Realizing game-changing trail connectivity in King County

A supermajority of King County voters just approved a milestone funding package for trails. Now what? Tell King County Council you want to prioritize a few key projects to seamlessly connect communities.

With funding in hand to grow the trails system thanks to the supermajority of King County voters who approved Prop 1, now is the time to advance key projects including the Eastrail, Lake to Sound Trail, and local connectors countywide to seamlessly connect communities by bike.

TELL COUNCIL: TRAILS OFFER NEW WAYS TO GET AROUND

 Trails help more people, and more types of people, get where they need to go. Now that voters have enacted a milestone funding package for parks, trails, and open space, we’ll be advocating for a handful of key priorities to connect King County by trail.

Funds from Prop 1 will go towards:

Connecting Woodinville to Renton on the Eastrail

 As major projects come online to transform the Eastrail, formerly the Eastside Rail Corridor, we’ll be advocating to seamlessly connect the Eastrail from Woodinville to Renton by 2023. The gap through Bellevue is closing as WSDOT and King County coordinate to bridge the Wilburton Gap in 2020-2021, build out the trail south of I-90, and retrofit the Wilburton Trestle, (all made possible in part by the supermajority of voters who approved Prop 1). Yet the opportunity remains to bridge I-90 with a multi-use all-ages and abilities trail. Together, we can prioritize gap-filling projects so that the Eastrail is ready to be a first/last mile connector on opening day for East Link light rail service. Five stations will open adjacent to the Eastrail in 2023.

Linking South King County by bike

Prop 1 fills gaps between existing segments of the Lake to Sound Trail, which will link Renton, Tukwila, Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines by trail. Intersecting with four other regional trails, the Lake to Sound Trail marks important progress to connect South King County by bike.

Fostering Community Connections

Knowing how to access the trails, where the network can take you--and where there are gaps--and how to weigh in on trail planning processes is key. That’s why in addition to realizing trail connections, Prop 1 invests directly in community organizations via grant programs and secures local lines of funding, so that trails work for all communities.

THANK COUNCIL NOW

 Now is the time to thank the King County Council for sending a smart, regional trails package to voters, and tell them you support prioritizing a few key projects to connect King County by trail.