I'm very pleased to share we now have more publicly accessible EV chargers in our downtown core than ever before. Implemented in partnership with Tacoma Public Utilities, the Downtown EV Charging Expansion Project has installed more than 50 chargers, including fast chargers. These chargers have been strategically placed to support broader coverage and enhanced convenience for the public. 

We are also working hard to use our local dollars strategically to leverage outside funding--and our efforts are paying off. The Puget Sound Regional Council, Transportation Improvement Board and Washington State Department of Transportation have recently awarded Tacoma a total of $10.6 million in grant funding for six important infrastructure projects across the city. These projects aim to enhance pedestrian safety, improve ADA accessibility, expand bikeways, upgrade roadways, modernize traffic signals, and develop comprehensive transportation plans. They also support the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan goal of eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2035. 

Funded projects include:

• Puyallup Avenue Corridor Improvements With Pedestrian Access to Fife: The project will reconstruct Puyallup Avenue with complete street elements including sidewalks/curb ramps, curb bulbs, crosswalks, signals, lighting, landscaping, bus stops, upgraded utilities, and a shared HOV/transit lane, as well as minor improvements to side streets to reorient/increase functionality of parking spaces, and other street amenities. Bike lanes/active transportation facilities will also be added and improved! 
• 6th Avenue and Tacoma Avenue Pavement Preservation: This project will improve the pavement condition and pedestrian accessibility on 6th Avenue from the intersection at South Yakima Avenue to the intersection at St. Helens Avenue and Tacoma Avenue South from approximately South 5th Street to South 7th Street.
• Tacoma Mall Neighborhood Loop Road Active Transportation Plan: This project will develop a plan for a loop road which will enhance pedestrian and bicycle connections and safety in the Tacoma Mall Regional Growth Center.
• South 11th Street and South Sprague Avenue Signalized Intersection Improvements: This project will enhance pedestrian safety by constructing ADA-accessible curb ramps, accessible pedestrian signals, leading pedestrian intervals, high-visibility crosswalk markings, and upgraded signal heads.
•  East Roosevelt Avenue Arterial Improvements: This project will reconstruct or overlay East Roosevelt Avenue pavement from East 38th Street to East Sherman Street, close sidewalk gaps, and improve pedestrian safety by constructing missing link sidewalk, supporting Safe Routes to School and fostering a safer environment for all road users.
•  South 56th Street Crossing Improvements: This project will enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety at the intersection of A Street and South 56th Street. 

We are also making great progress finalizing the J Street Bicycle Boulevard construction project. This project is funded by your Streets Initiative dollars and is an effort to increase safety for multimodal transportation in Hilltop by filling a gap in Tacoma's bike network, adding traffic calming measures, and updating intersections.

The project has created a two-mile bicycle boulevard on J Street from North 3rd Street to South 27th Street, along with improved east/west bicycle connections via 6th Avenue, South 11th Street, Earnest S Brazill Street, South 17th Street, and South 18th Street. This project is especially exciting because it will provide greater access to Link Light Rail stops and key neighborhood destinations including the Hilltop Business District and People’s Community Center. Keep an eye out for the art installations happening on the boulevard in spring 2026!

As Chair of the Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability Committee (IPS), I've been working hard to explore the best policies and resources for expanding our urban forest. A thriving urban forest is a fundamental component of healthy, resilient, and livable communities. Tree cover and landscaping play a major role in supporting urban wildlife, reducing stormwater runoff, filtering pollution, and reducing the urban heat island effect. 

Along with my policy work, I've also enjoyed several recent opportunities to plant trees in our City, including on Green Tacoma Day and in front of our Fire Communications Center near Tacoma Avenue South and South 4^th Street. 

Through IPS and City Council discussions, I'm pleased to share that last year we developed and approved a blueprint for how we can expand the City’s Urban Forestry Program and advance implementation of the City’s Urban Forestry Management Plan that the City Council. From October to December last year, I worked hard to meet with Neighborhood Councils and community members to collect feedback on questions about the care and maintenance of our trees and potential future regulations. I'll be presenting my work at IPS on January 28, so please tune in if you want to learn more. The report will also be posted here following the IPS meeting: Urban Forestry Code & Policies | City of Tacoma

It was great to share all this work at the State of the Urban Forest event (pictured), hosted by the Tacoma Tree Foundation. While there are several phases for the work ahead, I am glad that we have a plan that balances our need for more housing along with improvements to our urban forest--both of which are important to so many of our residents. 

I was thrilled that the City has partnered with Tacoma Community House and the REACH Center on the Year of Belonging initiative, a collaborative effort that brings community members and organizations together to build a more inclusive and connected Tacoma. Initiatives are so important for our community and for ensuring our young people advance their educational, career, and life goals. Tacoma Community House Executive Director Aimee Khuu is pictured here in the wonderfully decorated front office of their building. 

Strengthening our local community is vital, and you can learn more about getting involved or volunteering with the Tacoma Community House and the REACH Center here: Volunteer | Tacoma Community House and  Volunteer | The REACH Center. I hope you'll check it out!