Tacoma City Council adopted a resolution Tuesday that will create four new taxi cab stands in Tacoma.
Three stands will be located near 6th Avenue and North Anderson Street, 6th Avenue and North Pine Street, and on 6th Avenue between North Steele Street and North Prospect Street. Another stand will be located on Court C between South 21st Street and South 23rd Street near the Holiday Inn Express and the University of Washington Tacoma.
“A taxi stand provides a spot on the street identified with a sign where licensed taxi cabs can wait for a fare or pick up passengers safely,” said City of Tacoma Tax and License Division Manager Danielle Larson. “The additional three stands on Sixth Avenue will help address safety concerns expressed by the police department and at the request of local businesses.”
The four new taxi stands will be added to Tacoma’s current roster of five taxi stands citywide.
According to City of Tacoma staff, taxi companies pay an annual license of $175 for the opportunity to use taxi stands. The stands allow cab drivers to wait for passengers in these designated locations rather than occupying otherwise available parking spots. They also provide a safe place away from the street for passengers to enter cabs.
“I know some of this recommendation came forward from a local DUI enforcement advocate that we have as a way of addressing DUIs in our community,” said Tacoma City Councilmember and Deputy Mayor Marty Campbell. “Giving people quick, easy access to taxis when they think it is not appropriate for them to drive. I’m happy to see this coming to the Sixth Avenue and UWT areas. It helps make our city a safer place.”
Todd Matthews is editor of the Tacoma Daily Index and recipient of an award for Outstanding Achievement in Media from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation for his work covering historic preservation in Tacoma and Pierce County. He has earned four awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, including third-place honors for his feature article about the University of Washington’s Innocence Project; first-place honors for his feature article about Seattle’s bike messengers; third-place honors for his feature interview with Prison Legal News founder Paul Wright; and second-place honors for his feature article about whistle-blowers in Washington State. His work has also appeared in All About Jazz, City Arts Tacoma, Earshot Jazz, Homeland Security Today, Jazz Steps, Journal of the San Juans, Lynnwood-Mountlake Terrace Enterprise, Prison Legal News, Rain Taxi, Real Change, Seattle Business Monthly, Seattle magazine, Tablet, Washington CEO, Washington Law & Politics, and Washington Free Press. He is a graduate of the University of Washington and holds a bachelor’s degree in communications. His journalism is collected online at wahmee.com.
