E. Foss Transportation Plan

As a component of the compromise to resolve the Tacoma Comprehensive Land Use Plan amendment, which resulted in stopping gentrification of industrial lands at the Foss Waterway, an E. Foss Transportation Plan study was authorized. The Plan amendment was adopted in December 2005 and the study begun in December 2006.

The directed objectives of the study were to:
- separate industrial and non-industrial land uses
- address traffic and related issues of the area

The study area is roughly encompassed as the east bank of the Foss Waterway, Commencement Bay to the north, the Puyallup River and Puyallup Avenue. The stakeholders group to oversee the study and provide technical assistance consisted of Don Meyer, Foss Waterway Development Authority, Jay Steward (and others), Port of Tacoma and Gary Brackett, Chamber. Additionally, various City of Tacoma staff participated and Dana Brown, administered the project.

The Thea Foss Transportation Study was presented to a Tacoma City Council study session July 15, 2008. The study contains nine recommended solutions, and a “top three” priority recommendations.

The top three priorities identified in the E. Foss Peninsula Transportation Plan are:
- area-wide street and rail crossing maintenance
- improve the E. 11th St. at E. “F” Street/St. Paul intersection
- move forward with SR-509 at “D” Street ramps feasibility

All recommendations are estimated to cost $23.999 million.