November 21, 2014 · Exit133

Parking could be an issue when Amtrak moves to Tacoma’s Freighthouse Square

When the Tacoma Amtrak station moves to Freighthouse Square, it will lose the ample free parking available at its current location further down Puyallup Avenue.

With the move, the new Amtrak station location joins the cluster that already includes the Sounder station, the terminus of the Tacoma Link, and the Tacoma Dome bus transit hub. The free Pierce Transit parking garage is frequently full to capacity, many nearby lots are already allocated to other uses, and the construction of the new station will mean the loss of some on-street angle parking.

There are concerns that the loss of the free (or affordable) adjacent long-term parking could be problematic for Amtrak ridership. Some Dome District business owners are also concerned about the impact of increased parking demands on their neighborhood, and are calling for Pierce Transit to start charging for parking at its garage.

We haven't seen a parking study for the area, but is anyone really trusting enough to leave their car parked at the Amtrak station for the weekend anyway?

Read original on The News Tribune →

Filed under: Transportation, Neighborhoods, Transit, Dome District

3 comments

Matt Newport November 21, 2014

I'm really excited to have the station located right there with Link, Sounder and Local/Express Bus services. I'll use one of these services as a connecter from home so that I don't have the added worry and expense of leaving my personal vehicle near the station. Or I'll bike to the Amtrak station and take my bike with me on the train! I often see people taking cabs to the current station, perhaps because it isn't as well served by transit. I think the current parking lot is only "convenient" because there are fewer options to get there.
Brendan November 22, 2014

There isn't enough parking at Tacoma Dome Station as it is - try getting there after 10a on a weekday...aside from the 3-hour parking on the bottom, there are days where there is literally not a single spot to be found. This is a really bad idea.
Dan November 22, 2014

Anyone who is concerned that the the Amtrak station will create parking problems needs to look at an aerial photograph of the the Dome District. There is more land devoted to parking in that area than there is land devoted to everything else combined. There should be market based solutions to any parking "issues". The Tacoma Dome includes massive seas of asphalt that are an under utilized. They sit empty all but a handful of hours each month. Someone should be able to make money off of this new long term parking demand. The City should definitely consider it, but if they don't, I have no doubt the private sector will step forward to charge whatever the market will bear.