Resident Engagement this Week - Be Informed, Give Input, and Have Some Fun!

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

That phrase is actually an old proverb, but you probably know it as the sentence that Jack types over and over again during his psychotic break in the movie The Shining. If you are the literary type, you might remember the phrase shows up in Jack Kerouac’s novel Big Sur.

Well, don’t worry, nothing that heavy or scary here - just a full week of ways to have fun and to “go to work” as an engaged citizen in downtown Tacoma.

Because, all play and no work make Tacoma a dull place.

Bike Train: Bike Me Out to the Ballgame

June 24, 2015 at 5:30 pm

​The Bike Committee is going to bike train from downtown to Cheney Stadium to watch the Tacoma Rainiers play the Reno Aces. The game starts at 7:05 and anyone who bikes to the game gets a special ticket rate of $11.50, which gets you a seat, a hot dog, a bag of chips, and a bottle of water.  Just tell them at the ticket counter that you biked to the game. If you want to join the bike train, meet at S. 11^th and Pacific Avenue.

ST-3 Tacoma Open House

June 24, 2015 at 5:30 pm

Good and plenty of public transit is an important factor for a thriving urban region. You can show up at this open house and give your input to The Sound Transit Board on which projects they should study as final candidates for the ST3 public vote that could be happening as soon as November 2016. The presentation will begin at 6 pm and the open house will take place at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center at 1500 Broadway.

Public Hearing on Draft of Paid Leave Rules

June 25, 2015 at 10:00 am

You have probably heard by now and I will likely be writing more about this soon, but beginning  in February 2016, Tacoma employers will be required to provide up to 24 hours of Paid Leave annually to employees within the City of Tacoma. You can read about the paid leave rules and regulations that have been drafted for review at cityoftacoma.org/paidleave. You can attend the public hearing, and provide your feedback at the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch – Olympic Room at 1102 Tacoma Avenue South.

1st Annual Tacoma Waterfront Crab Feed

June 25, 2015 at 5:30 pm

If you are allergic to crab, well, I feel really bad for you and you definitely shouldn’t go to this event. But, for the rest of you – strap on your bib and join the Tacoma Waterfront Association (TWA) this Friday for the first ever Waterfront Crab Feed fundraiser at the Foss Waterway Seaport at 705 Dock Street.

Beyond eating all the crab you can, there will be chances to bid on or win prizes at the silent auction, raffles, and a ring toss. This fundraiser will be an opportunity to highlight Tacoma’s waterfront and the community and businesses within it. The event will feature prominent figures in the waterfront speaking to the latest activities and plans for the future of Tacoma’s waterfront. This fundraiser will help TWA continue its mission of making the waterfront enjoyable and accessible.

You can get your tickets now at: TWA-CrabFeed.brownpapertickets.com!

Sound Transit Updates: D to M Construction & Open House

D to M Street Construction:
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 week of Jan. 5 to Jan. 12, 2011, here's what you can expect from the D-to-M Street construction:

• Continued utility relocation work at the corner of A Street and South 26th Street.
• Build street improvements along A Street between South 26th and South 27th streets, which will become a future detour route when Pacific Avenue is temporarily closed.
• Work with Tacoma Water on South 26th Street between East C Street and Pacific Ave.

During this work, traffic control will be set up along A and South 26th streets. Traffic will be maintained in both directions, and the northbound ramp to Interstate 5 will be maintained at all times via South 27th Street. A police officer will continue to monitor the intersection of A Street and South 26th Street.

Please be aware that beginning Jan. 13, A Street between South 26th and South 25th will be temporarily closed for sewer line work.

For more information contact Erin Hunter: 206-370-5511 or erin.hunter@soundtransit.org. If you know others who would benefit from these electronic updates, please invite them to sign up at www.soundtransit.org/subscribe.

Sounder Station Open House:
In January, Sound Transit will host a series of open houses in South Sound communities to present information on the Sounder Station Access Planning Study. The agency is conducting the study to identify potential improvements in the ways commuters access its Sounder stations.

Possible improvements the agency is studying include increased parking, pedestrian sidewalks, crosswalks and bridges, bicycle commute options, and transit facility enhancements.

Open houses will include:
• A description of Sound Transit service areas, transit routes, 2011 budget, and the Sound Transit 2 program
• Objectives of and timeline for the Sounder Station Access Planning Study
• Overview of existing station access issues and discussion of potential solutions
• Informal Q & A and public comment

Tacoma Open House - Tuesday, Jan. 18, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
University of Washington -Tacoma
Jane Russell Commons
1918 Pacific Avenue

For a complete list of open house dates and locations visit the Sound Transit website.

Sound Transit's D-to-M Streets Project Open House this Thursday

Big changes are coming to downtown as Sound Transit prepares to begin construction on the extension of the Sounder commuter rail service to Lakewood from Tacoma. Sound Transit will soon lay new track between East D and South M streets, resulting in street closures and traffic detours. Construction is expected to start in fall 2010 and conclude in fall of 2012.

Perhaps the biggest impact on downtown will involve the closure of Pacific Ave. for the construction of a railroad bridge that will enable a continual flow of traffic once the rail line is complete.

Find yourself wanting more information on this very significant project? Attend the...

D-to-M Streets Project Open House

Thursday, November 4th
Visit anytime between 4:00-7:00pm
Milgard Family Assembly Room,
Philip Hall ~ UWT
1918 Pacific Avenue

At the Open House, information will be available on:
- Construction schedule, phasing, detours, and safety
- Sound Transit art program (STart)
- Sound Transit Proposed 2011 Budget

For more information, or to schedule a presentation with your group, contact Erin Hunter at 206-370-5511 or erin.hunter@soundtransit.org, or visit the project website at www.soundtransit.org/DtoM.