The City of Tacoma’s Public Works Department has successfully secured two significant grants that will enhance traffic safety and connectivity for residents: the Stewart Middle School Safe Routes to School Grant and the South Tacoma Way Vision Zero Project Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Grant.
Stewart Middle School Safe Routes to School Grant
The Washington State Department of Transportation awarded Tacoma $2.04 million, with an additional $443,000 City match, to support Safe Routes to School (SRTS) improvements around Stewart Middle School.
The City’s SRTS program works to make it safer, more convenient, and fun for K-12 students and families to walk, bike, and actively roll to school by combining targeted infrastructure improvements, safety education, and encouragement programs.
Stewart Middle School was prioritized for Safe Routes to School improvements based on crash data and measures of student vulnerability such as chronic absenteeism. Students helped identify safety concerns and even worked with a local artist to paint intersection murals as a temporary measure—improvements that will now become permanent with this grant. Planned upgrades include safer intersections, a new pedestrian signal at South 52nd Street and Pacific Avenue, sidewalk connections, traffic calming, and a neighborhood greenway. Construction is expected to begin in 2028.
“The top neighborhood concern I hear in District 4 is the need for traffic safety investments. This is a major step toward creating safer streets and healthier communities for our youth,” said Council Member Sandesh Sadalge. “By listening to students and responding with real improvements, we’re not only making it easier to walk and bike to school, we’re showing our kids that their voices matter. These changes will benefit Stewart Middle School families for generations to come.”
“We’re thrilled about this significant investment from the Washington State Department of Transportation, which, combined with the City’s investment, will make critical, permanent safety upgrades around Stewart Middle School,” said Tacoma Public Schools Superintendent Josh Garcia. “This project is a fantastic example of a community-driven effort, with students playing a key role in identifying needs. These improvements will create a safer, more accessible, and more inviting environment for our students and families to get to and from school.”
More information on Safe Routes to School is available at tacoma.gov/SRTS.
South Tacoma Way Vision Zero Project – Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Grant
The Washington State Department of Transportation awarded Tacoma $1.5 million, fully funded with no local match required, to support planning and early design for safety improvements along South Tacoma Way between Pine Street and South 60th Street.
This project is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. More information is available at climate.wa.gov.
As part of the City’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate fatal and serious crashes by 2035, South Tacoma Way was identified as a priority through crash data, speed studies, and strong community input. The project will include extensive community engagement, design alternatives, and planning for nearby streets to address traffic diversion. Work is expected to kick off in early 2026.
“Pedestrian improvements and a more livable, walkable neighborhood were identified as community priorities in the South Tacoma Neighborhood Plan and I am thrilled that we have this opportunity to immediately make investments that will enhance the livability of this neighborhood,” said Council Member Joe Bushnell, who provided a letter of support for this grant, co-signed with Council Member Jamika Scott. “This grant makes a tremendous investment not only for local residents in South Tacoma, but also for the local businesses that are the core of the South Tacoma Way Neighborhood’s cultural vitality. Together, we are creating the livable, walkable city we all want to live in.”
More information on Vision Zero is available at tacoma.gov/visionzero.