Tacoma Business Improvement Area (BIA) Metropolitan Development Director David Schroedel recently reported on the organization’s blog ( http://tacomadowntown.blogspot.com/2011/08/south-13th-street-completed.html ) that a new westbound lane on South 13th Street between Court A and Pacific Avenue has been completed.

According to Schroedel, the City of Tacoma undertook a study several years ago to evaluate the impacts of one-way streets throughout downtown and their impacts on mobility and the economy. “The message was clear: In a city Tacoma’s size, one way routes result in more cars circling, confusion of visitors, and higher costs of doing business,” wrote Schroedel on the BIA’s blog this week. “Since that time, the City has slowly converted more and more of its downtown roads to accomodate two way traffic.”South 13th Street used to be one way eastbound for much of its length through downtown. The new westbound lane allows drivers leaving I-705 the ability to drive straight up 13th to their destination without extra circling, according to Schroedel.

A new westbound lane is not the only work recently completed on South 13th Street between Court A and Pacific Avenue. This section began to sink into the underground parking garage some time ago, resulting in the closure of the sidewalk and one lane of South 13th Street on the south side of the road. After several days of cranes and construction crews, the structure was reinforced, the road lifted, and the sidewalk repaired.