Tacoma approves impact fees to fund roads, sidewalks, bike lanes

The city of Tacoma is preparing to tax developers to fund transportation upgrades as growth increasingly strains its roads and multimodal network.

The City Council voted 6-3 last month to levy the one-time fee, which takes effect June 1. New residential, commercial and industrial developments must pay the fee to fund sidewalks, bike lanes, pedestrian crossings, turn lanes and signal upgrades, among other items.

The program is expected to generate $16 million annually.

“As one of the only cities in our region without Transportation Impact Fees, we spent a great deal of time making sure to tailor the program to the needs of our community,” said At-Large Council member Kristina Walker, chair of the Infrastructure, Planning and Sustainability Committee.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/01/08/tacoma-transportation-upgrades-impact-fees.html