The Asotin, 45th and Cushman Road and Utility Improvement project is intended to reduce the quantity of stormwater entering Wapato Lake and the Flett Creek Watershed. The City of Tacoma Environmental Services Department received a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology to replace Asotin Street from South 42nd Street to South 48th Street with green infrastructure.

Read more about Asotin, 45th and Cushman Improvements

Trying to make paradise out of a parking lot might seem like a stretch. From a stormwater perspective, the Cheney Stadium Sustainable Stormwater Project's porous asphalt and other green infrastructure are as close to forests and fields as an urban area can get.

Read more about Cheney Sustainable Stormwater Project

The City's Environmental Services, Public Works, and Tacoma Public Utilities have partnered to plan and implement an integrated approach to retrofit East 40th Street from McKinley Avenue to Portland Avenue. The new permeable roadway will be designed with traffic safety improvements for reducing speeds and an enhanced pedestrian and bicycle experience on a new shared use path.

Read more about the East 40th Street Green Stormwater Infrastructure and Utility Improvements project

This site currently controls stormwater and protects Flett Creek. This summer the City of Tacoma will be removing additional gravel to provide even more protection through increasing the facilities capacity to hold stormwater, which in turn reduces downstream flooding. At the same time a new public trail will be constructed allowing you to enjoy this green space.

Read more about Gravel Detention Facility & Public Trail

The city partnered with Washington State University and Tacoma Public Schools to complete the Permeable Pavement Standards Based on Lessons Learned Project at the School of Industrial Design, Engineering and Art (IDEA) site. The project field tested new permeable pavement mix designs and material testing procedures to further improve pavement durability, enhance permeable pavement standards, and increase confidence in permeable pavements.

Read more about the Advancing Permeable Pavement Project at the iDEA School

Pacific Avenue was the quintessential main street at the turn of the century. It was where the Transcontinental Railroad met the waterway. The Pacific Avenue Streetscape project builds on the history and geography that makes Tacoma unique and looks to the future by treating stormwater entering the Thea Foss Waterway and Puget Sound.

Read more about Pacific Avenue Streetscapes

The Wilkes Expedition noted the potential of Point Defiance as a strategic military location to defend the area from attack. That was in 1841. Today, some 175 years later, Point Defiance is serving as a defender not of land, but of Puget Sound, thanks to the new regional stormwater treatment facility.

Read more about Point Defiance: Protecting Puget Sound

The Environmental Services Department received a grant to replace Puget Sound Avenue and South 50th Street. These new streets will be constructed with permeable pavement that will allow the rainwater falling on to the street and soak into the ground. This project is designed to improve water quality from this area entering the Flett Creek Watershed.

Read more about the Puget Sound Avenue Greenscape Project

Concerns

Customer and staff safety concerns were the primary project motivators. The Scale House intersection at the Solid Waste Management (SWM) facility had a high volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic moving in several directions - confusing drivers and creating increased potential for accidents.

Additionally, the employee parking lot adjacent to the intersection is built on top of a portion of the City’s decommissioned landfill. Due to ground settling over time, the parking lot no longer provided adequate storm drainage. This led to puddling and ice in the winter, creating a hazard to employees and visitors.

Solutions
By eliminating several dangerous entrances and exits, newer and safer vehicle routes were created. A stormwater bioretention swale was installed near the parking lot, which allowed for safer redirects of traffic flow and reduced stormwater pollution concerns. New flashing crosswalk beacons were put in place and parking lot lights were installed to increase pedestrian visibility.

Other improvements include new turnaround roads and traffic redirects, as well as installation of several electric vehicle charging stations for both public and employee use.

South Sprague Avenue serves as the gateway to Tacoma’s Central Neighborhood. The vision for this project came from city council members and a citizen steering committee which included several members of the Central Neighborhood Council.

The Wapato Pervious Streets Project was constructed to reduce the quantity of stormwater discharged in the Flett Watershed. This project also aims to reduce the contaminant loading into Wapato Lake, which has been identified as an impaired water body.