Under the looming Wilburton Trestle, Eastside and King County leaders asked the public to provide input on a regional trail which will traverse the Bellevue landmark.

Elected officials gathered near the trestle on “Leap Day,” Feb. 29 to express hope for the proposed Eastside Rail Corridor from Renton to Woodinville. King County released a draft trail master plan and environmental impact statement and is seeking community involvement in choosing alignment choices and design features they would like to see.

“We’re expanding one of the nation’s premier trail systems to better connect Eastside neighborhoods, and want the public to help us design it,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine in a press release. “I encourage residents to take this opportunity to share their ideas for a new multipurpose trail that will be enjoyed by walkers, runners and cyclists for generations to come.”

A month-long public review and comment period ends at 5 p.m. on March 31.

Christie True, director of King County’s department of natural resources and parks, said that it’s a good habit to start a tradition on Leap Day. She hoped that by next Leap Day, Feb. 29, 2020, the corridor would be complete, with cycling and pedestrian trails running the length of the Eastside, connecting to the Burke-Gilman Trail, the I-90 Trail and the Mountains to Sound Greenway.

The Eastside Rail Corridor is part of a 42-mile rail line which was owned by BNSF (formerly Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company) running from Snohomish to Renton. The corridor runs in a predictable line north-south, with a several mile spur which heads to downtown Redmond.

Bellevue Mayor John Stokes hoped for a quick start on the project.

“I think this four year plan is more pragmatic, although we’d like it done in a year, if possible,” he said. “It would be such a connection to parts of Bellevue, I’m looking forward to seeing it.”

Stokes, who lives in the Woodridge neighborhood of Bellevue, said he would personally make use of the trail near his home.

What the officials want to know from residents is what they would like to see along the 16.7 miles of new trail that will connect Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland, Woodinville and Redmond and provide those cities with new opportunities for non-motorized recreation and transportation.

Some of these options concern the issue of whether to place the trail atop the former railbed or next to it. Prices for the project range by a massive amount, from $155 million for the on-railbed alternative to $246 million for the off-railbed alternative.

In terms of actual design of the trail, King County’s preferred version would be approximately 23 feet wide with a 12- or 14-foot paved stretch and a gravel shoulder alongside.

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci reminded those in attendance under the Wilburton Trestle that the Eastside Rail Corridor could be more than a novelty project.

“It’s not just a trail, but a way of life,” she said. “It could be like a road without cars, with significant usage.”

She said that the trail could be used to stoke business by having it run not alongside warehouses and parking lots, but near vibrant businesses which might draw in cyclists and pedestrians. In one example, Balducci mentioned Chainline Brewing Company in Kirkland, which sits adjacent to the Cross Kirkland Corridor section of the Eastside Rail Corridor.

In King County’s own projections of usage, sections such as the downtown Redmond and south Kirkland/North Bellevue pieces of the corridor could see well over 2,000 trips a day, with nearly every square foot of the trail expected to see more than 1,000 trips a day. The forecasted data also expects heavy demand for pedestrian and cyclist access in downtown Bellevue and downtown Redmond.

Elizabeth Kiker, the executive director for the Cascade Bicycle Club, believed the corridor was not some lofty pipe dream.

“We don’t want this built for our children,” she said. “We want it built so we can use it. We need to push harder and faster and more.”

Constantine agreed.

“Four years? We want this built like, yesterday,” he said.

Three open houses will be available for residents to comment on and review details of the draft master plan.

• Woodinville

5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, March 17 at Woodinville City Hall.

• Renton

7 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 22 at Kennydale Elementary School.

• Bellevue

5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, March 24 at Bellevue City Hall.

Public comments can be also provided online or by mailing King County Parks.