Greetings!

In this e-newsletter, I share more information about upcoming investments in District 5’s roadways, sidewalks, and other infrastructure.

We all use roads to travel through Tacoma, and updating this critical infrastructure in District 5 has been my priority from day one. Thanks to the voters who passed the Tacoma Streets Initiative, the City has funds for ongoing street maintenance. Since 2016, nearly 500 blocks have been preserved, maintained, or repaved in District 5. That is about 22% of our district’s streets! Hundreds more District 5 neighborhood street blocks will see improvements in 2020 alone. Larger, arterial projects often take additional sources of funding. Below are a list of District 5 highlights for those large infrastructure projects.

I want to know what matters to you in District 5. You can reach me at chris.beale@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-5164. If you would like to meet with me in person, please call (253) 591-5470 to schedule an appointment.

I also encourage you to join me in person at the South Tacoma Neighborhood Council meeting on March 18, at the Star Center at 6:00 pm. I will be presenting on my work and priorities as a City Council Member and look forward to your questions. 

Gratefully in service,

Chris Beale
Tacoma City Council Member, District 5

Tacoma Commits to Vision Zero by 2035

In Tacoma, the crisis of traffic safety is even more stark and the reality more grim. Between 2014 and 2018, there were approximately 17,000 reported collisions on Tacoma’s streets, resulted in 7,700 possible injuries resulting in:

• An increase in fatal and serious crashes twice as high as the statewide average, with an increase of 11.9%.
• Over 400 fatalities and serious injuries – meaning approximately once every four and a half (4.5) days, a family is changed forever because of a serious injury or fatality that occurred on Tacoma roads.
• 187 school-aged bicyclists or pedestrians (ages 0 – 19) involved in a collision.

Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. The first step in this effort is asserting that everyone has the right to move safely in their community, and everyone shares the responsibility to make safe systems for travel.

On February 17, 2020, I sponsored a resolution that the Tacoma City Council passed to commit to pursuing the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries in the City of Tacoma by 2035. The resolution also directed the City Manager to create a Vision Zero Action Plan, work with the Transportation Commission and the Bike and Pedestrian Technical Advisory Group to complete a summary report on the “State of Speed and Safety in Tacoma,” and review funding options to invest in our roads and other infrastructure.

East 64th Street Improvements Project

Pictured: a rendering of planned improvements to the Pacific Avenue and East 64th Street intersection.

Phase 1 of East 64th Street replacement has begun! Construction is currently underway and is expected to be completed near the end of 2020. Join us for the groundbreaking celebration.

EAST 64TH STREET PACIFIC TO MCKINLEY GROUNDBREAKING
March 21, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
Good Hope Community Church
614 E. 64th Street, Tacoma
The event will feature the project artists as well as City staff.

This project will complete planned improvements along East 64th Street from Pacific Avenue to the eastern City limits near Pipeline Trail and is expected to be completed in three segments. Phase 1 involves the segment from Pacific Avenue to East McKinley. Work will include replacing the road, adding protected bicycle lanes, replacing sidewalks and curb ramps to meet current ADA standards, upgrading the stormwater drainage, water line replacement, sanitary sewer installation, and upgrading the illumination systems. Parallel parking will also be added in available areas. Construction is expected to be complete near the end of 2020. Access to residences will be maintained during construction.

One part of the project I am excited for is that it will include the City’s first separated cycle path installed on both sides of the street for safer biking! This sort of infrastructure that keeps bicyclists and pedestrians safe is what I hope to see more of as the City works towards Vision Zero.

For more information, visit the East 64th Street Improvements page.

South Sheridan Sidewalks and Complete Streets

Pictured: An example of incomplete sidewalks on South Sheridan Street in Tacoma. 

Complete Streets is a nationally recognized term referring to streets and sidewalks that are designed, operated and maintained to enable safe and convenient access and travel for all users – pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and people of all ages and abilities, as well as freight and motor vehicle drivers. Complete Streets also foster a sense of place in the public realm and incorporate green features including trees, landscaping and, in some cases, low impact development stormwater features.

South Sheridan has two upcoming projects: South Sheridan Missing Link Sidewalks (S 72nd Street to S 84th Street) and a South Sheridan Complete Streets Roadway Replacement Project (S 61st Street to S 72nd Street).

For the Missing link Sidewalks portion, design is currently underway and construction will begin late in 2020. For the Complete Streets Roadway Replacement Project, the City’s Public Works department will design a full road replacement project for South Sheridan from South 61st Street to South 72nd Street, to include a shared pedestrian and bicycle path. The City is still seeking funding for construction of the. project. Public Works will be seeking grant funding through the Transportation Improvement Board in 2020 for this work. If the City is awarded grant funding, construction of the project would begin in 2021 following completion of design and right-of-way.

Greenroads Projects in Manitou and Larchmont

The City of Tacoma became the first "Green Roads Community" in June 2014 through adoption of Resolution 38945. This means that the City is committed to developing a Policy for the City's roads and other transportation infrastructure in order to be models of environmental, economic, and social stewardship and by setting community goals of sustainable design, construction, and maintenance.

South Tacoma has two grant funded projects in the design phase that are being managed by Environmental Services in partnership with Public Works.

These Greenroads projects will not only improve your local infrastructure, they will be designed and constructed to a level of sustainability that is substantially higher than current common practice. Construction is currently scheduled to start sometime in 2021.

Pictured: a map of where the Manitou Green Infrastructure Project will improve approximately 24 Blocks of residential streets near S 66th Street & S Tyler Street.

Pictured: a map of where the Larchmont Green Infrastructure Project will improve approximately 27 blocks and is centered on A Street from S 84th Street to S 96th.

Upcoming events in District 5

Connect with your community at one of these upcoming events. 

• Pac Yak Safe Streets meeting: Thursday, March 5th at 6:30pm at the Calvary Baptist Church-6511 South C Street
• Family Resource Fair organized by Communities In Schools of Tacoma: Saturday, March 14, from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm at the Bates College South Campus Auditorium (2201 South 78th Street)
• Blueberry and Larchmont Safe Streets meeting: Tuesday, March 17th, 6:30 pm at the Light and Life Christian Fellowship (611 East 82nd Street)
• Hillsdale Safe Streets meeting: Wednesday, March 18th, at 6:30 pm at the Sector 4 Substation (400 East 56th Street)
• South Wapato Safe Streets meeting: Wednesday, March 25th, at 6:30 pm at the Birney E. School’s Library (1202 South 76th Street)
• Southeast Tacoma Neighborhood Alliance: Saturday, March 28th, 9:00 am at the South Lakeshore Christian Church (1740 South 84th Street) 
• Fern Hill Safe Streets meeting: Monday, April 6, at 6:30 pm at the Fern Hill School Library (8442 South Park Avenue) 
• Wapato Walking Group: Every Saturday at 8:00 am at South Wapato Street and South 62nd Street 
• Arlington Neighbors Safe Streets meeting: the first Monday of every month at 6:00 pm at Amazing Grace Christian Church (7244 South Oakes Street) 
• Eastside Neighborhoods Advisory Council of Tacoma: the third Monday of every month at the Eastside Community Center (1721 East 56th Street) 
• Edison Neighbors Safe Streets meeting: the third Tuesday of every month at 6:00 pm at Edison Elementary (5830 South Pine Street)
• South Tacoma Neighborhood Council: the third Wednesday of every month at 6:00 pm at the STAR Center (3873 South 66th Street)
• South End Neighborhood Council: the fourth Monday of every month at 7:00 pm at Tacoma Fire Station 8 (4911 South Alaska Street)