On Jan. 8, King County Executive Dow Constantine removed the first railroad spike from the county’s portion of the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC) at a ceremony signaling the expansion of its regional trail system.
Once complete, the trail system will run from Woodinville to Renton, connecting the two cities as well as Kirkland, Redmond and Bellevue and parts of unincorporated portions of east and south King County.
According to a county press release, the ERC is owned and managed by the county as well as the cities of Redmond and Kirkland, Sound Transit and Puget Sound Energy. It was purchased with the goal of developing a shared, uninterrupted multi-use corridor through the spine of east King County, the release states.
The ceremony took place at the intersection of the Eastside Rail Corridor and 108th Avenue Northeast in south Kirkland, just east of Metro Transit’s South Kirkland Park and Ride. Constantine, other elected officials, county staff and others addressed the crowd.
The county executive said while the existing railroad is historic, it is antiquated.
He described the proposed ERC as “a true network” of trails for non-motorized users and a “priceless public access way.” Constantine noted that walkers, runners and cyclists alike will be able to use the ERC. People will be able to get almost anywhere without having to get into a car, he said.
King County Council member Claudia Balducci agreed, saying the trail system will provide people with an alternative to driving.
Although she just took office this month, Balducci — who represents District 6, which includes parts of unincorporated King County near Redmond — has been following the corridor’s progress over the years. She said she is “deeply excited” about the county’s progress on the ERC as it will provide incredible opportunities for recreational outdoor activity. That activity can lead to a healthier and improved quality of life for residents, Balducci said.
In looking at the ERC’s future, she recognized the cities of Redmond and Kirkland on their Redmond Central Connector (RCC) and Cross Kirkland Corridor (CKC), respectively.
“Both of whom are blazing the trail,” Balducci said about the work the two cities have put into their respective trails.
Redmond Mayor John Marchione added, “In partnership with Kirkland and King County, we’re looking forward to joining the trail at 124th Street, in the near future.”
Guy Michaelsen with the Berger Partnership, the Settle-based landscaping architecture consultants for both the RCC and CKC, also attended last week’s ceremony. Although he is not involved in the ERC project, Michaelsen attended the event as an interested member of the community.
Like Balducci, Michaelsen acknowledged the work that has been done in Redmond and Kirkland on their portions of the trail system.
“Redmond in particular,” he said, “Redmond has led by example.”
Michaelsen said the RCC — a linear park that features art installations, benches and more — is an example of what other portions of the ERC can be. He said there are ecological and cultural benefits to the trail system. People won’t have to drive as much to get from one place to another and the trails will provide opportunities to meet new people — something that wouldn’t happen while sitting in a car.
“It’s about community,” Michaelsen said about these benefits.
The RCC project is divided into three phases, the first of which was complete in 2013. Michaelsen said they are onto Phase II. According to the city’s website, the work in this phase includes constructing about “1.3 miles of regional trail along the former Burlington Northern Railroad corridor from just east of the Sammamish River to the south side of the intersection of Willows Road and the 9900 block, near DigiPen (Institute of Technology) and Overlake Christian Church. The trail will generally be 12 feet wide, paved and have gravel shoulders.” In addition, the website states that the Sammamish River trestle and bridge over 154th Avenue Northeast will be retrofitted to accommodate the trail.
There was a call for bids for Phase II in October 2015, but due to bid irregularities and the resultant lowest responsible bid being higher than available funding, the city site states that all bids were rejected by City Council at its Dec. 1, 2015 meeting. The site continues, stating that a revised scope of work will be published and the project will be rebid this month with construction scheduled to begin in early April and is expected to be completed later this year.
