Street Hustlers Ordered Off Twelfth Street
Tacoma officials move to clear sidewalk congestion caused by street performers and vendors blocking access to the post office.
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City officials have moved to clear Twelfth Street, between the post office and Pacific Avenue, following complaints that 'fakirs' and street vendors were obstructing traffic and blocking access to established businesses. The police and license committee recommended the area be cleared after two months of persistent complaints regarding sidewalk congestion caused by the vendors' stands and the crowds they attracted.
“Fakirs who have practically compelled a cessation of traffic on Twelfth street... must go.”
The tension between vibrant street-level commerce and the need for public access remains a common friction point in urban planning. Modern efforts to manage street vending and pedestrian flow in downtown Tacoma echo these early 20th-century struggles over the use of the 'public square.'
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