The city of Kent is working on a plan to connect the Green River and Interurban Trails at the north end of the city with the goal of creating a unique loop trail experience and making Kent a regional biking and recreation destination.
Planning has started for the proposed Kent Valley Loop Trail, a paved, 12-mile, multiuse loop capitalizing on the intersection of the Green River and Interurban trails at Foster Park at the city’s southern end.
According to Kent Parks’ project manager Brian Levenhagen, the city has a rare opportunity to create an outstanding attraction.
“Regional trails don’t often intersect, and if they do, they’re usually not situated to create a loop experience. But these trails are close together, and they’re in such close proximity to downtown and other area attractions. We have a great opportunity to close the loop, so to speak, and create a feature that’s rare on this side of the state,” Levenhagen said in a statement.
Loop trail features
The loop will feature fantastic views of Mount Rainier and the Green River, but most importantly, it would connect the Green River and Interurban trails to neighborhoods, parks and downtown.
The challenge though is identifying the best option to close the loop at the north end of the city.
“We know it’s possible to ride a loop now, and some cyclists do; but, with the right improvements we believe the loop can be more attractive to a much wider range of users. “In order to make that happen, we need to have a plan in place,” Levenhagen said. “A loop trail master plan will be very helpful in attracting state and federal grant money and even private partners.”
Funding the loop
The city has
not allocated funding for the construction of the loop trail improvements. The proposed loop was one of the recommendations of the “Let’s Go Kent” walking and biking study paid for by a $120,000 grant from the King County Department of Health.
“Before the loop trail can become a reality, we have to anticipate and address the needs and wants of the current trail and potential loop trail users," said Levenhagen.
Public ideas needed
The city needs to hear from you! What would make the loop trail experience ideal for you? Is it signage, improved visibility, the number of restrooms, water fountains, trash cans or something else?
To help ensure the master plan incorporates those components, the city selected
Berger Partnership, a Seattle-based landscape architecture and urban design firm, to assist with the planning and public outreach necessary to create a high–quality loop trail experience.
An interactive public involvement process is planned for the community to be a part of the development of the loop trail plan. A survey seeking ideas on what types of features the loop trail should include is available at
KentValleyLoopTrail.com.
