Tacoma Urbanist
Feb. 1, 2008 at 12:32am
Will Tacoma Get Streetcars?
Sound Transit officials are contemplating their next proposal to the voters.
Plans to extend light rail from Sea-Tac Airport to Tacoma likely would be put on hold if a regional transit agency decides to take a scaled-down construction measure to voters in November.The good news is that Sound Transit is considering funding streetcars. One small problem, the streetcars would located in Everett, a city of less than half the size of Tacoma and a lower density. Hmmm. Go Everett, but what about Tacoma?
However, here's something useful Tacoma might get: the expansion of LINK:
Though specific costs were not discussed, the agency’s staff believes it would be cheaper to extend the Tacoma Link light rail system from downtown to Tacoma General Hospital and to Tacoma Community College. A Link extension from the Tacoma Dome to Fife also is an option....
She likes the proposed Tacoma Link expansion. But she said Pierce County voters may not favor a plan that fails to connect them via light rail with the rest of the region.
Commentary
Tacoma residents are going to have to wait to see if there is anything in the final package that is environmentally beneficial, progressive and is a benefit for the city. The last Sound Transit package was little more than a front loaded roads package to connect various suburbs, cross base highway, a new intechange for the Tacoma Mall and a 20 year delayed light rail system. I voted very relunctantly for it.
Cities are increasing restoring their streetcars including Seattle, Portland and apparently Everett. Its a tried and true way to rehabilitate the city, reduce pollution, reduce car dependance, and make the city more attractive and liveable.
A significant extension of the LINK system in Tacoma may be enough to vote for the measure depending on the route. We will see.
Do you have any suggestions for the proposed LINK route in Tacoma?
(Final comment: why is the city of Fife in every transportation package proposal?)
Do you have any suggestions for the proposed LINK route in Tacoma?
(Final comment: why is the city of Fife in every transportation package proposal?)
comments [13] | posted under tacoma, washington
Comments
 by izenmania on 2/1/2008 @ 8:46am | Dang Everett... first they make a play for Fife's title of Place Most Likely To Have A Traffic Jam For No Apparent Reason, now they want to steal our transit funding...
Anyway, I'd love to see something that runs up toward Stadium, then curves up to follow Division with a Wright Park stop, a TG stop, or both. I feel like that could be a valid first stage, from which later stages could build up 6th toward TCC. Obviously there are a few problems with that. Firstly, the best route to get through the Stadium District is up St. Helens (simply because that's the area populated with business and new development condos such), which is really two issues. For one, it's a bit more than a block further up than the current Theatre District stop. For two, in order to have the street wide enough to accomodate traffic and the rail, that parking would have to go. And if there's one thing downtown Tacoma doesn't need, it's less pårking. However, I think there are some great advantages, too. Imagine that they do bump it up a block: suddenly your theatre district stop is right in front of the municipal building, whereas now it's right in front of... Artifex. Nothing against Artifex, but a whole stop just for them? Then you have the Stadium District/TG/Wright Park. I'm thinking, maybe to spread it out, put one stop right at the 1st and Tacoma bus stop and another up at TG. Both are close enough to walk to Wright Park. Plus think of what that will mean: a stop for Stadium Video, a stop for the Harvester and Guadalajara, a stop for Satellite. But, and I think this is the most important: a stop for Stadium Thriftway. I know that some of the complaints about lack of food retail downtown is because of the price of Stadium. But even more of it is the accessibility for those of us who don't have cars, or who at least don't see the point of driving on their lunch break. So you bring in those businesses, and rejoin 6th right as it really starts to pick up at Sprague. This also circumvents what I see as another problem. Now I'm sure the planning engineers will take this into account, but... most routes out of downtown are steep. I feel like it would be painful trying to watch our little old link making its way directly up 6th. I've been travelling a lot recently, and something I've noticed in the towns that have long-spanning light rail systems, like Minneapolis (airport all the way to downtown) and San Diego (it really goes all over, it seems, though I was just going from the waterfront to the convention center) is that they are FLAT. Extremely flat. It's the same reason people in MN make fun of how we drive when it snows here... they don't have to drive down 19th when it's covered in ice. Wow... I have been on a Long Writing spree this week... |
 by Erik on 2/1/2008 @ 11:19am | Anyway, I'd love to see something that runs up toward Stadium, then curves up to follow Division with a Wright Park stop, a TG stop, or both. I feel like that could be a valid first stage, from which later stages could build up 6th toward TCC.
Yes, that would be great. Tacoma has the potential to get a form of a street car. I don't think the Fife from the Tacoma Dome is of much use. |
 by Twisty on 2/1/2008 @ 12:15pm | Once again, Tacoma gets the shaft from ST. They scaled our piece of the last package down to a toy train and a few commuter rail stops -- most of which they haven't even started to deliver on yet, years after the original promise dates.
A LINK run from Puyallup Ave to... what? The Poodle Dog??? Oh yeah, I'm gonna vote for that. |
by Erik on 2/1/2008 @ 12:33pm | Yeah. One thing we also have to watch is the timeline of delivery. If its in 20 years forget it. |
 by pongo on 2/1/2008 @ 9:16pm | how about LINK that goes Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia? |
by Erik on 2/1/2008 @ 10:03pm | how about LINK that goes Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia?
There could be one. However, I think the only one that would be useful to Tacoma is one that connected the neighborhoods. |
by Twisty on 2/2/2008 @ 7:56am | Erik, just wondering... have you looked around town and noticed all of the evidence remaining from the old streetcar system? It's there, if you look for it.
For instance, in some places around the North Slope area one can still see twin strips down the center of the street where they paved over the rails. Take a look at Tacoma Ave just south of Annie Wright, and the intersection where N. 11th street transitions from oblique to east-west. Does anybody know of any other examples? In the Lincoln district at 38th and Yakima, the southeast corner has an extra large radius -- just like it was the inside turn of a double-track streetcar route. And in the Manitou neighboorhood, there is a section of blocks that are oriented on an oblique angle because one of the streets was once the right-of-way for a Tacoma-Lakewood streetcar. |
by Erik on 2/2/2008 @ 3:53pm | Erik, just wondering... have you looked around town and noticed all of the evidence remaining from the old streetcar system? It's there, if you look for it.
Yes, it surprises people and shows that streetcars are indeed possible in Tacoma if there were able to build them 100 years ago. Former Councilmember Bill Evans new book on Proctor is pretty interesting as it talks about how Proctor was basically started by the Tacoma streetcar. |
 by Jake on 2/2/2008 @ 4:08pm | I was wondering if South 23rd between MLK and Sprague Ave. has a streetcar? The street is very wide, so wide it doesn't look right. |
by Jake on 2/2/2008 @ 4:09pm | sorry had a streetcar |
by Erik on 2/2/2008 @ 4:19pm | I was wondering if South 23rd between MLK and Sprague Ave. has a streetcar? The street is very wide, so wide it doesn't look right.
I am sure "Mr. Streetcar" Morgan Alexander knows the answer to that question. Morgan? |
by Twisty on 2/3/2008 @ 8:18am | "Former Councilmember Bill Evans new book on Proctor is pretty interesting as it talks about how Proctor was basically started by the Tacoma streetcar."
I grew up around there and I *need* to find a copy of Bill's book! So... Proctor was originally transit-oriented development, way back then? That's a great selling point for the new system. |
by Erik on 2/3/2008 @ 11:28am | So... Proctor was originally transit-oriented development, way back then? That's a great selling point for the new system.
Yes. I think Tacoma Streetcars may need to present a map of where the old streetcar route was and more photos of the streetcars around the city. I was surprised just how prolific their route was. |
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