It’s no secret our region is lacking in heavy rail transit options. Our only existing service, Sounder, is operated in such a manner that it functionally excludes anyone who isn’t traveling into Downtown Seattle to work from 9 to 5. This is woefully inadequate to serve the South Sound, especially considering the significant employment centers of Downtown and the Port of Tacoma. Given Tacoma’s abundance of existing rail infrastructure there are a variety of potential passenger routes that could be developed quickly and cheaply relative to new light rail or even Pierce Transit’s proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) system while simultaneously feeding into and expanding the potential ridership for such planned systems. So, I considered the various railroads and their surrounding development that emanate from Tacoma and developed the following list of potential routes ordered by plausibility:
- Adding off-peak service on the Point Defiance Bypass to Dupont
- Off-peak service along Sounder and to Orting
- Passenger service to Frederickson on Tacoma Rail’s Mountain division
- A Point Defiance Waterfront line to Steilacoom
An important preliminary question to address is the nature of the rolling stock and who should operate it. Currently Sounder is operated by BNSF under an agreement with Sound Transit, and at its most basic form new passenger rail service would look like extra trips on the Sounder, making them an obvious contender. However, it’s worth noting the City of Tacoma could operate the service itself.
