The West Bay Trail

Time for Action

Now is the time to transform the West Bay Trail vision into a real trail that we can use!  Here’s how you can help:

·         Write a letter or email in support.  This is the most effective way to help.

·         Come to the Public Input Workshop November 20.

(Details below)

The West bay trail will run along the old railroad tracks and trestles on the west side of Budd Inlet in Olympia.   We think this trail is important because:

·         It will give us multi-modal access to the shoreline. 

 

·         It will connect West Bay Park, Garfield Nature Trail, and the proposed Woodard and Brawne Avenue West Side neighborhood connections to the Percival Landing Boardwalk, Heritage Park, Downtown Olympia, Deschutes Parkway, Capitol Lake Interpretive Trail, Tumwater Historical Park, and Tumwater Falls.

 

 

·         It will provide West Side neighborhoods with a low-traffic, scenic, and flat bicycle route to downtown, thus providing a desirable transportation  alternative for people who are not comfortable riding a bicycle in heavy traffic.

 

·         It will provide us a great way to get out of traffic and get some good, fun, healthy carbon-neutral exercise!

The groundwork has been laid:

·         It is on the Thurston Regional Trails Plan.

·         It is on the 2002 Parks Arts, and Recreation Plan.

·         The City of Olympia has just finished purchasing the property.

·         The first stages of West Bay Park, but not the trail, have begun.

Now is the time for us to build this trail and start using it!

The Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Plan is being updated now.   Your comments will make the key difference in determining which projects move forward and which projects stay on the back burner. 

Assuming the West Bay trail project is prioritized to move forward, the next steps will be an engineering assessment of the trestles, an environmental assessment, and a master plan.  During this planning process, a design will emerge that will be compatible with the sensitive shoreline environment.

Once this work is done, we can seek grant funding.  This project will be eligible for both recreation and transportation funding, and with your help the Woodland Trail Greenway Association will work with the City of Olympia to obtain this funding.

Send your written comments IN YOUR OWN WORDS to: Jonathon Turlove at the Olympia Parks, Arts, and Recreation Dept  jturlove@...    360-753-8068.

The public meeting is Thursday, November 20, 2008  6:30pm - 8:30pm at the Olympia Center  222 Columbia St. NW Olympia, WA 98501.

Details of the public process for the Parks, Arts & Recreation plan update are available at:

http://www.ci.olympia.wa.us/cityservices/par/parplan/

The map and photograph were taken from the Thurston Regional Trails Plan.  You can download all or part of the plan on the Thurston Regional Planning Council web site.

http://www.trpc.org/programs/transportation/regional+planning/regionaltrailsplan.htm

Thank you for your support!

Jack Horton     President, Woodland Trail Greenway Assn.

info@...    (360)789-0944