More than 150 people attended the city of Shoreline’s celebrated ground breaking of the Interurban Trail Aug. 15.
The city broke ground on the first of a three-and-a quarter mile segment of a regional project to turn the former Interurban rail line into a 12-foot wide paved bike and pedestrian trail that will connect from Seattle to Everett. Cities further north such as Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood have already completed their portions of the trail. Shoreline’s section of the trail will cost approximately $11 million. Four of the five sections of the Shoreline segments are funded, mostly by local, state and federal grants.
King County considered starting the project in the 1980s when former Metro-King County Council member Audrey Gruger helped get a feasibility study started. The King County Parks Department began exploring design options and in 1992 issued a pre-design report. Shoreline incorporated in 1995 and in 1999 took responsibility for the Interurban Trail project. Gruger joined U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Shoreline, and U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge, state Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park and current King County Council member Carolyn Edmonds, D-Lake Forest Park, along with Mayor Scott Jepsen and several Shoreline City Council members, and officials from Seattle City Light and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation program to ceremonially break ground on the project. State Rep. Maralyn Chase, D-Edmonds, also attended the event.
“I raised my family not far from here,” Murray told the crowd that had gathered on the future trail behind the McDonald’s on Aurora Ave. N. at 152nd Street, “and to know that these families will have a place that is safe to walk and ride bikes is exciting for me and for Shoreline.”
Inslee said “This walking trail represents family values and is a great victory for Shoreline. We go to the capitol and fight on a daily basis for funding for this type of project, and I look forward to all of you joining me on the first jog,” when the project is finished.
Shoreline will begin construction this month on the south section of the trail from N. 145th to N. 155th Streets and later this fall on the north section from N. 192nd to 205th Streets. The N. 155th to 175th Streets sections will be constructed in the summer of 2004 and a pedestrian bridge across Aurora Ave. N. is planned for 2005.
“The Interurban Trail has been a long-time vision of the community and a successful partnership between Shoreline and Seattle City Light. We are eager to begin construction and make the vision a reality,” Jepsen said.
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