Barriers meant to deter homeless drew complaints. Here’s what Tacoma plans now
The city of Tacoma is installing a series of permanent “no parking” signs along Marine View Drive in Northeast Tacoma as part of an effort to deter roadside homeless encampments.
In an email from District 2 council member Sarah Rumbaugh to her constituents, Rumbaugh explained that the city previously installed a series of temporary barriers along Marine View Drive from the Cliff House Restaurant to the Hylebos Bridge at East 11th Street in an effort to curb “the influence of the homeless encampments that this stretch has experienced.”
Rumbaugh said the city received criticism that the barriers are “unsightly” and as such is starting the process of cleaning up the “visual clutter” by replacing the temporary barriers with permanent “no parking” signs that city officials and the Tacoma Police Department will enforce.
“This no parking model has been successful in over 80 sites throughout the City so far and we would expect the same outcome along Marine View Drive,” Rumbaugh’s email reads.
The city’s traffic engineering team is working to determine where to place anywhere from 75 to 100 permanent signs. The city won’t remove the temporary barriers until the permanent signs are installed, her email states.
In the event that the change proves to be unsuccessful in deterring homeless encampments, Rumbaugh said, the city will re-install the temporary barriers along Marine View Drive. The project will take “some time to complete,” according to her email, due to limited staffing resources.
Rumbaugh said she didn’t have a definitive date of completion for the project, and city spokesperson Dee Paul told The News Tribune that the city does not know how much the signage will cost since the project is still in the planning stage.
“I am looking forward to this next iteration of right-of-way management along Marine View Drive and the potential for it to enhance the quality of life for NE Tacoma residents,” Rumbaugh’s email states.
This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
