By TJ Martinellt
martinell@kirklandreporter.com
King County took the first steps towards opening a trail on its section of the Eastside Rail Corridor by removing railraod spikes on the Bellevue and Kirkland boundary on Jan. 8.
The ceremony took place near the South Kirkland Park Ride at 108th Avenue Northeast, where the Cross Kirkland Corridor interim trail ends. The tracks will be salvaged and sold to pay for the costs of their removal and possibly go toward the construction of the new trail.
Officials attending the ceremony form Kirkland included City Manager Kurt Triplett, Mayor Amy Walen, Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold, state Rep. Joan McBride and former mayor Deb Eddie who works with the ERC’s Regional Advisory Council.
While speaking during the ceremony, Arnold said that “the value of the corridor increases not just with each connection node added, but with each transportation mode added.”
“By working together we’re extending this trail to light rail in Bellevue and by pursuing our long held vision of trails and transit we will turn this corridor into a world-class multimodal transportation facility connecting the Eastside to the region,” he said.
He also mentioned Kirkland’s plans to construct a 65-foot elevator to provide better access from the street to the trail.
The county owns roughly 15.6 miles of the 41 mile corridor that stretches from Renton up through Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and Woodinville. Kirkland and Redmond both own the sections of the ERC in their city limits. The 5.75 mile CKC interim trail opened last year and is the only developed trail so far on the ERC.
During the ceremony, King County Executive Dow Constantine said the removal of the historic railroad tracks marks the beginning of a new use for the corridor and toward “putting to productive use this last long unbroken strip of land running north and south in East King County.”
The county is currently working on its own draft for a trail masterplan and intends to release it, along with an environmental impact statement, sometime next month for public feedback and community outreach. Their hope, he said, is for the trail to connect people from Totem Lake to Montlake and from Google to the University of Washington, ultimately connecting to 13 major trails.
“The value of this trail cannot be overstated,” Constantine said.
Recently elected King County Council member and former Bellevue mayor Claudia Balducci called the first step toward a new trail “an incredible opportunity to the people of our region,” while adding that it also marks a new stage in community outreach. Balducci represents the 6th District which includes Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond, among other areas.
“We need to continue to work with those already living near the corridor to achieve the current and future potential of the ERC,” she said. “But also with those who live a quarter mile away, a half a mile away, so that everybody sees the potential here and everybody circles around to support this vision.”
Bellevue Mayor John Stokes, who also spoke at the ceremony, said that the county’s trail will provide better connection for people to jobs and recreation, including the 70 miles of trail located inside Bellevue.
“I can’t imagine a better place to be to really start my term than helping remove these railroad tracks,” he said.
Also attending were members from the Cascade Bicycle Club, with Executive Director Elizabeth Kiker saying, “What we’re doing here is the next national standard.”
