Hello, thanks for checking out Transiterranean, a Tacoma-centric transit newsletter-blog exploring commuting, food, drink, and destinations across the City of Destiny, Puget Sound, and beyond! I’m Michael Grass, a former journalist and communications professional who has lived car-free for about 25 years, including in Washington, D.C., New York City, Seattle, Bellingham, and now Tacoma. 

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Sound Transit’s Federal Way Link extension opened for service on Saturday, connecting three new 1 Line stations in South King County — Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown — with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Seattle, and Snohomish County.

I won’t rehash some of the prevailing passionate transit observations about lost opportunities for better transit-oriented development if the Link alignment had followed Pacific Highway instead of hugging close to Interstate 5, nor the rider wayfinding confusion over the use of “Downtown” in the name of the 1 Line’s Federal Way terminus.

But I wanted to highlight what I really liked when exploring the newly opened Link extension this weekend. Compared to Sound Transit’s Northgate Station in Seattle, where the elevated station platforms are about 45 feet above ground, Federal Way Downtown’s elevated station platforms are closer to earth. According to the Federal Way Mirror, the adjacent tracks and guideway over S. 320th Street, which will eventually connect with the long-planned Tacoma Dome Link Extension, allow a clearance of 16 feet 6 inches.

That design means there’s less time and effort needed to reach Link trains from the adjacent transit center, an important local and regional bus hub and transfer point for King County Metro, Pierce Transit, and Sound Transit Express routes. For Tacomans and Pierce County residents heading to the airport via transit, that transfer environment will be important since Sound Transit has proposed truncating ST Express Route 574 at Federal Way as part of the agency’s Fall 2026 ST Express service restructuring.

The 574’s proposed increased in frequency — buses every 15 minutes for most of the day between Federal Way and Lakewood via Tacoma Dome — will hopefully make up losing curbside transit service at the airport. (The 1 Line station at the airport involves a fairly long walk to and from the terminal whereas the 574’s current airport stop is adjacent to the Door 00 and Security Checkpoint 1.)

Another thing to enjoy with the Federal Way Link extension: 1 Line trains travel quickly along the extension, breezing past motorists when I-5 traffic is sluggish.

While this especially rainy week may not be ideal for a transit-oriented food adventure, the current trans-Pacific atmospheric river taking aim at the region made me think back on a soggy but delicious dinner trek earlier this fall to seek out Yemeni food in Kent via Sound Transit’s S Line.

As someone who now regularly commutes between Tacoma and Seattle via Sounder commuter trains on the S Line, the southbound trip to Tacoma Dome and Lakewood presents opportunities for an early dinner stop en route in places like Kent, Washington’s sixth-largest city, while entirely avoiding I-5 and State Route 167.

That’s what I did back in October on a rainy Friday evening. Kent Station is conveniently located in the middle of the city's commercial core, putting a variety of restaurants within a short walk of the station. That includes Taste of Yemen, which is one of the few Yemeni restaurants in the region.

Although the intersection of Central Avenue N. & E. Smith Street isn’t exactly pedestrian friendly, with enough vigilance and attention needed to traverse the heavily trafficked intersection (there are signaled crosswalks), Taste of Yemen is less than 5 minutes from Kent’s S Line station platforms.

During this visit, my dining partner and I had a delicious meal. We ordered agda lamb, a dish with shredded lamb and stewed vegetables in a spiced tomato and onion-based sauce and Yemeni spices, and chicken mandi, served over aromatic yellow rice, large flatbread, salad, and sauces. (We brought delicious leftovers back to Tacoma on the train and apologize to any S Line commuters we encountered who may have been hungry.)

For Tacomans heading to Kent for dinner via the S Line, the last southbound train to Tacoma Dome and Lakewood is scheduled for 6:50 p.m. So plan on an early dinner and keep an eye on the train schedule so you have enough time to make the last train south. (For any Seattle folks looking to do a dinner trek to Kent, the last northbound S Line train is at 5:49 p.m., so King County Metro’s Route 150 may be the best transit choice back north.)

As part of a Road Safety Audit (RSA), the City of Tacoma is currently seeking public input regarding a section of the S. 56th Street corridor, between S. Asotin Street and Pacific Avenue, that is part of the city’s Vision Zero High-Risk Network.

According to EngagePierce.com RSA page: “These corridors often have complex roadway designs or intersections that would benefit from further study to explore potential safety improvements. Additionally, they offer opportunities for collaboration with the community and alignment with other ongoing planning efforts. Through this process, the City aims to identify strategies that enhance safety, accessibility, and connectivity across Tacoma’s transportation network.”

This stretch of S. 56th Street is mostly residential with some limited examples of commercial destinations along the way, including at Pacific Avenue, S. Yakima Avenue, S. G Street — where there’s a Safeway grocery store — and S. M Street.

Although I’m mostly unfamiliar with the S. 56th Street corridor, from a previous trip through this part of town and perusing the area of study via Google Street View, it’s clearly not a friendly environment for those outside high-speed vehicles traveling along this crosstown arterial roadway. That would include those trying to access Pierce Transit bus stops along S. 56th Street.

Route 41, which connects Downtown Tacoma and the Tacoma Mall Transit Center via the Salishan neighborhood, travels the entire length of the portion of S. 56th Street under study and offers connections with four other Pierce Transit bus routes along the way: the Stream Community Line and Route 1 (at Pacific Avenue), Route 45 (at Yakima Avenue), and Route 48 (at S. M Street and S. Sheridan Avenue).

Perusing the RSA submissions for S. 56th Street thus far, this one jumped out regarding safety issues at S. 56th Street & S. G Street:

“Many pedestrians use this intersection every day when leaving Safeway to reach the nearby bus stop.

A marked crosswalk at 56th and G would significantly improve safety and accessibility for everyone—especially those with mobility challenges—and would support the city’s goals of walkability and increased public transit use. I strongly believe this location should be evaluated for a new crosswalk installation.”

Beyond that bus stop observation, common themes among responses thus far has been a lack of curb cuts for sidewalks for pedestrians and bicyclists and motorist behavior, including speeding, street racing, and using the parking lane to improperly pass other vehicles.

There’s a lot of important work ahead to make S. 56th Street safer for everyone. Submit your feedback by Friday, December 12.