Energize Tacoma started transit improvement debate. It’s paying off | Opinion

At Energize Tacoma, our question has always been: How do we make Tacoma easier to access for residents, workers and visitors?

As a nonprofit, we rely on donations, grants and community support to continue this work. That’s why visibility matters as Tacoma moves to implement transit improvements. We want Tacoma residents to know that homegrown organizations are not just building art and culture, but also shaping the future of mobility, equity and sustainability in our city.

In late 2024 we studied the Mountain View Rail Trail, once used by Tacoma Rail and still lined with existing tracks today. Though Tacoma Rail no longer operates there, the city of Tacoma owns the corridor within city limits. The line begins at the Tacoma Dome District and runs east through Stewart Heights, Salishan and Midland to Frederickson, with potential one day to extend into Graham.

It is fully grade-separated and could support light rail, battery-electric trains or even be converted into a dedicated bus rapid transit (BRT) system — essentially a busway, or bus highway, running along the corridor. This would be a rare feature in Washington State and could unlock significant federal funding.

Our goal was to preserve the corridor for transit while also adding parks, trails and ecological elements. While we have not had detailed conversations with Metro Parks, we envisioned them as a potential partner in designing trails or park spaces along the spine. Separately, Energize Tacoma would seek grants to fund a continuous pollinator garden from downtown Tacoma through Frederickson, improving habitat and making the line an ecological as well as a transportation asset.

The Mountain View line was also designed to connect into the Sounder commuter rail, which already runs from the Dome District north to Seattle and south to Lakewood. Together, this would form a Tacoma rail spine. Our proposed service would operate more frequently and on weekends, timed before and after Sounder departures, so that a Frederickson worker heading to Bellevue — or a Seattle commuter heading to Frederickson — could transfer seamlessly.

By December 2024, Energize Tacoma expanded the vision to include sail as well as rail. The idea was simple: if funding or timing made one option difficult, Tacoma could pursue the other — or both — as part of a long-term system. With Tacoma designated as a fan zone site during the FIFA World Cup, we saw a unique opportunity: turn temporary event funding into lasting infrastructure.

That’s why our Phase One $1 million plan focused on all-electric water taxis along the Foss Waterway. For that investment, Tacoma could purchase three small vessels (similar to those used in Fort Lauderdale), hire staff and cover minor infrastructure needs. The service would connect the Museum of Glass, Melanie Dressel Park, the Maritime Museum, Port Maritime Headquarters and the new Maritime 253 High School, creating hop-on, hop-off access for residents, workers, students and visitors.

Just as important, the $1 million also included community activation funds. Farmers’ markets, nonprofits and cultural groups could access these resources to host year-round concerts, markets and events in Tacoma’s underused waterfront parks. While Metro Parks has not committed to this, we envisioned them as a future partner in ensuring programming along the waterfront tied mobility directly to culture. In this way, Phase One would have supported not just boats and infrastructure, but also community life and cultural vibrancy.

Later phases would scale up:

Phase Two: Mid-sized hydrofoil ferries carrying about 29 passengers, linking Gig Harbor, Point Ruston, Dash Point and downtown Tacoma. These are the same type of vessels the county now plans to pilot — smaller versions of the larger models. Like their 150-passenger counterparts, they lift out of the water, reducing wake, minimizing shoreline impacts and providing efficient service.

Phase Three: Larger hydrofoils capable of carrying up to 150 passengers on direct Seattle–Tacoma routes, creating a true intercity link.

This wasn’t just theory. Energize Tacoma was instrumental in bringing Artemis’ hydrofoil demonstration to Tacoma in May, showing our community the technology in action. In conversations with Artemis, we learned that if a local transit agency wasn’t ready to operate such a system, third-party operators with experience elsewhere could step in.

From the beginning, our plan included resilience and redundancy. If the Murray Morgan Bridge was unavailable, Phase One ferries would still connect UW Tacoma students, high school students, and port workers into downtown.

Our funding model was equally important. We designed a phased approach that minimized taxpayer impact and leveraged development to help pay for the system. This approach grows directly out of our involvement in the Picture Pac Avenue plan, where Energize Tacoma is helping shape funding tools that link new development to infrastructure. We applied the same thinking here: making sure growth helps pay for the systems that sustain it.

From the start, this was about more than a single event. Like the infrastructure legacies of World’s Fairs and Olympics, we saw the World Cup and Tacoma’s fan zone as a catalyst for a lasting investment in mobility and culture.

And we want the public to know that this entire conversation began with a local nonprofit — Energize Tacoma. Our programs often focus on culture, art and science, but we also prioritize housing, community development and sustainability. That is why our vision for rail-to-sail was built around an all-electric service — whether by water, rail or bus — because sustainability must be at the center of Tacoma’s growth.

As Pierce County considers its next steps, it’s important to remember where this vision started. Rail to sail is not just an idea — it’s a practical and forward-looking plan to make Tacoma cleaner, smarter, and more connected. That remains our commitment.

Herschel Wilson is the founder of Energize Tacoma.

This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM.