Two possible rail-to-trail projects are on the drawing boards in Washington state — one in scenic northeastern Washington and another in the traffic-choked Seattle suburbs.
One could be a nationwide draw to bicycle tourists who could pick up the trail near Republic and follow the Kettle River 28 miles north to the Canadian border. The other could serve as a north-south bike commuter path from Renton to the Snohomish county line, 33 miles away.
Kettle Falls railroad
The proposed rail-trail in eastern Washington's Ferry County would be the first in the West to connect to Canada's rail-to-trail network, reports the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
The Ferry County Rail Trail Partners says the old rail line in question runs from just outside Republic, north along Curlew Lake then along the Kettle River between the Kettle Mountains and Colville National Forest to the east and the Okanogan Highlands to the west.
Partners co-founder Bob Whitaker says the trail would not only offer an alternative to getting around by car for local folks, it would promote eco-tourism in the area.
Just last year, the Ferry County Commissioners made a request to the Kettle Falls International Railway to begin negotiations to buy the railroad right-of-way (map), which is more than 100 years old. The idea is to railbank the old line, rip of the rails, and use it for a trail and also as a right-of-way for public utilities.
BNSF Railway
The Port of Seattle and King County signed a preliminary deal for the Port to buy the 33-mile BNSF railroad right-of-way (map) then turn it over to the county (home to Seattle) in return for the county-owned Boeing Field. To sweeten the deal, the Port also agreed to pay $66 million toward removing the tracks and paving a trail.
That brings the total pricetag for the venture to $169 million.
Currently the tracks are used daily by the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train and the infrequent freight run shuttling cargo between Boeing plants.
While a path for Eastside bike commuters is a major consideration for the right-of-way's future, others are suggesting that it could also be used for a commuter rail line.
The Seattle Times reports that some people are concerned that Boeing Field could undergo expansions and traffic increases if it's bought and developed by the Port.
Photo: The BNSF rail corridor in the fall
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