Hello Tacoma! 

I am excited to invite you to join me for the Week Without Driving challenge, taking place from September 30 to October 6. If you typically drive a car, this is a chance to leave it parked for the week and find other ways to get around. It is important that we all understand the challenges community members in Tacoma face regarding transportation and what it’s like to rely on walking, rolling, public transit and asking for rides. As the Chair of the City Council’s Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability Committee, Chair of the Pierce Transit Commission, and a member of the Sound Transit Board of Directors, I am working hard to ensure that our community is accessible for everyone and safe for all modes of transportation. 

Join me for a walk on October 4 

As part of the Week Without Driving challenge, I am excited to invite you to join me for a walk on Friday, October 4. I am eager to chat with you about your questions and to hear your perspective about the City Council’s work. The walk will start at lion statues in Wright Park, traverse through Wright Park to the Stadium District Light Rail Stop, ride the Tacoma Link to 11th/MLK stop, and walk back to Wright Park along J Street. Staff from City of Tacoma and Sound Transit will also be available for questions. We'll start walking at 8:30 AM and end around 10 AM. Your transit fare will be covered. You can join in anywhere along the way or just say a quick hello. I hope to see you there!   

Check out PARK(ing) Day from 10 AM -- 2 PM on October 2 Park(ing) Day is such a fun event. The public and local businesses are invited to transform metered parking spaces along the Prairie Line Trail into unique, temporary parklets. Get creative! Setup starts in the morning, with parklets open to the public from 10 AM to 2 PM on Jefferson Ave. & S 19th Street. Come check it out!

Building a New ADA Sidewalk Ramp  I had an opportunity this month to see firsthand how our Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant sidewalk ramps are constructed. The City's Public Works team has installed 480 ADA ramps this year alone! Making sure that our transportation is safe for all users is central to our Vision Zero approach to building and maintaining our transportation system, and ramps are vital for many members of our community. I am committed to continue putting pedestrian safety first through establishing and maintaining an accessible sidewalk network for all our residents. Thanks to our great Public Works team for letting me learn about your important work making our sidewalks safe and accessible!

You can find more City updates and resources on our website at cityoftacoma.org.

I also invite you to tune in to the City Council’s Study Session or City Council meetings every week on Tuesdays via TV Tacoma, Facebook Live, or Zoom. Access information is available at cityoftacoma.org/councilmeetings.

I hope you will reach out to me with any questions. I can be reached at: kwalker@cityoftacoma.org.

Council Member Kristina Walker