FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions
  1. Why Streetcars?
  2. Is the streetcar different from Tacoma Link?
  3. Why not a bus?
  4. Where will the streetcar line go?
  5. Will the streetcar line duplicate existing bus service?
  6. How long will the streetcar line be?
  7. How often will the streetcar come?
  8. How many riders will the streetcar serve each day?
  9. How will a bus rider benefit from the streetcar?
  10. How will bicyclists benefit from the streetcar?
  11. How will drivers benefit from the streetcar?
  12. How will a business owner benefit from the streetcar?
  13. How will a homeowner benefit from the streetcar?
  14. How much will the line cost?
  15. Haven’t voters already approved the streetcar?
  16. Where will the money come from to pay for the streetcar?
  17. How long will the line take to build?
  18. How long will it take to ride the line from beginning to end?
  19. Where will the stations be?

Why Streetcars?

Modern electric streetcars are a durable, comfortable, and high quality transit solution. They also run on clean hydroelectric power and don’t emit any carbon dioxide.  They have a smooth ride and have been proven to attract new riders and new private investment along the line.


Is the Streetcar different from Tacoma Link?

The Tacoma Link vehicle will be the same, but the trackbed and electrification system will not be built to a light rail standard.  This will result in significant cost savings.


Why not a bus?

Buses are great.  Pierce Transit uses buses running on natural gas to shuttle about 58,000 riders a day throughout Pierce County.  Buses aren’t going away, but the service they provide can be improved by the addition of streetcar service.

However, streetcars have several advantages when compared to a bus, capacity and speed being two of them.  They are ideal for rapid loading and unloading of riders with wheeled transportation: wheelchairs, walkers, bicycles, baby strollers, and folding shopping carts. They are also capable of handling large crowds, which we typically see during rush hour and special events like the Tall Ships.  Handling this many riders in buses is more problematic.

Additionally, streetcars run on electricity and steel rails.  Rail and electric motor technology is incredibly efficient when compared to rubber tired natural gas buses.  Plus the electricity used by the streetcars will be very close to carbon neutral since Tacoma Power uses mostly hydroelectricity.  This will reduce our contribution to climate change.


Where will the streetcar line go?

Tacoma Link currently connects the Tacoma Dome, Union Station, the Museum of Glass, Convention Center, City Hall, the Theater District, and other destinations in the Downtown core.  The addition of the 6th Avenue extension will add or complement connections to the following destinations:


Will the streetcar line duplicate existing bus service?

The 6th Avenue portion of Pierce Transit’s Route 1 will have to be restructured. That bus service will be “redeployed” elsewhere in Tacoma where it is needed. Currently Route 1 runs over capacity, requiring passengers to stand or wait for the next vehicle. It is frequently off schedule, it has too many stops, and it only comes every 15 minutes. Streetcars will have plenty of room and traffic signal priority to speed passengers to their destinations.


How long will the streetcar line be?

The extension to Tacoma Community College via 6th Avenue is about 5.5 miles.  Counting the existing 1.6 mile Tacoma Link, the entire route will be approximately 7.1 miles long.


How often will the streetcar come?

A streetcar will come by each direction every 10 minutes.


How many riders will the streetcar serve each day?

Sound Transit estimates that ridership on the line will be approximately 8,000 riders per day. One consultant put the estimate as high as 15,500 riders per day.


How will a bus rider benefit from the streetcar?

Current bus service on 6th Avenue is every 15 minutes on weekdays and every half hour on weekends.  Streetcar service would be every 10 minutes (Monday-Saturday).  Service would also be faster, more reliable, and more comfortable than existing bus service, and would connect more destinations.


How will bicyclists benefit from the streetcar?

Streetcars and bicycles are a great fit. Modern streetcars have room for at least twice as many bicycles as buses. Level boarding makes it easy to roll onboard and to roll off and be on your way. The City of Tacoma is currently working on strategies to integrate the new bicycle network with the streetcar network.


How will drivers benefit form the streetcar?

While we believe that people that drive cars, who live relatively close to the streetcar should give it a try, even if they don’t ride it every day they can still benefit. By increasing the number of people who take public transportation, more parking is available near those destinations. The number of destinations should increase over time as well due to the influx of new customers and feet on the street.


How will a business owner benefit from the streetcar?

Business owners along the line will have access to a growing population of commuters and people taking casual trips to all sorts of destinations along the line. Without expanding parking or doing more marketing such business owners will have hundreds more potential customers on their front doorstep.


How will a homeowner benefit from the streetcar?

Streetcars are a great amenity, either to use on a daily or occasional basis, or as a selling point when making a sale. Some realtors have started to use the website Walkscore.com to show how walkable an area is – how close a home is to parks and schools and grocery stores. One attribute of Walkscore is how close one is to transit. Addition of the streetcar line will improve this score and improve the value of homes near the line without raising property tax rates.


How much will the streetcar line cost?

The City of Tacoma has calculated that streetcars can cost about $30 million per route mile to construct.  At 5.5 miles, total cost of the line is slated at $180 million.


Have voters already approved the streetcar?

Partially, yes.  In 2008, voters approved the ST2 ballot measure, which included $80 million in “matching funds” for an extension of Tacoma Link out of Downtown Tacoma.  Many areas of Tacoma approved ST2 by a wide margin.


Where will the money come from to pay for the streetcar?

Voters approved $80 million in matching funds when they voted for Sound Transit’s ST2 mass transit expansion package in 2008.  The remaining $100 million will come from a 0.2% sales tax, which will be levied until 2021.  Federal and State matching funds will be applied for to pay for additional access improvements like bicycle and pedestrian facilities.  A park and ride facility may be included in the final design, but is not specified in the initiative.


How long will the line take to build?

We are hoping to get the line to a “shovel-ready” status within 18 months. Construction will take some time, but if we follow procedures adopted in Portland, Oregon, the work can take place rather quickly with minimal disruption.


How long will it take to ride the line from beginning to end?

Depending on how many stops the community decides the line should have, a trip from Tacoma Community College to the Tacoma Dome could take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.


Where will the stations be?

This question hasn’t been decided yet, but potential candidates include:

  • North 1st and Tacoma Avenue (Stadium High School / Wright Park)
  • Division Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr Way. (Tacoma General / Mary Bridge)
  • 6th Avenue and Sprague Avenue (Jason Lee Middle school)
  • 6th Avenue and Pine Street (6th Avenue Business District)
  • 6th Avenue and Union Avenue (University of Puget Sound)
  • 6th Avenue and Proctor Street (6th Avenue Business District)
  • 6th Avenue and Orchard Street (Wilson High School)
  • 6th Avenue and Pearl Street
  • Tacoma Community College

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