Interested community members turned out in full force July 23 to hear an update on plans for the $80 million voters approved in 2008 to extend Tacoma’s downtown Link light rail. Speaking before a standing-room-only crowd at University of Washington Tacoma, representatives from Sound Transit (ST), the advocacy group Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC) and the city of Tacoma fielded questions from the audience, with some in attendance expressing frustration with the timeline thus far. Also among those in attendance were Tacoma City Councilmembers David Boe, Marty Campbell and Ryan Mello.
Sound Transit Planning and Development Director Greg Walker said that one key decision to be made is the route for the rail extension. Other questions revolve around what the design will be, how much the project will cost and when construction could begin and end. Due to the recession, the $80 million available has been reduced to about $75.6 million, a number that will likely shrink further, adding an unexpected challenge to the project. Walker said it’s important for the community to make their voices heard so that residents get the maximum out of every dollar. “We look forward to your participation,” Walker said.
Alisa O’Hanlon, government relations coordinator with the city of Tacoma, said a 20-member community stakeholder group assembled by ST and Pierce Transit executives and the Tacoma city manager will begin work next week on exploring these questions and more, with a deadline set for sometime in 2012. She said the city would continue to bring Tacoma residents into the conversation. “We want the community to weigh in so we can better identify which options will work for this community.”
Some in the audience raised the question of why things aren’t moving along a bit more quickly. Chris Karnes, a local resident who participated in preliminary design brainstorming sessions sponsored by the city of Tacoma, said the group has already proposed several route alternatives.
Walker acknowledged this and noted that it would still be necessary to explore these routes and others that have been proposed. Downtown resident Judie Fortier said she and her neighbors were at the forum to express their opposition to the rail line going along Stadium Way.
O’Hanlon said community input is crucial to the project and that more public forums like this one would be held in the future. She also advised anyone interested to keep checking the city of Tacoma’s website for updates and ways to submit opinions and ideas to the stakeholder group.
Commenting rules
Tacoma Weekly is happy to provide a forum for commenting and discussion. Please respect and abide by the house rules:
Keep it clean, keep it civil, keep it truthful, stay on topic, be responsible, share your knowledge, and please suggest removal of comments that violate these standards.
Read full commenting rules