The question of “Why 6th Avenue?” has come up a few times and it deserves a thorough explanation. Answering this question means we really have to look at the qualities that the line will need to embody to ensure that the extension is perceived as a success in the eyes of Tacomans. If we fail at that, it will be more difficult to convince the voters to continue the larger project of creating a citywide streetcar system. As taxpayers, voters are going to want the project to be cost effective, meaning it has high ridership. As people who are concerned about social equity, voters are going to want there to be equal levels of access amongst various income and racial groups. As people who want the city to change and to become denser and more vibrant, we’re going to want to put the line where there will be the potential for new economic development. As people planning for a future system, we want to have many opportunities open for extensions. Finally, we want to be able to fund this line, otherwise it won’t happen at all.
Tacoma Link
Tacoma Link as it exists today is mainly a commercial circulator. It carries 3,000+ passengers each day along its 1.6 mile route between Tacoma Dome Station, the University of Washington/Union Station, and the Theater District. This ridership tends to be really lumpy though, it occurs during a burst in the morning, during lunch time and then again during the rush hour home. To take Tacoma Link to the next level, it needs to connect the downtown core to areas with a significant level of population density. The color coded map below (click to enlarge) shows areas with low population density in red and higher population density in green. This information was taken from the U.S. Census. The areas outlined in purple are the city’s Mixed Use Centers, which are areas that are zoned for new mixed use development.
High Ridership and Economic Development
As you can see, Tacoma Link’s present route doesn’t have much green near it. If the line is extended north to the Stadium District and then Southwest along Division, South along Martin Luther King Jr. Way, and then out to 6th Avenue to the 6th and Pine Mixed Use Center, the line would run through areas with some of the highest population density in the entire city. This is the line described by the initiative. Higher population density tends to produce higher transit ridership, and higher transit ridership makes transit more cost effective, while producing positive economic effects along the entire line. By linking population centers to Downtown with high frequency transit service, we open up opportunities for new economic development and jobs in four mixed use centers: the Stadium Mixed Use Center, Martin Luther King Mixed Use Center, 6th Avenue Mixed Use Center, and also Downtown Tacoma.
A Streetcar Extension for all Tacomans
Another positive quality of 6th Avenue is that it is a convergence zone that merges the Central Tacoma and North End neighborhood areas. The proof for this is found in Wright Park, where people of all kinds mix and come into contact with one another. Yet more proof of this can be found on Pierce Transit’s Route 1, where I see the real face of Tacoma every day. I see single mothers trying to get to work, students of all ages getting to school, city employees and seniors going to get groceries or to get a coffee or to go to a restaurant or out for a pint at Engine House 9 or to the Farmer’s Market. On this corridor you experience what it’s like to be a Tacoman. It’s an unfiltered experience that shows the grit, the down to earth nature, and the tenacity of the people of Tacoma. So I think that we’ve got the equal access property pretty nailed down.
Where next from here?
This isn’t going to be the end of the line. We want to be able to use this extension as a springboard to other neighborhoods. If the route described in the initiative is completed, Martin Luther King to St. Joseph Hospital would only require a one mile extension, which could be paid for in the LID that’s planned. A single relatively small federal grant could help make that additional extension a reality if we act now. Going any further beyond MLK and you’d find yourself in the Lincoln International District another mile or so away – opening the door for extensions all throughout the South End. Old Town would be within a short reach from Stadium, as would the Proctor District. Lower Portland Avenue, the Emerald Queen Casino and Salishan on the East Side remain potential candidates after this line is built.
Easier to Pass the Voters
Finally, Downtown to TCC via 6th avenue is a regional transportation project, which can be funded using a transportation benefit district. Funds raised from this district only need a 50%+1 vote to pass, while if we tried to go for any other extension, we would have to either appeal to property owners along the line or ask the voters for a property tax increase that would require 60% to say yes. So I hope, I really hope that people don’t get hung up on the fact that Morgan and I proposed a route that has already been found feasible by Sound Transit and the City, that we knew that we could fund and that we knew people could think of as a success when it actually does get built.
