Each map in the series highlights a different area of downtown, and includes detailed information on the sites along the route including historical information.  All six maps of the routes are available at no cost at Downtown On the Go (950 Pacific Ave, Suite 300), at many downtown businesses, or by contacting Meagan Kula, Downtown On the Go Coordinator, at 253-682-1734 or dotg@tacomachamber.org.

The Walk Tacoma program will be honored on June 18, the day prior to the Museum Walk, with a City of Tacoma proclamation.  This proclamation recognizes the success of the Walk Tacoma program, highlights the importance of a walkable city, celebrates the expansion of the downtown walking map series to now include a Museum Walking Map, and announces “Walk Tacoma Day.”  

The Museum Walk is part of Downtown On the Go’s 2013 Walk Tacoma series sponsored by Franciscan Health System.  It is an eight-event walking series held on the first and third Wednesdays, from April through August.  The fun, themed walks, now in their fourth year, encourage downtown employees and residents to exercise and enjoy the outdoors by discovering the different walking routes and parks in downtown Tacoma. The walks are scheduled at the lunch hour and just after work to encourage downtown employees to walk during their workday, whether it is to and from work, at a lunch break, or to a nearby meeting.

Names: Erik Hanberg and Mary Holste

Occupation(s): Erik: Park Commissioner, Author, and Marketing Consultant for Side x Side Creative. Mary: Creative Director for Side x Side Creative.

Employer(s): Side x Side Creative, a boutique marketing company we own.

Gets around by: Nissan Leaf (all electric!), ORCA cards, Tacoma Link, ZipCar, by foot, and soon by bike.

Where do you live and where do you work?
We live and work from our home in downtown Tacoma, which keeps our need for travel light.

How do you get there?
It’s a short walk.

How does it all add up?

In the 10 years we have lived downtown, the longest commute either of us has had is 3 miles, and that was only for 18 months. Most of the time, our commutes have been measured in blocks. And now that we work at home, in feet. Before we went to a single car, we each put about 6,000 miles on our car each year, or half the national average. That’s a big savings. Now that we have a single car, and it’s an all electric, our monthly gas bill has disappeared, and our insurance has dropped too.

What’s in it for you?
We get to spend more time with our new daughter at home, playing in the park, or wherever. The cost savings are great, too.

Do you have any tips for people who may be thinking of trying Zipcar?

It’s a switch to paying for a car “by the hour,” so I recommend that before you do, add up all your car costs for the last month or two. Include insurance, gas, oil changes, everything. How much does it cost to just have that car? You may just find that an hourly rental is a great way to “have a second car” without actually having to own it.

What’s the best part of living downtown?
The options around us. We walk to our daughter’s daycare, to the grocery store, the park, the coffee shop, the movies, the barber … We love that sometimes we don’t drive for a day or two. It’s a better pace of life for us. Sometimes people think living in an urban setting has a faster pace of life, but we find that less time in the car means it feels slower, not faster.

Emily lives in Hilltop with her partner, Matt, and their puppy, Shasta.  You may have seen her zipping around the city on her trusty bicycle, or helping people work on their bikes at 2nd Cycle Bicycle Collective as a volunteer.  She also helps lead a youth gardening program in Hilltop, and can be seen planting veggies at Gallucci Learning Garden and at the community garden near her apartment. 

Emily studied both international political economy and music education at the University of Puget sound, focusing her studies on food justice isssues and ways to bring food production back into our urban centers.  She is excited to bring her energy and enthusiasm into supporting Tacoma’s sustainable transportation systems!

Downtown On the Go has teamed up with a local group of Tacoma women who are encouraging more women to cycle. The group is kicking off with a free cycling celebration in Tollefson Plaza on June 20, 2013 at 5 p.m. with a short 3.7 mile bike ride at 6:30 p.m.

The event is open to all women and will include bike maintenance support by 2^nd Cycle, commuter tips, art, jewelry, helmet-friendly hairstyles by Hair by Carina, chalk art, food and fun giveaways – all by women and for women. The bike ride is designed to be accessible to all levels of cyclists and on any type of bike. It will culminate in food and drinks at the Tap Room on the outside patio.

In the U.S., only 24% of all bicycle trips are made by women. VeloFemmes is a grassroots group dedicated to providing opportunities for more women to cycle in an effort to change this number. The group plans to organize future events like workshops and group bike rides.

“While women are half the population, we are vastly underrepresented among cyclists. A healthy cycling community has a 50-50 split. VeloFemmes is a great step towards involving more women in the pleasures of cycling in Tacoma,” says Diane Wiatr, Active Transportation Coordinator with the City of Tacoma.

Downtown On the Go provides commute options to anyone whose daily life is downtown. Through resources, encouragement and incentives, we are trying to improve the downtown drive alone rate by 11 percent, so attracting more downtown employees to cycling is important.

“Anyone can ride their bike but a commuting bike ride can be really intimidating. We want to make cycling really accessible through our work with VeloFemmes. We hope women will come as they are, whether they are most comfortable riding in work clothes, spandex, or summer dresses,” says Kristina Walker, Downtown On the Go Manager. “Someone who gets their start at a VeloFemmes event may turn into a bike commuter in the future.”

The event is sponsored by Downtown On the Go and the Tacoma Wheelmen’s Bicycle Club. The event is free and open to the public. For details and to RSVP visit the Facebook event.

Women. Having Fun. Riding Bikes. Find VeloFemmes on Facebook and Twitter.

 Walk Leader Surh O’Connell, who immigrated to the United States from Korea 50 years ago, will share stories of her grandfathers’ experience as an immigrant in the late 1800’s, and talk about some significant events in Tacoma’s history, including the 1885 Chinese expulsion.

The Immigrant History Walk is a part of Downtown On the Go’s 2013 Walk Tacoma series sponsored by Franciscan Health System.  Click here for the entire 2013 Walk Tacoma schedule.

Where do you live and where do you work? 
I live in Central Tacoma and I work at a few locations. Tacoma General Hospital and both the Proctor and Downtown locations of Tacoma Bike. I also go to school at TCC and teach a rock climbing class at Annie Wright School.

How do you get there?
I bike and I like to switch up my routes. I try not to go the same way every day. I avoid the main automobile arteries, and stick to the back roads making sure I am lit up and visible at night. Other than that, it varies. Biking is a great way to explore your surroundings. Because it slows you down, you notice more of the details. Your neighborhood is more interesting when you know the character of each different street.

How does it all add up? 
I dont have to pay for car insurance, gas and I didn’t have to buy a car. How much all of that would add up to, who knows, but its no hyperbole to say I have saved thousands of dollars and will continue to do so. I get around the city as fast or faster than cars. While they speed to the next stop light, I coast straight through.

What’s in it for you? 
We spend a significant amount of time commuting to work. We might as well make it as enjoyable and productive as possible. I look forward to my commute every day. I get some exercise, fresh air and relieve stress on my way to and from work. Im also putting less wear on our infrastructure (which means I save you money too!) and helping to keep cars off the roads which makes it safer and less stressful for everyone. It feels good to be a healthy role model for kids, and an advocate for this simple way to enjoy little bit more.

Do you have any tips for people who made be trying this mode for the first time?
Don’t get turned off by the weather here in Washington. If you invest in some wet weather gear, you will realize that the weather around here is very mild, and easily bikable all year.

Where do you live and where do you work?
I live 2 miles from work now in North Tacoma. I work on the edge of downtown on 4^th and Broadway.

How do you get there?
I am so happy that I moved a bit over a year ago from Gig Harbor because now I have so many more options. Whenever my meeting schedule allows (meaning I don’t need my car to get to meetings) I either ride my bike or walk.  On rare occasion I will catch the bus but I prefer the exercise. Also, we have a Prius and a gas guzzling old van.  My husband commutes to Gig Harbor so I like to give him the Prius when I can walk or ride my bike.  Sometimes he drops me off and I walk home.

How does it all add up?
How much money or time do you save?  I don’t think I save much because I drive a Prius but I don’t do it to save money as much as to support the environment and get exercise. I feel better when I start and end my day on my bike.

What’s in it for you?
As stated above, fresh air and wind in my hair always makes me have more energy at work, even if I am tired when I get on my bike. Soaking in nature by walking or riding my bike helps me observe the small things that bring joy…like a cloud formation or a blossoming plant.

Do you have any tips for people who may be trying this mode for the first time?
Just do it!  And keep air in your bike tires! I had no idea why my ride seemed to be getting so much harder until I realized I was riding on tires that needed air. I also really appreciate the Bike Swap (where I bought my bike) at UPS the end of April. It is a great resource as is Downtown on the Go.  Thank you for all your work to encourage me and others to ride their bike!

Where do you live and where do you work?
I live in the North Slope neighborhood and work in the Stadium District so my commute is only about 11 blocks.

How do you get there?
With four kids, I do a fair amount of taxiing, so I do have to drive sometimes.  But I try to bike to work as often as I can and I always walk on Sundays.  I even skied to work once during the big snowstorm of 2007.

How does it all add up?
While I’m not sure if I save a ton of time or money since my regular commute is so short, but there are many benefits to biking to work for me.

What’s in it for you?
I think that the biking provides a better transition between home and work because I always seem to arrive in a better mood when I bike. Biking makes me more aware of little changes in weather or ‘signs of spring’ that help me feel rooted to this great place in which we live.  And lastly, I seem to have more opportunities to greet and be greeted by friends and neighbors when I bike.

Do you have any tips for people who may be trying this mode for the first time?
Keep a very lightweight rain suit on your bike or at your office  in case the weather changes for your ride home.  Left turns on arterials are the most challenging so think through your strategy in advance.  Make a commitment to your biking plan and stick to it.  There will be a few hassles and adjustments to be made early on and you may get discouraged, but once you make the adjustments you will realize how easy it is.  In addition to watching for traffic signs and other vehicles on the road, keep your eyes open for signs of spring and for friends you might see along the way.

Where do you live and where do you work?
I live in the Stadium district and work downtown.

How do you get there? 
I bike most days. I drive when I have early morning field work commitments, but on office days I bike.

How much money or time do you save?
My commute is the same amount of time on bike or driving.  I definitely save gas money, although I haven’t tried to calculate the savings.

What’s in it for you? 
I bike mostly to feel healthy and see my surroundings a little differently.  I find going places by bike makes it easy to meet people.

Do you have any tips for people who may be trying this mode for the first time?
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.  Do what you can, once, twice a week, or some test ride on the weekend – whatever! It should be fun.  And don’t worry too much about equipment – I have an old steel frame bike and wear my work clothes on my commute (ok, sometimes with rain gear – that is essential, and of course a helmet and lights!).