Tacoma's First Night Festival

Looking for amazing New Year Eve plans? Tacoma has your answer. For the 20th year, First Night will be hosted in downtown Tacoma. Full of family fun, art, music, fire, ice, and so much more; ringing in the New Year has never been better!

The $10 button required for entrance gives you access to 10 stages, over 50 artists, and all day activities such as, free access to the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma Children’s Museum, and free skate rentals at Franciscan Polar Plaza. If you don't purchase your button in advance, it will be $14 at the door. 

First night typically draws in anywhere between 10,000 and 20,000 participants so you want to make sure to get there early and grab some parking. They are encouraging attendees to park at the Tacoma Dome and take the Link down to the festival. The Link will be running until 1:00AM and give you plenty of time to get back to your car as hassle free as possible. First Night runs from 6pm-12am on Thursday, December 31st.

There will be food trucks and restaurant deals happening all over town. Be sure to check out their website to get a full list of all the perks and packages available. 

To purchase your button click here and if you want to find out more click here! 

Breaking News - $75 million Federal Grant for Tacoma Link Expansion in 2016 Budget Proposal

Sound Transit just announced that the The Tacoma Link may be receiving a $75 million federal grant in fiscal year 2016. This comes as great news for local downtown businesses who want the Tacoma Link to grow and facilitate ridership to the downtown corridor. Easier access means economic growth for our region.This federal grant, also known as the Small Starts grant would act as a supplement to local tax revenues and other grants needed for construction of the 2.4 mile light rail expansion.

The Obama Administration proposed this federal grant supporting $74.99 federal funding and would provide the single largest funding for extending the Tacoma Link light rail line.Although, it does not end there this budget must next be approved by Congress. In 2008 voters approved the expansion of Tacoma Link in the 2 ballot measure and the Sound Transit Board has been diligently coalition building. 

Currently Sound Transit and the City have worked together to secure $13 million in grants for the City's contribution to the project. The 2.4-mile voter approved expansion requires approximately $75 million in Small Starts funding, $50 million in ST2 revenues, and $40 million from the City of Tacoma who is a key partner in the project. This alignment would expand the Tacoma Link from the Theater District to the Stadium and Hilltop districts with seven proposed stations. The Board is scheduled to review a final alignment and station locations this spring. 

BIA, Downtown Businesses and the Link

David Schroedel, the Chamber's Metropolitan Development Director and BIA Manager, makes the case rather effectively for BIA's stepping in to help fund the Tacoma Link as a guest on local radio station KLAY in June. 

Schroedel also gave a concise and helpful description of the BIA, its operation and its mission. When anyone asks what the BIA does then recommend this audio file!

Click here to listen to Schroedel's segment.

Tacoma Link Expansion Update

Today Sound Transit presented at the Tacoma City Council’s Study Session regarding the Tacoma Link expansion. We discussed the expansion and potential routes previously on the BIA blog.

From the six alternative corridors, Sound Transit identified three routes that rank the highest according to the six identified project goals. Project goals include the following:

1. Improve mobility and transportation access for Tacoma residents and visitors
2. Increase transit ridership within the City of Tacoma
3. Serve underserved neighborhoods and communities in the City of Tacoma
4. Use transit to spur economic development and other types of investments
5. Ensure that the project is environmentally sensitive and sustainable
6. Establish a project that is competitive for federal funding

The three routes were B1 North End Central, C1 Eastside, and E1 North Downtown Central. See map below.

Additionally, high ridership and economic development are top priorities for the Council. Councilman Robert Thoms noted that at a minimum, transit should move people and goods, suggesting that those particular routes that offer the highest ridership should be considered.

According to the Sound Transit review, both the B1 North End Central and E1 North Downtown Central corridors had a ridership response of 3.0- 3.5 million each year. This number assumes that Sound Transit will require a fee to ride the Link. The Link is currently free to ride.

Over the coming weeks, the Council seeks to make a route recommendation to the Sound Transit Board. If a route is identified, the environmental review will begin in May. For more information on how you may participate in the discussion, visit Sound Transit’s website.

Tacoma Link Expansion Update

Yesterday Sound Transit presented at the Tacoma City Council Study Session regarding potential expansion routes for the Tacoma Link. The Chamber has previously discussed alternative corridors for the expansion of the 1.6 mile long Tacoma Link light rail line. The Tacoma Link expansion process has included numerous opportunities for public input, including meetings with various stakeholders, open houses, online surveys, distributed mailings, roundtable discussions, media articles, and business district and neighborhood council briefings. Through this process have emerged six possible corridors that would expand on the current light rail that begins at the Tacoma Dome Station and ends in the Theatre District.

The six corridors were identified (see map) as follows:

• B1- North End Central- 6^th Avenue to Union Avenue via Stadium Way and Division Street
• C1- Eastside- 48^th and Portland Avenue via E 25^th Street
• D4- South End via Eastside- Tacoma Mall via Portland Avenue, 38^th/48^th Street
• E1- North Downtown Central- 19^th and Martin Luther King Jr Way via Stadium Way and Division Street
• E2- North Downtown Central Loop- A variant of E1 with a downtown loop component on Jefferson Street
• G1- Pacific Highway- Extending from Fife to the Tacoma Dome station

Noted in the presentation were the approximate costs and length of each corridor, as well as the pros and cons associated with each route. A recurring theme of several of the City council members was how each corridor would contribute to the City’s economic development.

The B1 route would link downtown with the busy 6^th Avenue business district, potentially attracting many riders and providing faster service to the Tacoma Dome. The area surrounding this route is also already zoned to support higher density mixed use development, all important factors to consider. The C1 route would also provide faster service from the eastside to both the Tacoma Dome and downtown, however a high ridership for the area is questionable and the current zoning is not supportive of higher density mixed use development.

Tacoma Link Expansion Survey

Sound Transit, along with the City of Tacoma and Pierce Transit, have identified six corridor alternatives regarding the expansion of the 1.6 mile long Tacoma Link light rail line. These corridors were chosen based on the following important criteria: 

• Improve connections to regional transit
• Increase transit ridership and reduce car use
• Connect to an existing neighborhood or major activity center
• Improve transit service between downtown Tacoma and at least one neighborhood
• Serve existing or proposed areas of high density housing or jobs
• Serve an area that is home to many low-income and/or minority residents, or has received relatively low infrastructure investments
• Connect to an existing mixed-use center or a designated manufacturing/industrial center
• Avoid major costly engineering challenges, such as corridors with steep elevation grades

As such, six corridors were identified (see map):

• B1- 6^th Avenue to Union Avenue via Stadium Way and Division Street
• E1- 19^th and Martin Luther King Jr Way via Stadium Way and Division Street
• C1- 48^th and Portland Avenue via E 25^th Street
• G1- Pacific Highway
• D4- Tacoma Mall via Portland Avenue, 38^th/48^th Street
• E2- A variant of E1 with a downtown loop component on Jefferson Street

Next steps include opportunities for public input and analyzing data regarding potential ridership, square footage, development potential, and capital costs. From there, the list will be whittled down to two potential corridors, followed by additional public comment leading to a preferred alternative to be presented to the Sound Transit Board in April.

To help in this process, Sound Transit would like your feedback. Please fill out their brief survey.

Advocacy for Light Rail Stop

Downtown may get another Link light rail stop

If the downtown business community has its way an additional Tacoma Link light rail stop will be constructed between S. 11th and S. 12th Streets on Commerce.

A stop in this area would improve Link access for employees and visitors in downtown’s primary business core. Currently link access in this part of downtown is limited to the stops at S. 9th and S. 15th. An additional stop in this area has been listed as an incentive for businesses interested in locating downtown.

Sound Transit, who owns and operates Tacoma Link is in the process of defining the minimum requirements necessary for an addition stop. The City of Tacoma will be responsible for engineering and constructing the stop based on those requirements.

Tacoma Streetcar Forum, July 23rd

What Lies Ahead for the Tacoma Streetcar?

To find out, join Transportation Choice Coalition, Downtown: On the Go! and the City of Tacoma for a comprehensive update on rail transit in Tacoma.

In 2008 voters approved $80 million for Tacoma Link extension. Just how much rail can that buy? What's the difference between streetcars and light rail? What are the benefits of building more rail transit in Tacoma?

Learn the answers to these questions and more from panelists: Greg Walker, planning and development director at Sound Transit; Alisa O'Hanlon, government relations coordinator at the City of Tacoma; and Bill LaBorde, policy director at Transportation Choices Coalition.

Join us for a discussion on everything you need to know about the future of streetcars in Tacoma!


WHEN: Friday, July 23, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

WHERE: University of Washington Tacoma Campus, Garretson Woodruff Pratt Building, Tacoma Room (Room 320)

Special thanks to the City of Tacoma and Downtown: On the Go! for sponsoring the Tacoma Streetcar Friday Forum. As always, feel free to bring your lunch.

The Transportation Choice Coalition Friday Forum Series is sponsored by:
PLATINUM
Vulcan Inc.

GOLD
CH2M Hill
Parsons Brinckerhoff
The Boeing Company
HDR Inc.

SILVER
HNTB Corporation
Wilbur Smith Associates