ISLAND COUNTY: Central Whidbey trail to grow

Luisa Loi reports from the Island County Commissioners meeting of Tue., Sep. 17, 2024 for the Whidbey News-Times.

The dream of a long trail connecting the Deception Pass Bridge and the Clinton Ferry Terminal is slowly becoming a reality, piece by piece.

On Sept. 17, the Island County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to initiate a $3.725 million project to extend the popular Rhododendron Trail, an ADA and non-motorized path on the west side of Highway 20 that runs through Coupeville and connects to the Kettles Trail.

The commissioners agreed to allocate funding for the preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction of the new phase of the trail, which connects Rhododendron Park Road to Patmore Road south of Coupeville. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, according to information presented at the meeting.

They Said It

Commissioners Janet St. Clair and Melanie Bacon said they were in favor of the project.

On her frequent drives on Highway 20, Bacon notices young people walking to and from Ryan’s House and worries for their safety. St. Clair asked if the project allowed pedestrians safer access to the bus stop across the street from the nonprofit organization, but [Assistant Director of Public Works James] Sylvester said it would only help southbound commuters.

While supportive, Commissioner Jill Johnson shared some concerns about the project, the biggest being the fact the trail ends on “the least safe area of the highway” where there is no shoulder. She asked if instead ending the trail on Morris Road — which is about half a mile away from the trail’s end on Patmore Road — would be safer. It would also lower the cost of the project, she said, saying she wasn’t thrilled about the price tag but was willing to look past the fact that the county continues to make multi-million dollar trail projects in its least populated areas.

Johnson pointed out that the project would make more sense if the trail was on the same side of the highway as the multi-million dollar trail connecting the Clinton-Mukilteo ferry to Ken’s Korner. This poses the question of how trail users can cross the highway safely once the trails connect.

Johnson was also concerned about the possibility of residents demanding the trails to be removed due to the nearby Naval Outlying Landing Field being loud and posing a safety risk to trail users. Similar complaints in the past have led her to voting against trail projects, she said, adding that the Navy came before the trails.