Latest news with #KristinaWalker
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ride for free with Pierce Transit on June 1
To celebrate the first day of Ride Transit Month, Pierce Transit is offering fare-free rides on June 1. The agency says the free rides are valid on all regularly scheduled Pierce Transit bus service, Shuttle, and Runner on-demand services. 'Ride Transit Month is one of my favorite months of the year because it's an excuse for people all over Pierce County to try transit!' Pierce Transit Commissioner and Tacoma City Councilmember Kristina Walker said in a news release. 'Thanks to Pierce Transit for inviting community members to ride free on June 1 to make it easy. I know that when people try transit, they discover an affordable way to get where they're going.' The Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners will issue a Resolution in support of Ride Transit Month at its June 10 meeting, which starts at 4 p.m. In addition, several other communities throughout Pierce County will issue proclamations in support of Ride Transit Month, including: City of Tacoma – June 3 City of Fircrest – June 10 City of Lakewood – June 16 City of Puyallup – June 17
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Can Tacoma preserve tree canopy while increasing housing? City embarks on plan
Tacoma is embarking on a project to better regulate the preservation of trees in the city by 2027. The preservation effort comes from work that the City Council and staff did on Home in Tacoma – a years-long rezoning project that allows for more types of housing in different parts of the city to boost housing supply. Home in Tacoma's Phase 2 included specific guidelines for the protection of certain types of trees, but council member Kristina Walker said she and her colleagues wanted to update guidelines for tree preservation in Tacoma as a whole, not just in the parts of the city that Home in Tacoma addressed. 'We needed to research the rest of the city in the way that we had researched the Home in Tacoma area,' she told The News Tribune. The resolution the council approved May 13 identifies four steps the city will take by 2027 to identify ways to regulate the preservation of existing trees in the city, while also identifying strategies to fund some of those regulations. 'Brand new trees are great, but they're small and they don't provide canopy, and it takes years for them to get to the size where they provide all those health benefits that we know trees provide,' Walker said. 'So if we're going to preserve trees, are we preserving them on every single private property, are we preserving them just in the right-of-way, and are we preserving them only if they've reached a certain point? These are the questions we're going to be asking.' The city's efforts to preserve its tree canopy have been met with support from the council and environmental groups. The resolution passed with the full support of the council, and members of groups like the Tacoma Tree Foundation showed up to speak in favor of the item at the council's meeting. 'Planting trees is an investment in the future, but we also know that protecting and maintaining mature trees in this city is the best thing we can do right now to protect our tree canopy,' Tacoma Tree Foundation executive director Lowell Wyse said at the meeting. Developers have at times been at odds with city leaders when it comes to the management of the city's tree canopy, even though they agree it should be expanded. Kurt Wilson is chief operating officer of Soundbuilt Homes and a member of the Master Builders Association of Pierce County. Wilson said tree regulations that too strictly emphasize maintaining certain existing trees can get in the way of building new housing, particularly for fully grown trees that might occupy space where developers want to build. Wilson said he hopes the process that the council approved this week will allow for flexibility in maintaining existing trees, with options like a requirement to plant a certain number of trees if an existing tree has to be cut down for new development. 'A lot of my concern is more with on the private landowner or development side of things, and having the allowances to meet the objective in more than one way than not just solely retention,' he told The News Tribune. The council's resolution identifying the four phases to tree-preservation regulations does seek to address those concerns, saying it 'should carefully balance the vital need for additional housing development to address our housing crisis,' according to the resolution. Walker, the chair of the committee that proposed the resolution, agreed. 'We know trees are good for the livability of a space and for the people around it, for the health of the people around it,' she said. 'So everybody agrees that there's good reason to keep trees, it just requires some trade offs and some creativity.' These are the four phases of the tree-preservation resolution, with a tentative timeline of completion by June 2027: Public engagement and external consultation, in which the city will contract with a consultant to start research and analysis for the project and solicit community input. Budget proposals, which tasks the city manager to identify options to fund the city's management of trees in the right-of-way, and outline a program to allow business districts to pay the city to maintain certain trees in the district. Code development, in which the planning commission is tasked with working on new land use and development regulations for the city's tree canopy. Budget proposals, in which the city council will consider options for new regulations for tree preservation.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New e-bike rebate programs start up in Tacoma and Washington state
Starting Wednesday, Washington state residents can begin applying to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) new e-bike instant rebate program, WE-bike, which will offer approximately 10,000 e-bike rebates statewide. In addition, the City of Tacoma will provide 450 e-bike rebates specifically for Tacoma residents living in 'overburdened communities highly impacted by air quality.' According to the city, eligibility for the local rebates will align with the statewide program, and applicants only need to apply once to be automatically considered for one or both programs. The two new e-bike rebate programs will launch on April 9, and applications will remain open until April 23 at noon. 'This program is incredibly exciting,' said Council Member Kristina Walker. 'I know community members are ready and will feel inspired to apply for this rebate to give an e-bike a try. We are investing significant resources in bike infrastructure and bike safety across the city. More people on bikes have a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions, part of our Climate Action Plan goals, so I hope everyone will apply for this opportunity. This is a great partnership with Washington state, and we appreciate their investment in the health and safety of our community!' Here are the details from the City of Tacoma: Residents who qualify may receive either a $1,200 or $300 rebate, depending on household income. Rebates can be redeemed at a list of pre-approved bike shops for selected e-bike models that meet program criteria. There is a one rebate per household limit. To qualify for a rebate, applicants must live in Washington state, be at least 16 years old, provide contact and demographic information, and have an email address. For Tacoma-specific rebates applicants must live in an overburdened community highly impacted by air quality within Tacoma. The application portal will be open for two weeks from April 9, 2025 to April 23, 2025 at noon and will be available in English and Spanish. Due to high demand, rebates will be distributed through a raffle system after the application period closes. The City of Tacoma hopes these e-bike rebate programs will make e-bikes more accessible and affordable, 'supporting Washington residents who want to use cleaner, more sustainable transportation options.' The City's portion of the program is made possible through funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology as part of the Climate Commitment Act, which supports Washington's climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Find more details, including informational community events, free classes, and how to apply at
