Bike lanes, more trees, open-street community events coming to this Tacoma neighborhood
More bike lanes, more trees and open-street community events will be coming to Tacoma’s Proctor district soon, according to a neighborhood plan adopted by the Tacoma City Council. This summer and fall the council will be finalizing the plan and developing a road map for its implementation.
With the help of a $50,000 community booster grant, the city will be planting new trees and replacing diseased ones within the business district as well as starting an open-streets pilot program this summer after much community input, according to the plan.
The open-streets program could look like more food trucks, live music and street festivals, as well as creating additional public space for people to play and socialize.
Pedestrian safety, historic preservation, community space, environmental sustainability and commercial and residential affordability were the key issues people told the city they wanted to keep in mind when planning for Proctor’s future, according to summaries of community meetings.
Improvements in transportation, including more bike lanes, street lights, crosswalks, curbs, ramps and new parking rules are also in the Proctor Neighborhood Plan, with an emphasis on pedestrian-friendly upgrades.
Traffic signal upgrades are also being considered at these intersections:
North 26th Street and North Union Street
North 30th Street and North Proctor Street
North 26th Street and North Stevens Street
North 30th Street and North Stevens Street
“I want to thank the City staff in our award-winning Neighborhood Planning Program who worked tirelessly to bring this plan to life,” said Deputy Mayor and District 1 council member John Hines in a Feb. 27 news release. “This plan reflects a community-based effort to come together and create a vision for the future of the Proctor neighborhood. I especially appreciate that this work has found a way to balance efforts to foster positive change with steps to preserve this special neighborhood’s unique essence. The collective hopes and dreams of those who live, work and play in Proctor are at the heart of this plan, along with the desire to ensure the neighborhood is enjoyed by multiple generations for decades to come.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
