We’ll Be A Bookend In “Lake To Sound Trail”

As many residents may have heard, Des Moines will serve as a “bookend” for the proposed Lake to Sound Trail, which will start in Renton and end in Des Moines.

At Monday night’s Burien City Council meeting, King County Council Chair Julia Patterson and her team gave a presentation on the 17-mile trail that would begin in Renton and end at Puget Sound in Des Moines, all the while winding through Tukwila, Burien and SeaTac. The proposed trail would connect the Cedar River Trail, Green River Trail, Westside Trail and the Des Moines Creek Trail, making its way along the light rail station in Tukwila and then over to Burien and possibly along Des Moines Memorial Drive.

Voters have already approved a levy that would contribute $705,000 over the next year as well as $3.75 million over the next five years, pledged from the King County Parks expansion levy in 2007. Deputy Mayor Rose Clark said:

“I can’t tell you how long I have wanted a trail in Burien like this one.”

Council Chair Patterson has already made visits to Washington DC asking for measures to be included in upcoming stimulus budgets for the Lake-To-Sound Trail. According to Patterson, DC is listening to any proposals that would open up jobs for local residents and this project would do just that.

Here’s a map of the proposed Lake to Sound trail:

And some further info from the City of Renton’s website:

“The Des Moines Creek Trail Waterfront Connection in Des Moines is one of the first of the Lake to Sound Regional Trail projects ready for construction in 2009,” said Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler. “This project has had unprecedented support from funding partners at all levels of government—the city of SeaTac, King County, Port of Seattle, State of Washington and the federal highway system. The city of Des Moines is extremely pleased to provide the Des Moines Creek Trail as the beginning point for this important south King County trail system.”

King County has pledged $3.75 million from the 2007 voter-approved parks expansion levy over the next five years to acquire land to connect missing links in the regional trail system and build the trails. Patterson lobbied hard to have $705,000 from the levy placed in the 2009 King County Budget to start construction work on the corridor.

So, what do YOU think of this proposed trail – please leave a comment below…