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| The Cycle Track Concept for Pacific Avenue |
The City of Tacoma has posted some interesting architectural renderings (A) (B) of two concept designs for the greening of Downtown Pacific Avenue. In both concepts the architects propose additional street trees, rain garden-type storm drainage, and some form of road diet with bicycle right of way. In Concept A, bicycles would get a bike lane on both sides, but they would also have to compete with angled parking. In Concept B, bikes would get their own dedicated right of way to link Old City Hall at S. 7th St. to S. 17th and the planned Prairie Line Trail. Few transit elements appear to be present in this streetscape treatment, but there may be more to this than can be seen from the PDF's posted by the City.
Ken Peachey, a local cyclist, sees an opportunity for the City to live up to its sustainability principles. In an email he sent out this week he cites the recently unanimously adopted City of Tacoma's Mobility Master Plan policy, which was unanimously adopted by the City Council back in June, which states:
the City will give “…precedence to pedestrians, then to bicyclists and public transit. …The City of Tacoma will use this model as a conceptual tool for elevating pedestrians, bicyclists and public transportation in the planning and design of streets in a manner that is consistent with the City’s Complete Streets policy and Climate Action Plan."Interested people are encouraged to attend the charette scheduled for Thursday and to submit their comments on the plans to soneill@cityoftacoma.org by 5pm on Friday, December 10th.