Plans for Lake-to-Sound bicycle trail in south King County

King County (WA) is getting closer to filling some missing links in its countywide bicycle route network.

The latest proposal is a 17-mile trail that links four other bike paths as it rolls between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington south of Seattle.

Dubbed the Lake-to-Sound Trail, the bike path is designed to intersect the Cedar River Trail, the Green River Trail, the Westside Trail and the Des Moines Creek Trail. It will pass through Renton, Tukwila, Burien, SeaTac, Normandy Park and Des Moines. The trail also visits the Tukwila light-rail station.

Safe passage

When finished, the bike trail will allow safer passage for bicyclists whose travels take them along precarious routes from one trail to another.

Money for the project is coming from a parks expansion levy approved by voters in 2007. The county pledged $3.75 million from the fund to the project over the next five years; $705,000 will be included in the 2009 county budget.

Other funds for the project will come from state and federal sources.

Master plan

When completed, a bicycle rider can leave the Puget Sound in Des Moines and head east to Tukwila to pick up the north-south Green River or Interurban trails. Going further east the cyclist reaches Renton and can continue on  the Cedar River Trail toward the Cascade foothills or head north along Lake Washington to Bellevue.

The trail is the highest priority in the Renton Trails and Bicycle Master Plan, which will be presented to City Council next year, according to the Renton Reporter.

The master plan shows the Lake-to-Sound Trail on page 56. It shows use of an old railway line and SW 7th Street.

When the plan was unveiled a couple of weeks ago, Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler said the Des Moines Creek Trail Waterfront Connection would be one of the first Lake-to-Sound trail project ready for construction in 2009.

Also, see the press release, and the Renton bicycle route development website.