Prairie Line Trail Planning Gathering Steam

A group of dedicated individuals has been meeting over the last couple months to begin discussions around supporting the Prairie Line Trail as an active, vibrant, relevant part of the fabric of life in downtown Tacoma.

Early meetings generated some intriguing possibilities for what that might look like. The individuals and groups involved come from a variety of interests - from history buffs to runners and cyclists - and the ideas beginning to emerge are just as varied.

• An active bicycle and pedestrian path 
• An venue for producing and displaying art (active and passive) 
• A place for a variety of events such as the Rainier to Ruston run or the Tacoma Marathon 
• A way to tell the story of Tacoma, its’ culture, its’ heritage, and its’ physical attributes 
• A place for people to gather, share stories, interact, communicate, exercise, relax, grow, share, and learn 
• A place to begin your journey to other Tacoma amenities, and activities such as our museums, theatre district, waterfront, farmers’ market, transportation hub, area events, concerts and much more. 

In other news related to the new trail/linear park through the heart of downtown, UW Tacoma has selected a contractor for its section of the Prairie Line Trail. The News Tribune reports that the John Korsmo construction company has been awarded the $2.6 million contract, which will cover the construction of the trails, retaining walls, rain gardens, and other landscaping that will make up the UWT Station portion of the trail. Trees to be planted are already on site, with work to begin in the next couple weeks. 

Plans are for the work on the UWT portion to be complete by the time UWT begins its fall quarter this September. You can expect the Friends of the Prairie Line Trail to be a part of planning that celebration, while also working on a longer-term vision for the trail and its place in Tacoma. 

The group will meet again today to discuss what comes next. If you're interested in supporting the Trail, and feel you have something to contribute, contact Milt Tremblay, Director of Physical Planning and Sustainability at UW Tacoma: Work: (253) 692-4754 / Cell: (253) 350-6990 / E-mail: milt@uw.edu 

“FRIENDS OF THE PRAIRIE LINE TRAIL” Third Organizational Meeting 

When: Thursday, March 20th, 2014 Where: UWT Tioga Library Building- 3rd FL 
Time: 4:00 pm Research Commons 
1907 Jefferson Street, Tacoma, WA 98402 
(Across from “The Swiss”)