Happy holidays!

While winter in the Pacific Northwest means colder weather and fewer hours of daylight, I enjoy this time with family and friends. There is much to do in Tacoma, both indoors and outdoors.  As is the case all year round, the Hines family has been busy with outdoor adventures (check out Garyn and Lauryn at Salmon Saturday!), holiday celebrations and community gatherings. We hope you also find a few moments to spend time with those you care about this holiday season!

Home in Tacoma – Phase 2

Earlier this month at Study Session, the Council heard an update on Home in Tacoma and the progress made during Phase 2. The Council adopted Phase 1 of Home in Tacoma on December 7, 2021 and the presentation was both an overview on the work done so far and what to expect in 2023.

Starting in the New Year, the City will invite public input on topics including:

• Middle housing design
• Neighborhood amenities and infrastructure
• Affordability and anti-displacement

In addition, we will be inviting input regarding the scope of the environmental review of Home in Tacoma - Phase 2.  More information is available here on how to get involved. You can also sign up for email updates.

As I mentioned at Study Session, Home in Tacoma is the most dramatic zoning change in 70 years and there needs to be a robust public outreach and engagement process in Phase 2. I am committed to making sure our community is aware of and engaged in Phase 2, and in shaping the future of our city.

Lowering Speed Limits

This past summer, the Tacoma City Council voted to lower the speed limit on residential streets from 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour. They also voted to lower the speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour in four Neighborhood Business Districts - 6th Avenue, Lincoln, McKinley Hill, and Old Town.  The speed limit is already 25 miles per hour in the South Tacoma and Proctor Neighborhood Business Districts.

The new speed limits will go into effect on January 1, 2023. Going on now through the end of the year, new speed limit signage is being installed, plus additional signage will be added in key locations that include gateways to the city and those four Neighborhood Business Districts. This is aligned with the City’s commitment to Vision Zero and the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2035.

Lowering speeds improves safety by increasing visibility, allowing additional time for drivers to stop, and reducing the frequency and severity of crashes. 

In the past three years, I have heard from many of you about concerns for pedestrian safety. While lowering the speed limits alone will not fully ensure our safety, it is a good start. I am invested in this work and, looking ahead, I am eager to do more to ensure our streets are safe for everyone.

Streets Initiative

At our Government Performance and Finance Committee meeting this December, we received an update on the progress of the Tacoma Streets Initiative that was passed by the voters in 2015. In talking with many of you, I have heard your concerns for the state of Tacoma’s roads, and it is a priority for me to fix our streets.

If you are interested in learning more about the work that has been done in the last seven years, I would encourage you to check out the presentation linked above, or visit the Streets Initiative page and view the dashboard.

Santa Parade and Tree Lighting

This past month my family enjoyed getting out and celebrating the holidays. After Thanksgiving, we joined in the annual tree lighting in Downtown Tacoma. The crowd was even bigger this year than last, and I am happy to see more people coming back and enjoying being downtown.

The following week, we were also happy to ride along in the Santa Parade in South Tacoma. While the parade was fun, I was very excited to meet one of my favorite Mariners, Jamie Moyer!

Tour of PABCO Roofing

My wife has often joked with me that I could do a whole show focusing on the variety of work that people do around Tacoma. Throughout my time on Council, I have really enjoyed touring City facilities and visiting local businesses for a closer look at all of the work happening around our great city.  This month was no different, as I visited PABCO Roofing Products on the Port of Tacoma. It was great to see how shingles are made in Tacoma. These very shingles then get placed on roofs across the country.

A fun fact I learned is that PABCO recycles its broken asphalt shingles, and they are added to the asphalt used for patching and building roads.