Council Briefing on Hybrid Link Expansion Tomorrow

There has been much discussion on the Tacoma City Council’s preferred expansion of the Sound Transit Tacoma Link. Tomorrow, the Council will hear Sound Transit’s evaluation of a hybrid corridor introduced last month that would incorporate different portions of the original proposed routes from the North End Central, Eastside, and North Downtown Central corridors.
Additionally, Sound Transit will also present information on a different hybrid option.

The Council plans to form a resolution on April 30 in support of a preferred route. For more information, visit the City Council’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.

Major Street Closures Downtown on FRIDAY, October 8th

There will be major street closures and transit impacts in downtown Tacoma this Friday, October 8th, in coordination with Vice President Joe Biden’s visit. The Vice President will be speaking at the University of Washington Tacoma campus in the afternoon.

Tacoma Link service will be shut down from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

All streets around the UWT campus will be closed, no through traffic or parking:

- Pacific Avenue between S. 21st and S. 17th

- S. 21st between Pacific Ave. and Market St.

- S. 17th St. between Pacific and Market St.

- Jefferson St. between Pacific and Market

- Likely Market St between S. 17th and S. 21st St.

Buses in the area will be rerouted to different streets. Contact the transit agencies directly for more information about impacts to transit service. Sound Transit, 206-398-5000; Pierce Transit 253.606.4626.

Transportation Plan Program for Small Business

In order to further the downtown goal of at least 35% of employees using alternate commute options by 2015 (currently the rate is 23.8%), Downtown: On the Go! (DOTG) will now offer a Transportation Plan Program for Small Business. This program is focused on working with businesses with fewer than 100 FTEs and therefore unregulated by the state’s Commute Trip Reduction laws. If you or your employer are one such business, then DOTG wants to work with you!

Currently, the program is in its pilot phase, and is seeking approximately 10 downtown businesses to kick-off the New Year by taking a look at their employees’ commute habits and their transportation policies. Involvement in the program is simple: the time commitment is relatively small, DOTG staff time and expertise are free, and the outcomes – potential cost-savings, increased employee morale, reduced carbon emissions and improved air quality – are well worth the effort!

The Program has already been initiated with both the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and BLRB Architects. Although these businesses are currently at different phases in their respective processes, each would assure you of the benefits of this program. References can be provided upon request.

If you would like to guarantee your place in this pilot program, or would like DOTG staff to speak to your organization’s leadership, please contact Julia Petersen, DOTG Coordinator, or phone her at 253.627.2175.

Guest Author: Julia Petersen

Friday Forum: Transportation in Tacoma for the 21st Century

You're Invited to a Brown Bag Lunch & Interactive Discussion on Friday, November 13th at 12:00pm

As we plan for the future of our transportation system, Tacoma and the South Sound face many tough decisions.

How do parking policies affect the city’s goal to activate the streets with people and commerce? How do we extend the Tacoma Streetcar system? How do we reshape Pierce Transit’s bus system? How does the City best connect regionally? How can we plan for a multimodal future?

To get at these answers and more, The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, the City of Tacoma, Transportation Choices Coalition, Cross District Association, Tacoma Wheelmen, and others will host a brown bag lunch and interactive discussion with Tacoma’s transportation policy-makers, including:

Eric Anderson, City Manager, City of Tacoma
Lynn Griffith, CEO, Pierce Transit
Ric Ilgenfritz, Planning Director, Sound Transit
David Hiller, Advocacy Director, Cascade Bicycle Club

Open to all—bring your lunch and your questions!

Event Details:
Friday, Nov. 13th, 2009
12:00pm
Simpson Room
Tacoma Chamber
950 Pacific Ave.

RSVP… mailto:mandrew@transportationchoices.org

Transportation Forum This Thursday!

On Thursday, October 1st please join The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Transportation Choices Coalition, and other co-sponsoring organizations for a citywide Candidates’ Transportation Forum.

Because our transportation and land use policies have dramatic impacts on economic development, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, community health, and quality of life, these topics pose some of the greatest challenges facing Tacoma’s City Council. At this forum, candidates will respond to questions about the future of Tacoma’s transportation system (transit, bikeways, roads, parking, etc.) and related land-use implications.

The forum is open to the public. Transportation related questions for the candidates can be submitted prior to the event to juliap@tacomachamber.org.

EVENT INFORMATION ~
When: Thursday, Oct 1st, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Carwein Auditorium, Keystone Building - UWT

Please note: This forum is intended for the education of the public on candidates’ views on transportation and land use issues. It is not meant to endorse or support particular candidates. Invitations were extended to all candidates for Tacoma City Council and Mayor of Tacoma.