The "Missing Link" in the Burke-Gilman Trail

11/19/2002

Twenty five years ago, Seattle began building the Burke-Gilman trail, a bicycle and pedestrian path that now spans 27 miles, to the suburbs of East King County. But there's one part of the trail that remains unfinished - the so-called "missing link" in the Ballard industrial area. Tonight [TUES], Seattle transportation planners will show options for filling that link. We get a preview from KUOW's Cathy Duchamp.

TODAY, THE SEATTLE PORTION OF THE BURKE GILMAN TRAIL ENDS IN SOUTH BALLARD, NEAR THE FRED MEYER. THE MOST CONTENTIOUS OPTION TO EXTEND THE TRAIL WEST WOULD RUN ALONGSIDE THE RAIL-ROAD TRACKS THROUGH THE HEART OF SEATTLE'S MARITIME INDUSTRY. STANDING NEXT TO THE TRACKS ON SHILSHOLE AVENUE IS JIM JENSEN, WITH THE GROUP FRIENDS OF THE BURKE GILMAN TRAIL: We want the Burke Gilman trail. We want the separated pathway, which is safer and simpler and makes the connection that people want and not some pale imitation of what the BG trail is to the rest of the city. JENSEN LIVES, WORKS, AND OCCASIONALLY CYCLES IN BALLARD. HE SAYS FINISHING THE MISSING LINK WOULD BE THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO THEIR JOBS. BUT SEVERAL MARITIME COMPANIES THAT USE THIS 100-FOOT WIDE STRETCH OF GRAVEL AND RAIL TO DO BUSINESS DISAGREE. WARREN AAVERIK OWNS BALLARD OIL, WHICH TRANSPORTS DIESEL AND INDUSTRIAL LUBRICANTS. AAVERIK SAYS INDUSTRY AND RECREATION DO NOT MIX: Right now like if we're coming out of 26th West … little kids are not gonna see that there's a danger so eventually somebody's gonna get hurt BUT MORE THAN SAFETY, THE DEBATE OVER THE MISSING LINK IS A DEBATE BETWEEN OLD AND NEW BALLARD. AAVERIK SAYS PEOPLE NEED TO SUPPORT THE MARITIME INDUSTRY, WHICH BUILT THE COMMUNITY HERE. GROUPS LIKE THE FRIENDS OF BURKE GILMAN TRAIL SAY WATERFRONT BUSINESSES NEED TO LEARN HOW TO CO-EXIST, WITH A GROWING POPULATION EAGER FOR MORE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS. CATHY DUCHAMP KUOW NEWS.