Tacoma committee reviews updates to six-year transportation program, staff propose seven additions

City transportation staff on March 11 briefed the Tacoma Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee on proposed annual amendments to the city’s six-year Comprehensive Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), including seven new projects and a revised prioritization approach tied to the Transportation and Mobility Plan (TMP).

“My name is Jennifer Camrazole. I’m the Transportation Division Manager,” Jennifer Camrazole said, describing the TIP as a state-required six-year program that helps the city coordinate with the State Department of Transportation and the Puget Sound Regional Council and makes projects eligible for state and federal grants. Camrazole said, “The updated program must be adopted by July 1 of each year.”

Staff emphasized a two-step prioritization process that scores more than 400 TMP projects against adopted goals—equity, safety, connectivity and grant competitiveness—and then applies additional practical criteria to select projects that can realistically be funded and advanced in the six-year window. Camrazole told the committee staff will return April 22 with a more detailed project list and that the city intends to follow the Transportation Commission’s refinements before forwarding a final draft to council.

Derek, a project presenter with Public Works, outlined seven additions staff propose for the TIP this cycle. Highlights included: a 6th Avenue pavement preservation project to add a granite overlay and intersection pedestrian and bicycle improvements (staff listed street initiative funding and a reservation grant among the sources); a programmatic bridge-preservation placeholder to include the city’s 43 bridges with an anticipated program-level cost around $10 million; East D Street–McKinley Way bicycle and pedestrian work as part of regional Sound Transit corridor improvements; a Portland Avenue–Lincoln Avenue roundabout proposed with the Port of Tacoma (estimated roughly $18 million); a signal project at South 38th and South Alaska Street with $800,000 of local funds identified; a South Park Avenue greenway and Safe Routes to School safety project with a Transportation Improvement Board grant of $478,746 and $119,686 in REET funds; and a Tacoma Model and Road Study planning grant to connect four districts with active-transportation design work.

Camrazole and committee members discussed how community ideas enter the initial “dot” bucket used in TMP planning and how impact fees interact with TIP inclusion. Camrazole said projects generally must be on the TIP to be eligible for impact-fee funding and that adding or removing a project requires council action plus modeling to update rates.

Vice Chair Spalding asked staff to make it easier for the public to see which TIP projects depend on Streets Initiative funds so constituents understand what may be at risk if that funding changes. Council member Hines urged staff to prioritize “high-leverage” projects that improve connectivity and leverage partnerships with transit, parks, schools and the Port of Tacoma.

Staff said they will return on April 22 with more detailed project information and links to the current TIP; the committee will then consider recommending the package for council study session, public hearing and adoption ahead of the July 1 statutory deadline.