With more people coming Downtown, parking has become a huge topic of conversation.
Tacoma was recently named the “Hottest Housing Market in the Nation” by Redfin and Pierce County also saw over 1 Billion visitors last year. The growth in both residents and visitors has become apparent in the streets of Downtown.
After hearing the concerns of business owners, visitors, and other downtown stakeholders, the City of Tacoma’s Parking Technical Advisory Group has decided to add a 3-hour, unpaid parking zone between Tacoma Avenue and Market Street between 17th and 21st surrounding the University of Washington Tacoma. This zone will include Court D, Court E and Fawcett Ave.
The change comes after the realization that the area was becoming over parked by 9am and staying that way most through most of the day, with more than 85% of the area being occupied during the busiest parts of the day. The City hopes to “free up more parking spaces for short term customers and visitors.” With this change, Downtown Tacoma can expect to see improved access to an additional 230 stalls. The new 3 hours parking will also better accommodate UWT’s customers: students, seeing as most of their classes are under 3 hours.
This change takes effect, September 16th. To learn more, check out the Tacoma News Tribune’s article here.
