FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2020
MEDIA CONTACTS
Tanisha Jumper, Media and Communications, tjumper@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5152
Stacy Ellifritt, Media and Communications, stacy.ellifritt@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-2005
East 40th Street Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project is Recognized for Excellence
The City of Tacoma’s East 40th Street Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project has received Greenroads Silver Certification from the Greenroads Foundation. This project is currently the highest-scoring Greenroads project in the world. Tacoma currently has the most Greenroads certified projects of any city in the nation, recognizing excellence in sustainable design, construction, and maintenance of transportation projects.
This project features a 16-foot shared-use path built along the new roadway from East McKinley Avenue to Portland Avenue East, creating a safe connection for pedestrians and cyclists traveling to nearby schools or accessing the Pipeline Trail. Thirteen biofiltration swales, or sloped channels designed to capture and filter stormwater runoff, were installed between the roadway and the path. Over 150 trees were planted within these bioswales to create a safety buffer, and the new roadway was designed with permeable pavement to improve water quality in the area.
“The project created connections to other neighborhoods and provided access to multi-use centers in the city. Not only was mobility improved, but the project's attributes addressed multiple stormwater and transportation issues facing this particular neighborhood,” said Olivia Mathison, associate engineer with the City’s Environmental Services Department.
The Seattle-based Greenroads Foundation is an independent non-profit organization that advances sustainability education and initiatives for transportation infrastructure in cities across the world. The Foundation manages a third-party certification process that assesses the sustainability of transportation projects using the Greenroads Rating System.
For more information on this project and other green infrastructure projects, visit cityoftacoma.org/GSI, or call (253) 591-5588. Additional information on this project is available on the Foundation’s website.
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