August 10, 2015 · Exit133

Link Expansion: Plans Move Forward, Questions Linger

Last year the city council made the official decision to recommend moving forward with plans for a specific route for the expansion of Tacoma's Link light rail. As that plan moves forward, Tacoma's Planning and Transportation commissions have questions and differences of opinion on a few of the choices being made.

The route chosen would take the light rail up the hill from its current northern terminus near 9th and Commerce to the Stadium District, then up Division to MLK, and across through the Hilltop to a new terminus near South 19th and MLK. That alignment comes with seven recommended stations, which were included in the recently completed environmental review.

Martin Luther King Jr Way & South 19th Street
MLK & South 11th Street
MLK & 6th Avenue
MLK & Division Avenue
Stadium District
Stadium Way & South 4th Street
Old City Hall (Relocated Theater District Station)

The initial environmental review was completed and made available for public comment, and review by Tacoma's Planning and Transportation commissions. As a part of that review, the two commissions returned recommendations that vary somewhat on a couple of those locations.

The Transportation Commission would prefer that the Theater District station stay put where it is now, rather than relocating just up the hill to a location in front of Old City Hall. In a letter to council, the Commission cites the importance of proximity to other transit options at 10th and Commerce. The letter also expresses a desire to prevent the relocated station from "cannibalizing" passsengers from the South 4th location, "which could be incorrectly interpreted as a lack of demand for a station at South 4th" - a station the Commission believes is important stop to be included in the final plans.

The Commission feels strongly that the station location at South 4th & Stadium Way is crucial to the expansion of Tacoma Link. There is an incredible amount of developable land in the vicinity, public access is available in at least 3 pedestrian access corridors between Broadway and Stadium Way within a one-block radius of the future station, and people with limited mobility or ability will not walk uphill to the Stadium District Location or downhill to the Theater District.

Planning Commission comments, on the other hand, include a concern that the Stadium and 4th stop might not be justified due to low ridership expected at that location, and challenges to pedestrian access. If that station does get built, the Planning Commission identifies a need for specific plans and funding to address the steep slope riders will need to negotiate on their way up and/or down South 4th.

Although the Planning Commission isn't sold on the South 4th and Stadium station, they do like the idea of adding an additional station at South 15th and MLK to better serve that neighborhood, in light of quarter-mile walkshed coverage.

The Planning Commission also recommends the establishment of a Link Expansion Design Advisory Committee to help review and advise on stations design and development. Such a committee could be tasked with considering "sense of place" and contribution to the urban fabric - specifically decisions on whether stations should be located curbside or in the median, and how bicycle safety and mobility will work with specific designs.

At this week's city council meeting the council will consider a resolution recommending to the Sound Transit Board of Directors that it move ahead with this alignment and these stations for the expansion of the Tacoma Link line. The project is partially funded by ST2, but the rest of the funding will need to be lined up before it can be built, so there is still time to work out the details.

That said, the number and location of station stops is a fairly important questions here - which answers do you like?

Filed under: Transportation, City Projects, City Government, Committees, Boards, & Commissions, Link, Transportation Planning

46 comments

Npost August 10, 2015

Why are they making a U shape? What a waste of money for this. I wonder how much it costs to pay the sheriff that sits on it all day to monitor the few people that use this.
- Sid August 10, 2015
  
  Because this is Tacoma.
- JDHasty August 10, 2015
  
  Perhaps this might help to explain it. Tacoma Armory to host marijuana trade show and seminars — and a cannabis competition http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/marijuana/article30549480.html I believe the walk from one terminus to the other is 1.5 miles. The average human pace is recognized as 3.1 mph . Out of deference for those whose math skills may be a little rusty, that's about a half-hour walk. The Tacoma Link Light Rail will NEVER be able to achieve that time even if one were to discount the fact that there is going to be up to a fifteen minute wait before the next train shows up. No one can even begin to tally up all of the money the City spends on an annual basis promoting various events that encourage residents to walk more, but typing "Tacoma city encourages walking" into a simple internet search engine and hitting enter returns 446,000 hits of which the first page is completely taken up by City sponsored events and promotions that have occurred in 2015 or will occur this year. Yet another City of Tacoma boondoggle.
  - Jesse August 10, 2015
    
    It's about 9 blocks uphill from Commerce to MLK. That's about a mile. Since it's a steep hill, a person exerts three times the energy to hike it, so it's just like going three miles. How many populations can't walk up and down that hill? Scratch that... How many populations going to and from a hospital system, as found on Hilltop, can walk that hill? This is a great route for Link.
    - scrambler August 10, 2015
      
      An alignment that goes up 6th Ave towards TCC would still go up the hill without making an inane U shape.
      - Jesse August 10, 2015
        
        True but to get to TCC would cost $600m for the build-out. That's likely more than the replacement cost of TCC if it were rebuilt downtown... so, IMO, it's a ridiculous notion to build it that far out 6th for the reason of linking TCC with UWT. Just my opinion... But hey, I lobbied to get it built down Tacoma Avenue so it could be expanded to Lincoln and the mall. That would put Lincoln in between two very active hubs on the line and making it a coveted streetcar business district once again. MLK and 19th terminus allows only a western expansion potential. Portland's Pearl district was created this way with streetcar.
        
        Jesse August 10, 2015
        
        And... Tacoma Avenue is lined with larger lots than MLK. That means that there's room enough to build apartment/condo buildings that easily pencil out on one lot - instead of having to collect lots over decades. Even the Rose Center, when they came to town, thought that "you should get creative to serve an east-west (straight up the hill) corridor of 11th street to MLK." But that ship has sailed....
        
        scrambler August 11, 2015
        
        The purpose of a 6th Ave. alignment would not be solely to reach TCC. It would hit population and business centers along 6th Ave., and then could in the future turn north towards Point Defiance. TCC is only a small part of that.
        
        Dan H August 11, 2015
        
        I recall seeing a map during an early scoping phase for the link extension that showed it could be extended south down J St., and continue down Center St. and Jefferson Ave. to form a loop with the existing line. If that is true, J St. must be at a slope that can theoretically be negotiated by Tacoma Link streetcar technology. That means that a southern extension that takes J St. downhill and reaches Yakima Ave. via S 28th St. could be built. The link could then be extended to the Lincoln district via Yakima and on to the Mall. This would not preclude a westward extension down 6th Ave serving University of Puget Sound and TCC. The western and southern lines could be operated separately. One of the two could transfer to the other at Tacoma General, or the frequency could simply be doubled between TG and the Dome District.
- RW August 10, 2015
  
  $15.60/hr. They're not deputies. I agree with your larger point.
- Stacey August 10, 2015
  
  Have you ever tried to walk up the hill towards MLK? I enjoy walking and biking around Tacoma but sometimes I wish I could get down the hill a little easier.
  - JDHasty August 10, 2015
    
    "sometimes I wish I could get down the hill a little easier" Well there are entire populations who reside within the Sound Transit Taxing District who would like something to show for the revenues that are being extracted from their budgets to fund regional public transportation. What about them? I would like an answer. You are sniveling about walking five blocks uphill and there are entire populations who are forced to pay for this fiasco don't have anything at all within a ten mile radius of their home to show for their money. Pathetic.
    - RHTCCComedyfan August 10, 2015
      
      JDHasty it looks like much more than five blocks uphill to MLK especially from Commerce street and Pacific Ave.Take a look at the map for a change.Some of those downtown Tacoma hills can be pretty brutal too (not an easy walk especially for the elderly or those with physical disabilities).
      - JDHasty August 10, 2015
        
        Irrespective of if it is five blocks or fifteen blocks there are entire areas within the ST Taxing District that have nothing to show for the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been taken out of their neighborhoods.
  - Sid August 10, 2015
    
    So how do you do it now? Do we have to give you millions of dollars so you can travel that distance in a more comfortable manner? Here's an idea, don't move to a hilltop. How have you managed to live life until now. Oh no what would I ever do, I need a light rail system to justify my poor decision of moving to a mountain top.
LSM August 10, 2015

Why isn't the light rail going up Division, down Sixth to Pearl and then down Pearl to the Zoo? Recently rode this light rail, and was incredibly impressed. Easy access to and from the airport from East Valley and easy access to downtown Tempe, and downtown Phoenix area sights and entertainment. Lots of people on board with their bikes, I felt like I was in Portland. Also, two dollars a ride...yup TWO dollars.
LSM August 10, 2015

Why isn't the light rail going up Division, down Sixth to Pearl and then down Pearl to the Zoo? Recently rode this light rail, and was incredibly impressed. Easy access to and from the airport from East Valley and easy access to downtown Tempe, and downtown Phoenix area sights and entertainment. Lots of people on board with their bikes, I felt like I was in Portland. Also, two dollars a ride...yup TWO dollars. Sorry I forgot to include the map http://trn.trains.com/~/media/import/files/pdf/b/5/9/trn-cy0110_a.pdf
- Terry August 10, 2015
  
  Gosh, you'd think nobody lived on the South side of the freeways. East Tacoma and Edison shouldn't pay for a train that serves only Downtown and North Tacoma. Let's work on getting every area of the City better bus service and just say no to light rail. That train costs upwards of 75 million a mile. Buses are cheap and the public doesn't have to wait 10 years of 1.5 miles of track.
Nick August 10, 2015

When is the next meeting on this boondoggle? It needs to be stopped before it is too late.
Jesse August 10, 2015

Weird postings here today... You guys do know that Portland built $100m worth of Streetcar in the late 90's and had a $3.5b-$6b ROI (depending on who you ask). I'll take that bet any day. That's why so many cities actoss the country are trying to copy it.
- Terry August 10, 2015
  
  Portland is a city..... Tacoma is a town. Looking at our tax base and history of the LINK (2.5 miles in 25 years) Light rail as been a bust in Tacoma. Time to give it up and try something new. We need our own solutions to transit and growth, not re-hashed ideas from Seattle and Portland.
  - Jesse August 10, 2015
    
    So let's say the worst case scenario comes to fruition and Tacoma only achieves 3:1 ROI instead of an ROI like Portland's 60:1. I'll still take it especially considering most of the costs are paid for by Federal, grants, and Sound Transit. Since most investments come within three blocks of the tracks, it's no wonder the current light rail through Tacoma, that acts like a shuttle from a parking garage to a business district, hasn't achieved as much - there's no realistic place to build density by it currently. Hilltop changes that.
    - Sid August 10, 2015
      
      So the link expansion is a real estate investment? You should run for council, you would do very well here.
    - Nick August 11, 2015
      
      Dude who funds Federal tax $, grants, and sound transit? I do. Last year the city raised my property taxes to fund an aquarium I will never visit. This year they want to fix potholes. Stick to the important stuff like potholes and not pet projects like light rail in the shape of a U to avoid walking up a hill and funding aquariums.
Ted and Judy Leyden August 10, 2015

How many times does this issue have to be revisited?? The Transportation Commission is recommending the most logical and economical approach, while serving the largest number of potential riders. A station location at 4th and Stadium is essential to serve the large populations along Stadium Way. Secondly, moving the Theater District Station to a location in front of Old City Hall is a waste of resources and is apparently based more on aesthetic considerations than on what best serves the public. This change would negatively impact service to the Theater District and possibly jeopardize the 4th and Stadium Station location, while providing no apparent benefit other than a more attractive location than the current stop. This has been studied, discussed, coordinated, and "finalized" adnauseam. It's time to end the debate and accept the considered position of the majority.
- Nick August 11, 2015
  
  Why is the track doubling back along MLK? Busses go up and down those hills....
- Dan H August 11, 2015
  
  You are wrong that the move to old City Hall is only based on aesthetics. Having a station in the middle of a block has serious implications for the station's walkshed. Anyone walking to the station from east or west is automatically forced to walk an extra half block than if the station was placed at an intersection. A person in the middle of another block must walk a U shaped route instead of an L shaped route. This results in a midblock station reaching fewer people within the same walking distance on a street grid than an intersection station. Old City hall is at the intersection of 7th and Commerce, with the Stairway next to the Elks Building connecting all the way up 7th. Further, it is more evenly spaced with existing and proposed stations. Meaning there will be less walkshed overlap and even more people served between the 4th St station and the Old City Hall station. Finally, even at Old City Hall it would be be less than 0.25 miles to all major theater entrances. 0.25 is at the extreme low end of the rule of thumb distances that transit riders are expected to be willing to walk from a streetcar stop.
Sid August 10, 2015

Which majority? Oh you mean the ones that said something about it in favor of the route. This should be a tool to better people that need to get to work. Not for bar hoppers, joy riders or people that chose to live on a hill and now can't figure out how to get down.
JDHasty August 11, 2015

So ya' decide to go to a Dome event and before the event you go to a restaurant downtown with your five-year old daughter and take the stupid little Tacoma Trolly to the Dome event then back to your vehicle after the event? You might get to the event on Tacoma's toy train, but if it is an evening event you are walking back to your vehicle after the show. The damn thing doesn't run after Dome events. The jackasses running the show here can't even manage weekly garbage collection or maintain the pavement, one would think a four year-old might be able to figure out that if you have an evening show at the Dome that if you want people spending time at restaurants downtown before the show that having the toy train run for a half-hour after the show just might be a good idea. My five year old was to figure that one out.
- RW August 12, 2015
  
  Um, they extend service at the request of the Tacoma Dome all the time. It depends on ticket sales. I can't recall the exact threshold, but over a certain number and they run both trains until everyone is gone from Tacoma Dome station.
Jim C August 11, 2015

Isn't the funding for this extension still nearly $50 million, or a third of the total cost, short? I recall reading the hope that the city could cover the gap with a combination of public/private funding but if that money were actually attainable would we have heard something about it by now? Is this a wish list kind of exercise?
- Terry August 11, 2015
  
  Yeah, you're right Jim C. Sound Transit is looking at taxing us for 12 to 15 years to start to build less than 2 miles of new track. At the current rate of expansion the train will make 6th Ave in 47 years or so?
- Dan H August 11, 2015
  
  $50m Sound Transit 2 voter approved funding + $75m Federal small starts grant + approx $13m various federal grants from Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) competitions = $138m. I believe the last estimate I saw for the full length with all stations was $165m. That leaves a $27million deficit presently. 2016 will hold another PSRC grant competition where the link is likely to compete quite well. When all is said and done, I don't expect the City to foot much of the bill.
  - Jim C August 11, 2015
    
    Thanks for the numbers, Dan. So that's still about a fifth missing, between a fifth and a sixth. $165m is an awful lot of money to spend on something that's not really necessary. There is no mobility problem in Tacoma. There is, however, a HUGE mobility problem on all the roads leading in and out of Tacoma, which most people who live here have to travel on to get to work every day. I have sent my opinion to the city several times, every time they've asked for it: any money spent on a Link expansion should be spent on track leading to Federal Way. Full stop. If that isn't possible, any money earmarked for expansion should be put in a trust so it can't be touched until it's time to go to FWay, and then should be spent on that. THEN we can start worrying about neighborhood routes and pedestrian-utopia TODs. IMO, thinking significant development is going to happen here before the regional connection is in place is naive.
    - talus August 12, 2015
      
      I'm sympathetic to your priorities, but a) why leave $ on the table from ST 2 that's supposed to g to a particular project for a particular purpose; and b) advocate for other mobility fixes in the ongoing discussion about ST 3. The choice is leverage ST and federal $ for a good but not great local extension or get nothing. Pushing for nothing is not good for Tacoma.
  - Sid August 11, 2015
    
    Did you just read what you wrote? $165m for a track that makes a U to nowhere. Who thinks that is ok, it all comes from US taxpayers. It does not matter if it is not Tacoma money, it is American money. Some poor bastard somewhere in a farm that can barely make ends meet has to pay for this joy ride of yours, the single mom that pays taxes in Chicago has to pay for your pet project. We all have to pay for it, might as well make it go somewhere. Read what you just wrote and then tell me that there is nothing deep inside of you that is saying maybe this is not so smart.
    - Dan H August 11, 2015
      
      There was no value judgement in anything I wrote. I never said whether I was for, against, or indifferent. I actually have never favored this proposed alignment. I was just explaining the numbers to Jim C who may not have been aware of some of the more recent grants through no fault of his own. The project is not $50million short as it currently stands.
    - talus August 12, 2015
      
      It's called pragmatism. Try it sometime.
JDHasty August 11, 2015

This is not responsible stewardship of public transportation dollars. It is all about feathering the nests of friends (i.e. campaign donors), family and long time business associates of of people with connections to Tacoma/Pierce County politicians.
- ApitbullnamedPlug August 12, 2015
  
  Prove it. Show me friends and family and long time business associates of politicians who are benefiting from the current plan. You have a habit of throwing this junk out there yet have never been able to give one shred of evidence to support yourself. If you can prove it, I'd love to hear it.
  - JDHasty August 24, 2015
    
    I did not respond until now because I have been in North Central Washington the last couple weeks. As for "prove it," well how about you start with Tom Price and Hyun Um of Prium who were on every local politician's speed dial? Then we can move onto the roster of Senior Fellows at the Tacoma/Pierce County Chapter of The American Leadership Forum. I am not familiar with a single major scandal in the last two decades in Tacoma/Piece that has not involved at least one of the Senior Fellows and to suggest that this entity does not exist to maintain and nurture close relationships and local politicians is ludicrous. We have had spouses of Council members sitting on the board of casinos that were affected by regulations that their Spouse was voting on. That is just a start. If you cannot continue the list I have started for you, you just have not been paying attention. Once a person does the job that the News Buffoon and other media should be doing and connects the dots there is more often than not a friend, family member of longtime business associate occupying each of those dots. You damn well know that and what is more you knew it before I pointed it out.
    - JDHasty August 25, 2015
      
      So if you thumbs downed my response does that infer that you deny that there was back and forth dialog between the principals in Prium and local politicians? Do you deny that campaign contributions were sought and made? Do you deny that local politicians do not seek the endorsement of and contributions in dollars and in campaigning of The Alf and that The ALF does not endorse and actively campaign for local politicians? As for the financial shenanigans etc that Prium had as their business model, that has been through the legal system and it is well documented fact. I have repeatedly responded to people who take exception to my characterization of The ALF and Senior Fellows of that operation as principal actors each and every time scandal raises it's ugly head in Tacoma/Pierce with a simple request that they point to scandals in which Senior Fellows at The ALF have not been involved. If there were any, one would think that they would point that out. So far the defenders of The ALF have not been able to name even one. That should tell you something.
Sid August 11, 2015

You can have a trolley bus with the electric cables take that ridiculous U shape route all day long back and forth and it will be cheaper than what they are going to spend here on light rail.
honeydew slausen August 12, 2015

As a Tacoma resident, I've paid more in transportation taxes for all modes than that poor guy on some farm or whatever the hell JD Hasty is talking about. Lots of criminals use roads dude. Let's never build any more. I get it some of you just don't ever want to pay for anything if it doesn't personally benefit you. Tough, that is not the place we live. I pay more for the roads that poor guy on the farm uses than he does. He pays nothing or next to nothing (depending on where his farm is) for Sound Transit services in Tacoma. I want the regional light rail link to Seattle on light rail and Sounder expanded to Olympia as well and far more frequent service. I also want Tacoma Link expanded. You run rail to dense neighborhoods or those that can accommodate density and to employment centers. That is why it is downtown where 30,000 people work (more than in the Port by the way) and that is why it will connect the two hospitals which are the largest private employers in Tacoma. There are lots of places it can go from their but it has to get up the hill first. Sadly, we can't raise enough money to do all of this at once but we didn't dig ourselves into the mess we have no over night but through decades of removing existing rail systems which tied communities together and building more and better highways that divide communities. I am not anti-highway by the way. I also support the current I5 work in Tacoma, the completion of 167 and the improvements near JBLM. It's a system we've built and we need to take care of it not neglect it. I also don't mind that my tax dollars support the roads that farmer uses that I will probably never drive on, I just get cranky when he complains about his taxes being spent on transportation my community needs because they aren't. Tacoma should be debating whether there should be a station at S. 4th (I say yes but only if the City and Sound Transit come up with a way to make it more accessible) and where rail needs to go next after the extension on MLK and not arguing whether rail or bus or trolleys are best (that's been decided) and whether we should build locally before we complete the regional system (yes because we need to do both).
- Terry August 12, 2015
  
  You do know that as millions are being pumped into this train that runs less than 3 miles, Pierce Transit has cut back bus service around the County due to budget shortfalls? And as a guy living in East Tacoma, there rarely seems to be enough money in Tacoma for anything on this side of the freeway, even though we have the highest ridership of transit. What year was ST1 by the way? And all we currently have in Tacoma is 1.5 miles of light rail? Looking that the rate that Sound Transit is building track in Tacoma, most everybody reading this will be dead by the time the train reaches some place it's actually needed, like Tacoma Mall or TCC. Worst investment ever!
- Sid August 12, 2015
  
  Link to the Mall yes, link to TCC yes, link to Olympia and Seattle, hell yeah. A frigging u loop on my tax dollars and everybody else's so you can joy ride. You are writing about this as if all of a sudden people are going to get on this route and people will have a destination. Where does this thing go. Do you think a nurse after a 12 hour shift is going to ride this thing, some will, most will get in their car, turn the radio on and forget about the world. Most people have things to do before or after work and this thing is nowhere near where people do errands, which will get them back in the car and then might as well go all the way to work. If you have a medical issues are you really going to get on the link, no either an ambulance or a car. What are you talking about? Why do you think there is a massive parking lot downtown?