Transit: Rapid bus route could hurt neighborhoods

Re: “Bus Rapid Transit has promise, but can we pay for it?” (TNT, 12/15).

This editorial did not address the potential harm to the Pacific Avenue corridor, both residential and commercial. Pierce Transit says there are 6,000 daily boardings, but it doesn’t break down the number of commuter round trips, nor passengers hopping on and off during the day.

It doesn’t indicate the cost of taking private property for public use, which will have adverse consequences for access to local goods and services. There are choke points such as the overpass at state Route 512, which needs to be widened.

Traffic lights need to be controlled by bus operators to facilitate traffic flow at major east-west streets. These changes need to be done whether or not there is BRT.

A hundred and fifty milllion dollars could buy a lot of buses and move traffic without negatively impacting the major south Tacoma/Parkland/Spanaway commercial district. There are no other commercial areas near this corridor that provide goods and services for surrounding neighborhoods.

I doubt the mayor or other transit board members have walked the length of the route to see exactly what and who will be impacted.

This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Transit: Rapid bus route could hurt neighborhoods."