Light rail in Tacoma is not Seattle's call

Sherwin Lee at the Seattle Transit Blog, writes that light rail extensions to Everett and Tacoma should take a back seat to rail expansion within Seattle.  He goes on to say that transit expansion to Pierce County will diminish the effectiveness of light rail because of poor intervening land use between urban centers. While current Sound Transit policy on sub-area equity prevents Seattle from paying for light rail in Pierce County (and vice-versa), the conversation is somewhat moot. However, he brings up some points that are worth exploring... and some other more harsh points that are worth confronting.

Transit riders should start as pedestrians/cyclists

Urban rail should be for urban corridors that can rely on transit riders to start their trips as pedestrians or cyclists. Sound Transit’s tendency to focus on providing Park and Ride infrastructure is a distraction from transit’s core purpose, which I’ll paraphrase from Jarrett Walker is “to effectively and efficiently provide mobility to large numbers of people, without the need for a personal vehicle.”

ST2 Program should change for Tacoma-Pierce County

The current Sound Transit plan is holding back the development of the regional transit system in Pierce County, because we are waiting on South King County to complete its segment to Federal Way. The banked bonding capacity that is slated to be used for the $1.6b segment between Tacoma Dome Station and the King County line (7mb PDF, PSRC) could be used for other projects between now and when light rail reaches Federal Way sometime in the 2030’s or 2040’s.

The Pierce County ST2 program deserves a course correction, adjusting down the moneys allocated or banked towards linking Tacoma with SeaTac Airport and SE Seattle and adjusted towards development of Tacoma Link, transit oriented development, multimodal Sounder station access (i.e. bike access), and studies that lay the groundwork for ST3.

Tacoma is not standing in the way of light rail to Ballard

What is unreasonable in the post is the insinuation that Tacoma and Everett are somehow at odds with Seattle, actively fighting against expansion of rail within Seattle, and would be counterproductive to add to the light rail network. Nothing could be further from the truth. In election after election, the urban centers at the proposed light rail termini have supported Sound Transit and ridership estimates for the extensions in both directions point to increased ridership - although at a higher incremental cost.  But the point is, light rail in Tacoma is not Seattle's call.

What seems to get lost sometimes is realizing just how many staff hours were allocated to the Bellevue light rail alignment fiasco and the impact that must have had on other planning efforts within the agency.  Tacoma residents, for instance, have been waiting patiently for movement on alternatives analysis to begin on Tacoma Link, which was approved in ST2 nearly four years ago.

Pierce Transit helps combat JBLM Traffic

Pierce Transit is taking steps to address congestion on I-5 with a new addition to their vanpool fleet.  Later this week, the agency will be rolling out 8 of 20 new vanpools funded by a competitive congesetion grant from WSDOT.  When fully active, the vans will remove up to 200 vehicles from the road in the JBLM area and I-5.

Pierce Transit's press release describes the problem and what's being done about it:

With increasing population at JBLM, as well as in Pierce and Thurston counties, the I-5 corridor between Tacoma and Olympia has become one of the most congested corridors in the state. In 2010, I-5 commuters found themselves sitting in 9-mile backups that doubled or tripled their commute time. 

Recognizing the congestion, JBLM and WSDOT have funded congestion relief projects to help mitigate traffic impacts and improve travel time by adding traffic cameras, ramp meters and on-base traffic flow improvements.  The 20 new vans are part of that continuing strategy to mitigate traffic congestion along the corridor. 

Commentary on the Pierce Transit Vanpool Program

The list of employers that Pierce Transit Vanpools serve is impressive:

• Intel in Dupont, 
• Bremerton Naval Shipyards, 
• Boeing plants in Everett and Renton, 
• Weyerhaeuser, 
• Microsoft,
• Expedia, and
• T-Mobile

With vanpools originating in most cities in the county, this looks like a feasible option for commuters making long distance commutes with weaker transit connections.

Op-Ed: Shrink Garages by 5% for Bike Trails, Bike Parking

"Sound Transit believes it still can afford a $41 million, 400-space garage in Sumner and a $57 million, 600-space garage in Puyallup in the next few years, and space at Tacoma, Mukilteo and the Tukwila commuter-rail stations." -Seattle Times 7-25-2012

Sound Transit Garage in Kent

I understand that parking capacity is full in Sumner and Puyallup.  Further measures should be taken to improve access at Sounder Stations.  But taking a step back from that immediate reality, you have to admit that $100,000/space is a lot of money.

Expanding structured garages is an expensive solution to managing demand.  I would compare it to having parking requirements for new development, which were recently done away with in most of Tacoma.

I am willing to bet that shaving 5% off the number of parking spaces from these designs and using the money to expand bicycle connections to the stations would serve more people than the parking spaces themselves.

12 Bikes can fit in the space for one car
Photo: Tacoma's 6th Avenue - Red Hot

For Puyallup, shaving 5% of the parking spaces off of the proposed 600-space garage  would represent 30 spaces or $3,000,000.  That amount of money could fund a ten mile bike trail (12'-wide, bidirectional), and bike parking facilities at the station (source).  If you're thinking bike lanes, each parking space could fund two miles of bike lanes.

A sixty mile bike lane network from 30 parking spaces?  That's a bargain that both Sound Transit and the public could reap dividends on for years - in health as well as in congestion relief.

Thinking about the big picture, with our reality of lower tax revenue and smaller budgets, bike infrastructure could represent one option for cutting costs and retaining Sound Transit's commitment to expanding access to commuter rail stations and the rest of the regional transit network.

Double Decker Buses... in Tacoma?

The Double-Tall from Community Transit Blog

The Seattle Transit Blog's Oran Viriyincy gives an interesting case for replacing the lumbering MCI coaches with 'Double Tall' buses found operating in Snohomish and King Counties.  The MCI coaches of today have come to typify long haul routing for Sound Transit in the South Corridor (Routes 590, 594, 574, etc.)  This bus design is what is typically found on tour buses - with more seating and narrow aisles.

MCI buses: Cramped and Prone to Delay

While the ride quality can only be compared to riding a train, which I assume is what service and operations planners were after - and MCI's seat more passengers than can fit on a standard 40-foot coach, although not necessarily in a comfortable way, but much of the rest of the transit experience is... well, slow.

594, by Atomic Taco

With only one door for boarding and alighting, buses are bound to incur schedule delay where large numbers of people are both getting on and off of the bus.  On Route 594, it appears that such schedule delay is actually built into the schedule, especially at Tacoma Dome Station, where there is significant dwell time - reducing cost efficiency and hampering connections with other routes not at Tacoma Dome.


Next, while fare payment will be simplified with elimination of the free ride area in September, disembarking at Tacoma Dome Station in the evening sometime feels like it can take forever, with as many as 20-30 passengers pay their fare without ORCA, via cash fares.  I recognize that that's kind of a quirk in the South End.  Most of ST's passengers coming from Pierce County aren't necessarily working for employers like Microsoft, which pay for ORCA passes for their employees.


Loading and unloading a passenger via the wheelchair "lift" if you can call it that, is also extremely slow, disruptive and LOUD.  I have been on several MCI's that have taken roughly 15 minutes total to load and unload a passenger - all the while a shrieking noise from the lift mechanism lets us all know that it exists and is operating.  The process also has an unfortunate impact of displacing seated passengers that then must stand the rest of the way to Seattle.


The vehicles have very little maneuverability in cramped urban environments like Commerce St in Downtown Tacoma.  I know that I wouldn't want to be on one in the snow.

Double-Deckers: Perhaps

I find the idea of replacing MCI's with double-deckers intriguing, as long as routing could be found that is compatible with the height of the vehicles.  Tacoma Link's overhead catenary might be an issue for such vehicles on most routes in Pierce County, as may several overpasses between Downtown Tacoma and the entrance to I-5 from Portland Avenue.  I don't have the height specs on those pieces of infrastructure and whether the 14-foot coaches could clear them.

Such vehicles seat 77 passengers a piece, which is appealing, given the level of demand seen during peak commute hours between Tacoma and Seattle.

Facts About the Double Tall (via Community Transit)

• Bus Model: Enviro 500
• Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis Limited
• Ceiling height : 5-feet-7-inches. Please watch your head.
• Extra-large windows: Enjoy the view.
• High-back reclining seats: Sit back and relax
• Height: 14 ft
• Weight: 52,911 lbs
• Length: 42 ft
• Capacity: 77 seats, with lower deck standing room for up to 20 passengers
• Weight distribution: 70 percent of weight is within 4 feet of the ground, making the buses very stable
• Comfort: All seats have 3 inches more hip-to-knee room than standard; reading lights; individual air vents
• Double deckers in U.S. transit: Las Vegas and Davis, Calif. are the other U.S. cities with double decker buses in regular transit operation. Davis uses an older style bus.

Learn more at Community Transit's webpage on the Double-Talls.


What are your thoughts?  How has your experience been on the MCI's?  Have you ridden the double-talls in Snohomish County?

Cyclists urge Tacoma to Retain Bike Plan, Diane Wiatr

You've probably heard by now that the City of Tacoma's General Fund is short on revenue and has a deficit that is slated to grow if action is not taken to correct it. Police, firefighters, libraries, road maintenance, bike infrastructure and numerous social services are supported by these funds.

Last night I attended a budget feedback session held by the City of Tacoma to gather input from residents and interest groups. My purpose for being there was to join with other cycling and active transportation advocates to help retain the City's only staff person for bike-ped, Mobility Coordinator Diane Wiatr. I was also there to advocate for additional revenue sources to both support bike-ped specifically, and to repair the structural deficit generally.

The Green Transport Hierarchy,
in Tacoma's Comprehensive Plan

Cycling advocates came out in force, representing the largest block of speakers (roughly 20 out of 35).  Some notable speakers included Matt Newport (TacomaBikeRanch) and Chris Kopp (Defiance Bicycles).  Speakers gave an impassioned plea for Diane specifically, noting how she was instrumental in sheparding through the Mobility Master Plan and bikeway design guidelines into the City's Comprehensive Plan.  Others noted how effective she has been in leveraging what minimal resources the City has to acquire grants for MoMaP buildout.  One speaker gave a great account of why he moved his young family to Tacoma and bought a home here because of Tacoma's budding bike culture and bikeable neighborhoods.  "Don't pull out the rug from underneath us," he said. 

After speaking, Jake Fey (Councilmember for District 2) and City Manager T.C. Broadnax recognized that they had heard us loud and clear and that Diane Wiatr should be retained and that the Mobility Master Plan is a priority for residents.  Councilmembers Boe and Campbell were in attendance as well, but declined to comment at the meeting.

One thing that I noted was that the City has done a relatively good job at keeping head counts down.  A good portion of the new budget deficit is related to additional debt service coming online.  Another portion of it is backfill required because the Tacoma Dome, Convention Center, and Parking Enterprise Funds are not self sufficient and now need a subsidy for continued operations.

During my testimony I advocated for additional revenue options, such as a Commercial Parking Tax, which has been implemented by a few cities around the State and in the case of the City of SeaTac, raises in excess of $5 million a year.  That tax could potentially be a direct funding source for MoMaP buildout and multimodal transportation, because the revenues must be spent on transportation purposes.

----------------------------------------------------------

Take some time to educate yourself about the City Budget and provide some feedback to your elected officials.  They are listening, taking surveys and open to new ideas to help bridge the budget gap.

Two more community budget meetings are scheduled:

• July 19 – 6 p.m. at Lincoln High School, 701 S. 37th St.
• July 23 – 6 p.m. at Baker Middle School, 8320 S. I St.

If you cannot attend a meeting, you can submit written comments here:

City of Tacoma - Services Questionaire

No Levy Lid Lift in November, say CoT Staff

Mayor Strickland

“City staff has made a strategically sound recommendation that is financially responsible and will maximize taxpayer investment.” -Mayor Marilyn Strickland


Yesterday, Tacoma's City Manager - T.C. Broadnax - updated the citizen task force charged with developing a plan for street improvements.  There had been a plan on the table for a Levy Lid Lift, but, as the City Manager explained, after a 10% decline in property tax values, the revenue from such a measure was bound to diminish - leading staff to recommend that the measure be taken off the table.  Whether that remains the case will be a matter for the City Council to decide.

How this impacts transportation options in Tacoma:

While this doesn't change Tacoma's $800m road infrastructure backlog, nor does it help the build out of Tacoma's Mobility Master Plan, it should present an opportunity for Pierce Transit to make its case to voters without having to compete with another local transportation measure in November.

Here's part of the release from CoT:

City recommends forgoing proposed Levy Lid Lift 

On July 10, City Manager T.C. Broadnax updated the Citizens Neighborhood Street and Safety Improvement Task Force on the recently released assessed property values for Tacoma and the fiscal impact on the proposed Levy Lid Lift and staff's recommendation to not move forward with the November 2012 ballot measure. A briefing to City Council regarding next steps will be held on Tuesday, July 17, during the City Council Study Session.