April 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 50

OPERATIONS
Eﬀective Solutions to Trail
Maintenance Obstacles
By Cailín Hunsaker

nder the pale blue gaze of Washington state's Mount Rainier
and along the Cedar River to Lake Washington, city of Renton trails chiefly run along bodies of water. Located between
the Olympic and Cascade Mountain Ranges, the oceanic climate averages 44 inches of rain annually for abundant vegetation. Blazing
displays of color each spring bring eager trail users out from the gray of
winter, while the browning tree leaves in the fall complement the picturesque views of the river as salmon travel upstream to spawn.

The Trails

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CAILÍN HUNSAKER

Nine miles of regional trails in Renton lie on top of converted railroad
beds, formerly commercial hauling
routes for coal, bricks and lumber.
Another four miles of both paved
and soft-surface trails lie within park
boundaries for easy strolls and nature
watching. Trails are generally eight
feet wide and paved with asphalt,
with two-foot gravel shoulders. For
multiuse recreation that is allowed
on Renton trails, the Parks and Trails
Division of the Community Services
Department paints a stripe down the
middle to help guide trail etiquette -
pedestrians to the right as bicyclists
pass to the left. A brick-lined lower
walk next to the Cedar River is open
during the summer months when

the river level is usually at its lowest.
At some of the newer neighborhood
parks, design standards include pervious pavement on pathways, which
require customized vacuum-type
equipment to clear the surfacing and
continue draining properly.
With the consistent rain yearround, drainage usually flows steadily
into adjacent streams and rivers. Park
maintenance staff will, sometimes,
carve trailside punch-outs to direct
water away from asphalt depressions
and into the nearby watercourses.
On soft-surface shoulders, moss will
grow in shaded areas and is removed
before cooler weather ices it over to
make it slippery. Gravel on the same
shoulders is replaced annually. Being close to water at most locations,
spot treatments for weed control are
preferred, and volunteers help curb
the abundant vegetation growth that
comes with warmer temperatures
and long, sunny days in the summer.

Signage and Enforcement

Old launch into the Cedar River at Cedar River Park.

Parks & Recreation

In 2010, an unfortunate collision
occurred in Renton between a pedestrian and bicyclist on the Cedar
River Trail and resulted in the death
of a park patron. With community

| A P R I L 2 02 0 | PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G

engagement, discussions led to the
implementation of new safety protocols. In addition to striping the
trail, Renton City Council adopted a lower speed limit of 10 mph
into the Municipal Code, park staff
created a 'Share the Trail' educational brochure and organized a
Volunteer Trail Patrol to educate
trail users about trail etiquette and
the reduced speed limit. Police officers on bikes assist by enforcing the
speed limit and dismount zones.

Education and Kiosks
Where the Cedar River empties
into Lake Washington, park maintenance staff installed a kiosk and
free, informative brochures from the
Kids in Parks program to make hiking both educational and fun. Once
registered at the Kids in Parks website (kidsinparks.com), children can
receive prizes in the mail for their
hiking adventures. Additionally, in
fall each year, docents from the Seattle Aquarium and staff from the
Environmental Science Center lead
hikes along the Cedar River Trail to
view salmon swimming upstream
to their natal grounds.

Regional Trail Hub
Renton is a regional trails hub
where trails converge from the
south, west and north. One day,
when these trail networks are connected and contiguous, they also
will be valuable transportation
and communication corridors for
thousands of workers at Renton
businesses. A number of agencies,
companies and nonprofit groups
are currently working together to
plan and fund these solutions.
Cailín Hunsaker is Parks and Trails
Director for City of Renton (chunsaker@
rentonwa.gov).

April 2020 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2020 - Parks & Recreation