The Senior Scene

Sound Transit is building parking garages in Sumner and Kent for its regional public transit.

The project in Sumner, near Traffic Avenue and Academy Street, started in February and is expected to be ready for public use in early 2026. The four-level structure will have approximately 600 parking stalls, officials said.

Construction at the Sumner commuter rail and bus station has caused the closure of about 190 parking stalls there. Improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists are part of the garage project.

 In Kent, an online open house was conducted Aug. 15 to help inform the public about the Kent Station parking and access project, which includes a four-story garage scheduled for completion in 2027 at East James Street and Railroad Avenue North. In addition, new surface-parking at Railroad Avenue and Smith Street will add about 400 new parking stalls Sounder and bus passengers.

Additional information is available at soundtransit.org.

Two town hall-style public meetings on issues related to use of the drug fentanyl are scheduled for October in the Gig Harbor area.

The sessions, hosted by the city, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, and Rotary Club of Gig Harbor, will be on Oct. 7 at Gig Harbor Civic Center and Oct 21 at Key Peninsula Civic Center, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. In addition to a presentation, representatives of police and drug treatment programs will be on hand for questions and answers.

Fentanyl in particular and opioids in general will be covered, including community safety and emergency treatment of overdosed users, said County Councilwoman Robyn Denson.

The county’s Emergency Medical System responded to more than 3,000 suspected opioid overdose calls between January 2023 and May 2024. “Most of them were fentanyl related,” said Denson, whose council district includes Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, Ruston, Fox Island, and part of Tacoma.

Officials noted that elders are at risk of non-fatal opioid-related overdoses caused by compromised health, multiple medications, and therapeutic error.