Eastside Rail Corridor

Eastside Rail Corridor

Eastside Rail Corridor route
Length 15.6 mi (25.1 km)
Location Eastside King County, Washington, USA
Trailheads Renton (southern terminus)
Brightwater plant near Woodinville (northern terminus)
Use Hiking/Biking
Elevation
Highest point 200 ft (61 m), Kirkland near Peter Kirk Elem.
Lowest point 20 ft (6.1 m), Lake Washington shoreline
Hiking details
Right of way Great Northern's Woodinville Subdivision
Website www.kingcounty.gov/council/issues/corridor.aspx

The Eastside Rail Corridor is a rail trail under development in the Eastside suburbs of Seattle, Washington. The corridor follows the path of the former Woodinville Subdivision from Renton to the Brightwater sewage treatment plant in unincorporated Snohomish County near Woodinville and Bothell.[1]

History

Acquisition

Cross Kirkland Corridor in 2013, prior to removal of rails and resurfacing

The Port of Seattle acquired the right of way of the former Woodinville Subdivision from BNSF Railway through purchase and donation in 2008.[2] On December 10, 2012 the King County Council approved purchase of 15.6 miles (25.1 km) of the right-of-way from Port of Seattle.[1] A portion of the central corridor, named the Cross Kirkland Corridor, is owned by the City of Kirkland;[3] a spur to Redmond, named the Redmond Central Connector, is owned by the City of Redmond;[4] a portion in downtown Bellevue was purchased by Sound Transit, [5] and a northern portion of the corridor remains Port property for dual use as a trail and freight line. Some state residents brought suit against the Port of Seattle because the purchase was not used for freight in its entirety.[6]

Opening

Cross Kirkland Corridor after official opening in 2015

In January, 2015, the 5.75-mile (9.25 km) Kirkland portion of the Eastside Rail Corridor, with compacted gravel surfacing, opened for pedestrians and bicyclists.[7][8]

Cities and connections

Cities through which the corridor passes include:

Trail connections

If constructed as proposed by King County, these other trails would or could link to the Eastside Rail Corridor:[9][7]

Ballard Terminal Railroad injunction

A short line terminal railroad operating in Seattle, the Ballard Terminal Railroad, filed suit in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington and petitioned the Surface Transportation Board on April 1, 2013 seeking to prevent the city of Kirkland from removing the rail tracks for the planned trail. The Ballard Terminal Railroad says they want to keep the tracks intact for future rail freight use.[10] On May 3, 2013 Federal District Court Judge Marsha Pechman granted the City of Kirkland’s motion to dismiss the case filed by Ballard Terminal Railroad Company seeking to prevent rail salvage on the Cross Kirkland Corridor. In her oral ruling, Judge Pechman stated the Federal District Court did not have jurisdiction to consider Ballard’s temporary restraining order (TRO) and that the Surface Transportation Board was the proper forum for adjudicating Ballard’s claims. On Aug. 1 2013 the Surface Transportation Board denied the request by Ballard Terminal Railroad Company to block rail removal along the Cross Kirkland Corridor

References

  1. 1 2 Eastside Rail Corridor, Metropolitan King County Council, December 10, 2012, retrieved 2012-12-14
  2. ↑ Eastside Rail Corridor, Port of Seattle
  3. 1 2 Cross Kirkland Corridor, City of Kirkland, 2012
  4. 1 2 Redmond Central Connector Phase 1, City of Redmond, retrieved 2013-03-06
  5. ↑ Eastside Rail Corridor, King County, Washington, February 19, 2013
  6. ↑ Scott Gutierrez (August 30, 2010). "Lawsuit: Purchase of Eastside rail corridor was illegal". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  7. 1 2 Alexa Vaughn (January 31, 2015), "Longest stretch of Eastside Rail Corridor opens in Kirkland", The Seattle Times
  8. ↑ Tom Fucoloro (February 2, 2015), "Kirkland's new trail changes everything", Seattle Bike Blog
  9. ↑ "The Eastside rail trail corridor". King County executive. January 26, 2009. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  10. ↑ "Cross Kirkland Corridor rail removal halts, faces federal lawsuit", The Kirkland Reporter, April 2, 2013, retrieved April 2, 2013

Further reading

External links

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