Tacoma's First Streets Initiative was hugely successful. Now we need to do it again.
In 2023 alone, Tacoma fixed 2,889 potholes and temporarily patched 12,099. In June 2024, during the "Pothole Palooza" initiative, Tacoma's Street Operations Division repaired and prevented another estimated 5,369 potholes across 10 locations citywide.
A decade ago, thousands of city blocks were in disrepair. That’s when the first Streets Initiative:
Improved nearly 70% of residential streets
Improved over 6,000 residential blocks
Provided 40,000 hours of apprenticeship training
Secured 136,000 hours for local workers
The projects layer transportation, economic health, and environmental and community wellbeing. Some projects included E 64th St (Pacific-McKinley), Pipeline Trails, and Portland Ave, among others.
While the current work has focused primarily on the repair and maintenance of residential streets, the major streets we rely on every day have fallen apart. Prop 1 will fix our main streets, while helping to reduce speeds through neighborhoods, enhance pedestrian and bicycle accessibility and safety, and connect schools, parks, and local businesses.
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