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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2014
Vol. CXXIV, No. 43
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices
Published Published Since Since 1890 1890
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Tacoma Public Works Crosswalk improvements ahead citywide
Posted online Tues., March 4 Photos By Todd Matthews, Editor The City of Tacoma’s Public Works Department is in the early stages of a $2.5 million project that aims to improve crosswalk infrastructure citywide. The so-called Pedestrian Crossings Improvement Project will identify, evaluate, upgrade, and in some instances create new pedestrian crosswalks throughout Tacoma, according to Tacoma Public Works Director Kurtis D. K i n g s o l v e r, who outlined the plan in a Feb. 20 memo to Tacoma City Manager T.C. Broadnax. The City will direct approximately $300,000 from the General Fund to each of the five Tacoma City Council districts, and an additional $1 million within the downtown area, for needed improvements identified by community members. In addition to installing marked crosswalks, other improvements could include curb ramp and sidewalk construction, curbing and drainage improvements, limited paving, pedestrian-activated beacons, and accessibility upgrades to existing traffic signals, according to Kingsolver.
The $2.5 million Pedestrian Crossings Improvement Project could bring more marked crosswalks like this one outside Tacoma City Hall to neighborhoods citywide. The project kicked off last month when City staff contacted neighborhood councils, business districts, and other key stakeholders with information about the project and a request to evaluate their area’s pedestrian infrastructure improvement needs. This month, City staff will conduct one public meeting in each council district to gather crossing improvement needs from key stakeholders. The City will prioritize proposed improvements based on community feedback; proximity to schools, bus stops, libraries, parks, and other public centers; pedestrian and
vehicular volumes; crossing locations and their relations to principal arterials and minor arterials; vehicular and vehicular/pedestrian collisions; existing facilities such as traffic signals and crosswalks; proximity to accessible routes and bike/trail systems; and the time, effort, and cost to implement the improvements. Beginning next month, City staff will present the draft list of prioritized improvements at a public meeting in each council district. Staff will also make a presentation to Tacoma City Council’s Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability Committee. In June, the City is scheduled to put the design-build project out to bid. A contractor is expected to be selected in August. Construction is expected to begin in late-summer and continue through the middle of next year.
Project would plant 65K trees near Tacoma Power Cowlitz River site Posted online Thurs., Feb. 27 The City of Tacoma announced Wednesday it is seeking bids for a project to plant more than 65,000 trees on approximately 150 acres of land in Lewis County. The property, located approximately five miles west of Morton and known as "Peterman Hill," is part of Tacoma Power's Cowlitz Hydroelectric Project. It is also managed
as wildlife habitat by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. According to bid documents, the project calls for a contractor to pick up 65,400 tree seedlings provided by the City of Tacoma from the Weyerhaeuser Mima Nursery near Olympia and transport them approximately 60 miles to two tree planting sites—one encompassing 24 acres;
another encompassing 126 acres—that were clearcut last year. Bids will be accepted until 11 a.m. on Weds., March 12. Once the contract is awarded, tree planting activities are expected to begin no later than Sat., April 19. More information is available online at cityoftacoma.org.