Today, I was honored to vote in support of the Westside Trail Master Plan. Access to recreational areas and nature are critical to making our region livable and improving our quality of life. Moreover, regional trails allow active transportation options that take cars off the road and reduce congestion. Less air pollution and more walkers and bikers makes for healthier lives and lowers health care costs.
When complete, the Westside Trail will provide important commuter and recreational connections to dozens of neighborhoods and several major west-side commercial and employment areas. It will include a mix of roughly 25-miles of paved trails for bicyclists and pedestrians and soft surface paths for mountain bike and hiking.
One day, you will be able to ride a bike safely from King City to the Nike Campus for work. Or, you’ll be able to stroll from Sunset High School in the Bethany area over the Sunset Highway using a new trail bridge that will connect to commercial areas in Beaverton. And for the more intrepid residents of the region, you’ll one day be able to ride from St. Johns all the way to the Tualatin River where you can connect to the Ice Age Tonquin Trail and the rest of the 40-mile Loop.
I hope that when this trail is built I can wander with my daughters through its wild places – places like those that instilled upon me a sense of responsibility and respect for the natural environment. Lucky for them, they won’t need to travel like I did to far afield state and national parks, because we have places like this right in our backyard. And while there are costs associated with bringing people into places like Forest Park and the other natural areas this trail will connect, I am confident that we will do our best to ensure these are mitigated to the greatest extent possible.
We have much to look forward to in the years ahead. Now, I hope you’ll join me in supporting our effort to implement the Westside Trail Master Plan.