Photo by Michael Whitney.
MONROE — The city aims to boost walking and bicycling through town, as outlined in a trails master plan shown at the July 16 council meeting.
The plan will expand the trail network and upgrade trails over the next 20 years.
Key projects include better intersections, new connectors like the Cadman Connector and Main Street Extension, and improving existing trails in neighborhoods.
“The purpose of the Trails Master Plan is to identify specific physical projects that can be advanced for funding and implementation,” said city parks and recreation director Mike Farrell. “(The Trails Plan) is intended to guide trail development in Monroe for the next 20 years. Specifically, the Plan primarily addresses the trail network comprising on- and off-street routes that support walking, running, hiking, in-line skating, and bicycling. The Plan also addresses multimodal requirements established by the Growth Management Act.”
The framework seeks to enhance these activities to improve community health, equity, and well-being. However, due to varying street layouts and terrain, the plan needs help connecting Central Monroe, Downtown, West Monroe, and North Hill. Central Monroe and Downtown feature well-connected grids but limited parking. At the same time, West Monroe and North Hill, with suburban layouts, offer fewer direct routes for non-motorized travel, exacerbated by hilly terrain that can deter biking despite the accessibility of e-bikes.
The plan also addresses necessary upgrades to current trails.
In West Monroe’s Fryelands Neighborhood, scenic asphalt trails are isolated. In newer North Monroe developments, scattered paved trails, primarily on hills, connect to Central Monroe via the Chain Lake Road sidepath. Managed by homeowners’ associations (HOAs), these trails often face safety issues such as root heaves due to limited maintenance resources.
The Trails Master Plan details several expansion and improvement projects:
• U.S. 2 Intersection Improvements: Collaboration with WSDOT aims to enhance safety at critical intersections, which will cost an estimated $5 million. Safety and accessibility will be prioritized.
• Cadman Connector: A $2.4 million initiative to link Main Street to Skykomish River Park, combining sidepath and shared-use path benefits to enhance connectivity and recreational opportunities.
• WSDOT ROW Trail - East Segment: A $1.54 million project connecting Chain Lake Road to Woods Creek Road, focusing on pedestrian and cyclist safety and alternative transportation modes.
• Main Street Extension: A $1.55 million extension to Woods Creek Road via a 2,900-foot sidepath, improving accessibility and safety for alternative transport users.
• Skykomish River Park Connections: A $955,900 effort to enhance pedestrian and cyclist connectivity within the park area, improving recreational and transportation options.
• WSDOT ROW Trail - Central Segment: A $2 million path connecting Cascade View Drive to Chain Lake Road, emphasizing community infrastructure and active transportation.
• Cascade View Drive Connector: A $2.8 million project linking 168th Avenue SE to Robinhood Lane with neighborhood spurs, promoting sustainable transport options.
• North Hill Shared Roadways: Minor enhancements costing $187,500 to roads such as 134th Street SE and 199th Avenue SE to improve safety and traffic flow.
• Memorial Stadium Trail: A $593,300 initiative providing an alternative route via shared-use paths and roadways, enhancing mobility and safety.
• Blueberry Lane: Adding two-way protected bike lanes, sidewalks, and parallel parking along 2,037 feet with a cost of $541,000 to bolster local connectivity and promote active transportation.
A comprehensive funding strategy incorporating federal, state, and local sources, including specialized grants, is essential to fully developing the trail network within the 20-year timeframe.
The trails plan will be one piece of the city’s larger comprehensive plan, which gets updated every few years to guide future development from a large-picture perspective. The City Council is anticipated to adopt the comprehensive plan by December of this year.
