Sound Transit has begun planning on their second stage of transportation projects and funding called Sound Transit 2. One of the proposed projects for ST2 is two Tacoma Link extensions: one to TCC, another to the county line. Future discussions include upgrades of the Tacoma Link system to take Seattle/Central Link Light Rail trains, to eventually make an integrated system from Everett to North Tacoma.
An article in the Tacoma News Tribune (reprinted here) discussed the possible extension to TCC and provided a map of possible routes.
These are all very exciting prospects. The line to TCC, while difficult to build, should dramatically increase ridership. TCC is a major transit hub, including multiple buses headed towards Gig Harbor on the Kitsap Pennisula. The possible routings all run either between the hospital (a major employer) and possibly the 6th Avenue business district, rapidly becoming Tacoma's version of Seattle's Capitol Hill. Also, this could allow for future expansion across the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge, being built with the capability to add a second deck in the future.
Expansions to the county line and system upgrades to take Central Link trains is also an exciting prospect. While I am not the biggest proponent of a tri-county light rail system (that is what Sounder is for), I can also see the benefit of a line from Tacoma to the airport (and then on to Seattle). This may also lay the groundwork for extensions to Sea-Tac and Puyallup in the future.
Puget Sound Transportation Projects
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