The City of Tacoma is launching its Tacoma I-5 Crossings Study and inviting community members to share their experiences. The study will examine the streets, bridges, and underpasses that connect Tacoma’s neighborhoods across I-5 and identify opportunities to improve safety, access, connections, and the experience of traveling through these spaces.
For more than 60 years, I-5 has been a major part of Tacoma’s transportation system. Today, people cross I-5 every day to get to work, school, transit, parks, businesses, services, and home.
As part of the first phase of community engagement, the City is asking residents, workers, students, business owners, and visitors to participate in an online survey.
“Crossing over or under I-5 can be dangerous, whether you are on a bike, walking, or rolling, but the City aims to fix that,” said Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen. “We need to hear from you first though. If you feel unsafe crossing I-5, please take our survey and inform the results of our study. This will inform future projects and funding.”
“Infrastructure should connect us, not divide us,” said Deputy Mayor Joe Bushnell. “I’m looking forward to taking a closer look at the streets, bridges, and underpasses that connect our neighborhoods across I-5 and identifying opportunities to make traveling through these spaces safer and more accessible.”
The survey asks participants to share:
- Which crossings they use most often
- Where they travel when crossing I-5
- Barriers, safety concerns, or accessibility challenges
- Ideas for future improvements
“Making crossing I-5 safer and more accessible for our community is a huge priority,” said At-Large Council Member Kristina Walker. “We know many people from our historically marginalized neighborhoods have no option but to face the challenge of walking and biking across I-5. We have a responsibility to ensure everyone has access to safe ways to get where they need to go. This study is going to be a great step forward in helping us understand where the biggest safety and access problems are along I-5 and what our community members want to see from this project. Listening to our community members is going to help ensure this project advances our safety and equity goals. I hope you will participate in the survey and share your perspective.”
Community feedback will help the project team understand where crossings feel difficult, unsafe, or disconnected, and where improvements could better support everyday travel.
The survey is available at online and will remain open until November 6, 2026.
The survey is the first opportunity for community members to provide input. As the study continues, the City plans to offer additional ways to get involved, including community events, school engagement activities, stakeholder conversations, and other opportunities to share ideas and feedback.
“Though vital for our region’s growth, when I-5 was built through Tacoma, it disrupted established neighborhoods and created lasting barriers between communities,” said District 4 Council Member Sandesh Sadalge. “Those impacts were not felt equally across our city. Today, we have an opportunity to rebuild those connections and dismantle these historic inequities. That means creating crossings between the Eastside, South End, and the rest of Tacoma that work for people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving. This study is an opportunity to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and how we can bridge these physical barriers to make it easier for everyone to access the people, places, and opportunities that make Tacoma home.”
More information about the Tacoma I-5 Crossings Study, including project updates, is available at tacoma.gov/project/i-5-crossings-study.