of Seattle.

Background on Tacoma LINK Expansion Project:
•         Project approved by voters in 2008 as part of Sound Transit 2 Plan
•         Supported by Tacoma City Council, Pierce County, Sound Transit, Tacoma Public Schools, Group Health, University of Washington-Tacoma, Evergreen State College, Tacoma Housing Authority, and more
•         With expansion, the existing 1.6 mile streetcar line will gain an additional 2.4 miles, for a total system length of 4 miles
•         The expansion includes six additional stations with service planned for 17 hours/day
•         The expansion would connect downtown Tacoma to the Stadium and Hilltop Districts, where 25 percent of residents are low-income and 30 percent of households have no vehicle
•         The expansion would provide access to Tacoma’s “Medical Mile,” which includes major hospitals and medical centers, and five educational facilities serving nearly 17,000 students
•         Transit trips are expected to increase from 1 million to 3.5 million annually, for a daily ridership increase of nearly 85 percent

Murray Morgan Bridge Closure Feb. 14

A closure to vehicle traffic on the Murray Morgan Bridge (11th Street in Tacoma) is scheduled from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14.

This closure will allow for the final stages of dredging to be conducted in the Thea Foss Waterway. During this time 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 closure 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.

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. 

Murray Morgan Bridge is Open

After more than two years closed, Tacoma's Murray Morgan Bridge opened without ceremony on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. But the vital transportation link between the Port of Tacoma and downtown Tacoma will not be without fanfare. 

The Cty of Tacoma is hosting Murray Morgan Bridge Week, Feb. 11-16, with featured discounts at local businesses.  A 5k Light The Bridge Fun Run is being held on Thursday, Feb. 14 (register here).

A Centennial Celebration  will be held on Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. that will feature speeches from local elected officials and a processional across the newly opened Murray Morgan Bridge. Downtown On the Go is coordinating the multi-modal processional that will include bicycles, pedestrians, LeMay Museum cars and historical Pierce Transit buses. Contact dotg@tacomachamber.org if you are interested in participating.

Getting to the celebration

The Murray Morgan Bridge is located near the intersection of  11th and A Street in downtown Tacoma, easily accessible by many modes of transportation. Parking is limited, find your options on the celebration website.

Read more about the Murray Morgan Bridge.

More Wayfinding Feedback

After a great open house last night, there is plenty of feedback to sort through on how to best implement wayfinding along Pacific Avenue.  However, if you weren't able to make it, you still have a few days to provide feedback via this form.

If you can't access the form, please contact me at this link or simply answer the questions below:

1) Regarding vehicular wayfinding, what are your your top three priorities for destinations in each area:
a) Downtown Core
b) Downtown Theater District
c) Downtown UWT
d) Foss Waterway
e) Stadium District
f) Hilltop District
g) Dome District

2) Regarding pedestrian maps, what key locations should be identified on a kiosk at each of the following locations:
a) Pacific Avenue & South 9th Street (SW corner)
b) Pacific Avenue & South 12th Street (West side)
c) Pacific Avenue & South 17th Street (NW corner)

3) Any additional input for future phases of wayfinding in Tacoma?

Once you've got some answers, please send them to Sue O'Neill at the City, Patricia Lecy-Davis at Go Local, and/or David Schroedel at the BIA/Chamber.  If you're feeling extra daring, you could share your thoughts with the world by posting them below.  If you are trying to figure out what this is about, please visit our prior post on the subject.

Wayfinding Open House 11/9: Pacific Avenue & Beyond

There has been a lot of discussion about the Pacific Avenue Streetscape Project and the reconfiguration of the street (most recently here).  However, this project also includes a consideration of wayfinding to and around downtown and beyond.

Next Wednesday, November 9th, the City of Tacoma, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, and Go Local will co-host a wayfinding open house from 5 to 6PM at the Chamber's offices (950 Pacific Avenue, 3rd Flr, 98402).  If you stop by any time during the open house, you can see current designs and provide feedback on visitor destinations and information for wayfinding signage and kiosks.

If you're curious about wayfinding, with a feeling that we've talked about this before, you'd be right.  While the conversation certainly goes beyond the life of this blog (& blogs in general) a quick primer on wayfinding within the BIA can be found in this post from over five years ago.

Focusing on helping people not familiar with downtown and Tacoma in general, what destinations do you send visitors to?  How do you give people directions to get there?  How do we better connect destinations, not only with signage, but also with design and infrastructure?  These are all big questions that allow us to attract and serve visitors better and deserve an appropriate level of thinking.

What: Wayfinding Open House
Where: Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, 950 Pacific Avenue 98402, 3rd Flr
When: November 9, anytime 5-6PM
Why: Gain feedback on key visitor destinations/information for wayfinding signage & kiosks.
More: www.cityoftacoma.org/pacave or Sue O'Neill at 591-5789 / soneill@cityoftacoma.org

9th Street Construction: To Be Continued...

We received word that the South 9th Street construction project (most recently mentioned here) will not be completed this year.  Rather than work through the holidays, the project will be shut down by November 10th - just in time for Veterans Day - and will not be reopened until late February, 2012.

In the meantime, there will be some minor work for a couple more weeks as the construction team works to address a newly discovered underground oil tank at the corner of South 9th and Market.  This should be wrapped up by November 18th.

Finally, there is the issue of Court C.  Part of this project involved reversing direction on Court C between 9th and 11th from one way southbound to one way northbound.  This is currently scheduled to occur on November 8th and 9th.  Please be aware of traffic that may be going in the wrong direction in the weeks following.  (I still see people going the wrong way on the 700 block of St. Helens.)

Pacific Avenue 60% Drawings Public

If you missed the open house put on by Downtown On the Go and the City of Tacoma you missed out on seeing the current design for Pacific Avenue.  Not to fear though, the City has provided us with a copy of the technical drawings.  You can view them or download them here.  Also uploaded is a copy of the presentation. 

(Please note that these are not small files - particularly the design drawings.  The hosting site does make it possible to view them without the full download though.  Please be patient with it.)

As was discussed at the meeting, the 60% stage means that the street layout has been essentially identified.  After all the feedback received on the draft 30% drawings (versions 1 through ???) the City and their consultants had plenty to review.  The City Council took all the public comment into consideration and gave direction to staff on how to move forward.

This means the big picture questions have been answered, unless there has been a major oversight.  The next stage of the project is to refine the drawings to reflect a lot of the small details: street furniture, curb elevations, specific plant locations, etc.  Answering these questions will take the project to 90% and eventually on to construction drawings that will be put out for bid.

At 60% review, the question really is, was something overlooked?  Are there specific details that should be considered going forward?

Pacific Avenue Design is at 60%

We've been following the progress of the Pacific Avenue redesign and planned reconstruction for a while now.  (Most recently here.)  On September 28th, Tacoma-based AHBL, the lead consultant on this phase of the project, presented information to the City of Tacoma's Environment & Public Works Committee.  We've uploaded the information from that meeting, including the drawings showing 60% design completion.

The full (2MB) presentation can be downloaded here.  Some highlights include a 3-lane road from 7th to 9th, a 4-lane road from 9th to 17th, and extra turn pockets at 11th and 13th.  In addition, there is information on parking, rain gardens, lighting, and signage.

Needless to say, there is only so much that can be gleaned from a presentation without hearing the presentation itself.  With that in mind, the City and Downtown on the Go have scheduled a public presentation to share more details on the project.  The presentation is tenatively scheduled as follows:

60% Design Drawings Update
October 20th @ 5:30PM
Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce
950 Pacific Avenue 98402, Suite 300

How to get there:
Pierce Transit Commerce Street Station
Sound Transit Commerce Street Link Stop
On-Street Parking on Pacific & S. 11th

More details on the presentation will follow, but please note that this is intended as an opportunity to hear about the current street plans.  The City and the consultant have received extensive public feedback during the conceptual planning phases of this project.  They are now putting this input into action with the latest designs.

9th Street Design Drawings Available

Based on some questions we were getting, including those here, we asked around a bit and came up with the site plan for the improvements on South 9th Street.  The City of Tacoma was very helpful in providing these and we've put them online here.

Of note, this is mostly a resurfacing of the street combined with sidewalk replacement.  During the process, the City is adding bulbouts to shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians, improving crosswalks, adding accessible curb ramps, and some minor relocation/improvements along the street.  The majority of this work is planned for the south side of the road (adjacent to the Pantages & Rialto) as the north side saw significant improvement with the Broadway LID.

The improvements are nowhere near the scale of those taken on around the corner as part of the Broadway LID.  This is why the construction can be scheduled to be complete in only two months.  This is also why you will not see street furniture such as benches or lighting included in the site plans.

S.12th LINK Stop is Now Open

As of today, the new LINK stop between S. 11th & S. 13th is officially open.  This stop fills a hole in the downtown LINK system that has been noted since the system went live in 2003.  Today virtually all businesses within the BIA area are less than a 5-minute walk from a LINK stop.

The S. 12th Street stop adds major downtown buildings to this list like the Wells Fargo Building, the Tacoma Financial Center, and the Commerce Building - where the BIA is housed.  As Chamber President & CEO Tom Pierson said, "The additional stop will connect people to businesses and keep feet on the street."  With the Tacoma LINK already carrying over 3,000 riders a day, we look forward to this stop allowing even more people to enjoy all that downtown has to offer.

As the transportation advocate for downtown Tacoma, Downtown on The Go will host a dedication ceremony at the new stop at 2PM on September 29th.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Sound Transit press release: http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/Commerce-Street-Station-opens-tomorrow.xml

9th Street Improvements: Updated Schedule

In case you hadn't noticed, the South 9th Street construction project has been delayed.  While this is not uncommon for construction projects, the impact of this project on downtown businesses is significant.  Thankfully the delay is not long and construction will resume later this week.

The City notes that traffic control devices, including alternative pedestrian routes, will be installed today.  With the Farmers Market adding traffic to the street, removal of the sidewalks will not begin until Friday.  Cosntruction work may continue Mondays through Saturdays, conditions permitting.

Construction will begin with curb/gutter/sidewalk replacement and generally run from Commerce Street up the hill to Market Street.  Once this work is done, about 1 month, street work will begin.  The entire project is still scheduled to wrap up no later than November 10th.

Prior post: http://tacomadowntown.blogspot.com/2011/09/construction-on-so-9th-starts-monday.html

Construction on So. 9th Starts Monday

The South 9th Street Improvement Project, which runs between Commerce Street and Market Street in Downtown Tacoma is scheduled to start Sept. 12.

The project includes removing and replacing the concrete panels in the street and sidewalk as well as construction of bulb outs and crosswalks.  Construction will require the contractor to close two of the four lanes on 9th Street. The remaining two lanes will provide one-lane of travel in each direction.

Pedestrian safety and mobility will be improved with new ramps and bulb outs at Court C, between Broadway and Market Street, and at South 9th Street. These improvements will require a change in traffic direction on Court C from one-way southbound to one-way northbound between South 9th and South 11th streets.

Work in this area will take place between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. The project is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 10, 2011. Weather and unknown site conditions may impact the schedule.

For more information, visit the project website.

South 13th Street Completed

Last week we noted the improvements to S. 13th St. between A and Pacific, but also the lingering presence of construction materials. This week we saw the work wrapped up, materials returned to their warehouses, and a new west bound lane opened on S. 13th.

Several years ago, the City undertook a study evaluating the impacts of one way streets throughout downtown and the impacts on mobility and the economy. The message was clear: In a city Tacoma's size, one way routes result in more cars circling, confusion of visitors, and higher costs of doing business. Since that time, the City has slowly converted more and more of its downtown roads to accomodate two way traffic. (For those who may not remember, S. 13th St. used to be one way eastbound for much of its length through downtown.)

With S. 13th St. having a westbound lane for its full length this will allow drivers leaving I-705 at the ability to drive straight up 13th to their destination without extra circling. As BIA Maintenance Supervisor, Jim Burgess, noted this morning, "It was really nice. I came off the freeway, got the light at 13th and Pacific and was at the shop in no time."

Streetscape Improvements

With all the focus on the redesign of Pacific Avenue, you may have missed an important improvement elsewhere in downtown - the repair & reopening of South 13th Street.

A section of South 13th Street between Court A and Pacific Avenue began to sink into the underground parking garage some time ago. This resulted in the closure of the sidewalk and one lane of S. 13th St. on the south side of the road.

After several days of cranes and construction crews the structure has been reinforced, the road lifted & the sidewalk repaired the space has reopened to traffic. This should ease the daily back-up of commuters headed to the freeway down South 13th Street.

While the repair construction may be complete & the road open, the construction signage has simply been pushed to the side rather than entirely removed. We will be looking forward to what improvements are next at this location.

SB I-705 to Close

Southbound I-705 (onto I-5) will close around S. 11th St. every evening from 8PM until 6AM the next morning from Monday, August 15th through Friday, August 19th.

This means southbound traffic from Schuster Parkway, Stadium Way and the 9th Street on-ramps will be re-routed onto Pacific Avenue and onto I-705 via the South 13th Street on-ramps.

The closure is intended to allow work to continue on the Murray Morgan Bridge. To re-open the bridge to vehicular traffic, construction will continue through 2012.

For more information on the Murary Morgan Bridge Rehabilitation Project, please visit the City of Tacoma's website.

Downtown On the Go is Hiring

Downtown: On the Go is downtown Tacoma's one-stop-shop for commuting options. The program is an active partnership between downtown businesses and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, the City of Tacoma, and Pierce Transit. Leveraging their resources and relationships, these organizations work together with employers, commuters, and anyone whose daily life is downtown to promote and advocate for transportation choices and integrated land use systems in Tacoma's downtown.

Downtown On the Go is hiring a new manager to help guide the organization's work toward a vibrant and integrated downtown Tacoma through a focus on transportation options and related land use policies. The position description and application requirements are available on the Chamber's website.

Construction continues on Pacific Ave.

Sound Transit has begun work on the D to M street Track and Signal Project connecting Sounder trains from Tacoma Dome Station to Lakewood.

For the weeks of Dec. 16-29, on the D-to-M Streets Track and Signal Project you can expect to see trenching across the intersection of A and South 26th streets. Crews will start from the north and work toward the south and construct the north half on Thursday, Dec. 16, and Friday, Dec. 17. No construction will take place over the weekend. The south half will then be constructed on Monday, Dec. 20, and Tuesday, Dec. 21. Both sides will be repaved and back to the existing roadway by end of day Tuesday, Dec. 21.

On Wednesday, Dec. 22, crews will move up to South 27th Street and begin working from south to north. Crews will be trenching east across A Street from South 27th Street and down A Street to South 26th Street. Parking spots on A Street between 26th and 27th Streets are closed starting today.

During this work, at least one lane of traffic in both directions will be maintained for traffic along South 26th and South 27th streets, the northbound ramp to Interstate 5 will be maintained at all times, and businesses are open for your patronage!

For more information on the D to M project visit Sound Transit’s website, http://www.soundtransit.org/x8955.xml