Tacoma's Growing Transit System

Tacoma, Washington's plan for 2040 includes a lot of transit. "The three biggest transit projects looming on the horizon are the Link light rail extension from Federal Way to Tacoma, the extension of Tacoma Link into the Stadium District and Hilltop, and the introduction of bus rapid transit (BRT) between Spanaway and downtown Tacoma," Ruben Casas writes for The Urbanist.

Casas argues that the way transit and infrastructure are talked about reflects not only a planning group looking to accommodate a changing city, but also one that has a very particular view of transit. "According to Pierce Transit, 72% of millennials say they prefer to live in a place where they don’t solely rely on cars," Casas writes. Accordingly, the improvements outlined in the plan are not to make transit serve only the poorest or those temporarily without a private vehicle, but to be a resource that could be valuable to the wide swath of Tacoma residents interested not only in getting around, but also in reducing pollution and improving pedestrian safety.