The Seattle Post Intelligencer had an article with  the Eastside latest rail/trail news.  Each time we hear about rails/trails news, we hear it’s the final plan.  So this may or not be it!   Until some money changes hands, don’t make any plans to take the train to work or ride your bike up to the Burke-Gilman trail.

Here are the highlights from the newspaper article written by King County Council members Bob Ferguson and Larry Philips:

•  The port will purchase the entire Snohomish-to-Renton rail corridor from BNSF for approximately $103 million.
• The port and the county will begin a vigorous public outreach process to hear public priorities for the corridor and the future of the rail bed, under the rubric established by the County Council that prioritizes dual use for recreation and mass transit.
• The county will have an option through July 1 to purchase sections of the corridor between Woodinville and Redmond and south of the Wilburton Trestle in Bellevue for $42.5 million.
• Should the port later decide to divest itself of any part of the corridor, the county would have 120 days in which to purchase the property. After that, the port would offer the property for sale for another 120 days to any other public agency that provides mass transit, rail services or trails.

According to our county councilmen, there will be opportunities for Eastsiders to voice their opinion about the plans for the rails and trails.  As soon as I hear anything more about either the plans and/or meetings, I will pass the word along.  Of course, if anyone has opinions here, fire away!