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Photo
by Kirk
Kirkland
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Cyclists
enjoy a variety of terrain on the trail
system in DuPont. Trails connect gravel
paths
through wetland areas to paved paths in urban and suburban centers.
A bluff trail leads to dramatic views of the
islands in south Puget Sound and the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo
by Kirk
Kirkland
On the Scott
Pierson Trail, commuters can travel safely
across Tacoma
and make connections to the Cushman Trail in Gig Harbor. The first
section of the
Scott Pierson Trail opened in 1978. The
last 4-mile section took 30 years to complete, and opened in 2007 with
the new
Narrows Bridge.
Photo
by Kirk
Kirkland
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Only a few
cities in Pierce County have a system of trails and sidewalks that make
it possible for people to walk or ride safely to their libraries,
schools and commercial centers.
Photo
by Kirk
Kirkland
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At Northwest Landing
trail
wanders through wetland parks, play areas and provides views of Puget
Sound across a golf course that was previously an industrial site.
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In this issue:
State
Legislature Hears About Trail Funding
Completing missing trail links
Funds provided for Tacoma Connections
Trails funded in Eatonville area
Trail Advisory Committee to Meet
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State Legislature
Hears About Trail Funding
In February, ForeverGreen
President Dr. Ernie Bay, Vice
President Dr. Jane Moore, and past president Barbara Skinner attended a
Senate
committee hearing in Olympia on legislation to fund a regional trail
system in
Pierce County.
Testimony was limited,
but Dr. Moore was praised for her
comments about the community health benefit of trails.
The proposed sales tax
legislation would provide on-going,
dedicated funding to build and maintain a trail system that would
connect all of
Pierce County’s communities. It would
add over 80 miles of trail to the existing sections of trail between
Gig Harbor
and Tacoma and between Buckley and Puyallup. No
one spoke in opposition to the Senate bill.
Because there was a short
legislative session this year, a companion
bill in the House did not receive a hearing. The
purpose of the hearing was to build support and create
an
opportunity for any opposition to come out so adjustments can be made
in the bill’s
language.
During the summer and
fall, we will continue to meet with
legislators and city council members around the county to discuss
changes in
the bill. We intend to modify the bill and
reintroduce it in the next session.
Completing
Missing Links
With
grants
from REI and the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, the ForeverGreen
Council has
been meeting with several jurisdictions to determine the best way to
assist
with local trail development.
Pierce-King County For
decades, users
of the Interurban Trail have had difficulty finding a safe and viable
route
beyond its southern terminus in Pacific. A large gap currently exists
between
Pacific, Sumner, and Puyallup.
Earlier
this year, mayors of the Valley Cities from Tukwila to Fife signed an
Interlocal Agreement (ILA) to work together to “enable cyclists,
walkers, and
runners to connect from Lake Washington to the foothills of Mt.
Rainier.” This ILA paves the way for joint
grant
proposals and other cooperative actions to connect these communities.
In
March,
staff from Pierce County Parks, Sumner, and Pacific met to discuss how
to work
together to secure trail grant monies. Thanks
in part to funding from ForeverGreen, grant writers
at Pierce
County Parks will be able to assist Pacific and Sumner with their trail
grant
applications to extend the Interurban into Pierce County.
Puyallup-Tacoma Connector
After several
meetings to discuss the trail connection between Puyallup,
Fife and Tacoma,
the ForeverGreen Council has agreed to fund a feasibility study to
determine
the best route to join these cities together. The challenge is to find
space
for a trail in an area where the freeway, Puyallup River, railroad
lines, and tribal
reservation land all converge in a narrow corridor near Tacoma.
Fife
recently
completed a Park and Open Space Plan which included trail routes
through many
of the city’s neighborhoods. This
document will provide a basis for determining the location of trail
connections
in Fife.
Funds for Eatonville and
Tacoma Connections
Pierce
County Council member Roger Bush (District 3) led other council members
in
providing planning funds for the Tacoma to Mt. Rainier rail-
with-trail project. Specifically,
funding was provided for trail planning between Eatonville and Rimrock
Park,
and a trail section in Frederickson.
A second set
of County funding in the amount of $25,000 was matched by the City of Tacoma. This
money has
been directed to planning for the numerous trails that are expected to
converge
on Freighthouse Square near the Tacoma Dome. This
congested area is the future hub for the Foothills,
Cross County
Commuter, Scott Pierson-Cushman, and Water Ditch Trails.
In other
trail funding news, the County Council provided funds in this year’s
budget to
build another section of the Cushman Trail and to extend the popular
Chambers
Bay Trail.
Trails Advisory Committee to Meet
The trails
advisory committee will meet on Wednesday, April 30, at the Snake Lake
Nature
Center in Tacoma. The group is comprised
of trail advocates, community leaders and park staff who are creating a
countywide system of trails. The
committee meets twice a year to report on trail progress in their
jurisdiction and
advise the ForeverGreen Council on goals and projects.
April’s
topics include:
- Progress
on state legislation for trail funding
- Plans
for National Trail Day
- Suggestions
for the next trail conference
- Discussion
about awards for organizations and individuals
who helped build trails
- Discussion
of direction of ForeverGreen’s long-range grant
programs.
The
meeting is from 5:30–7:30 p.m. with a light dinner provided. Please
RSVP Jayme Gordon
at (253) 845-2973 or by e-mail at jaymeg@piercecountycd.org.
Northwest Landing
connects
neighborhoods with parks, schools and commerical centers making
automobile use an option, not a requirement.
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