TIB Project Information

S Park Ave in Tacomas Fern Hill Neighborhood faces substantial traffic challenges that compromise safety and livability in the area. Despite being a local access street and designated a neighborhood greenway in the Citys Transportation Master Plan, S Park Ave attracts significant cut-through traffic avoiding the parallel arterial, Yakima Ave. Traffic counts from 2021-2025 range from 1,552 to 1,936 vehicles, excessively high for a neighborhood street. 85th percentile speeds have reached 32.5 mph, well above the posted 20 mph limit. The corridor is a key walking route to Fern Hill Elementary and runs through the Fern Hill Neighborhood Business District, serving as a significant route for pedestrians and cyclists. In the past three years, four pedestrian or cyclist collisions and many other injury crashes have occurred on S Park Ave. The data, along with extensive feedback from residents, parents and the school district underscore the need for traffic calming and safety improvements.

• The S Park Ave Greenway and School Safety Improvements project addresses critical safety and mobility needs in the Fern Hill Neighborhood. The project will reinforce the role of S Park Ave as a Neighborhood Greenway and school walking route by implementing a comprehensive set of traffic calming and pedestrian improvements. Four new speed humps will be installed, complementing existing speed humps to increase frequency and maintain consistent speed reduction along the corridor. A new traffic diverter at S 78th St will prevent north-south through-traffic to discourage cut-through driving, while maintaining access for local residents and emergency vehicles. The specific type of diverter designed will be shaped by public engagement and input. A traffic circle will be constructed at S 80th St to calm traffic and reduce turning conflicts. At the S 86th St school crosswalk adjacent to Fern Hill Elementary, new curb bulbs will narrow the roadway and shorten crossing distances, while a raised crosswalk will reinforce driver yielding behavior and further reduce speeds. Approximately 160 feet of new sidewalk will be constructed to close an existing sidewalk gap, improving pedestrian connectivity. Together, these improvements aim to reduce crashes and crash severity, lower vehicle speeds, reduce cut-through traffic volumes, enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety, and support a continuous, safe, and low-stress active transportation route for people of all ages and abilities.