The Cross Kirkland Corridor trail is, to residents and visitors alike, a dream come true. It is the most charming and enchanted walkway I have ever seen, as if it leapt right out of a storybook and into real life. This is due not only to its serene, fragrant greenery, but also to its many views of the lake, and in the evenings, its magnificent views of dramatic sunsets.

Further, there is nothing more balancing to the high-stress lifestyles that so many of us live, than to take a walk on this peaceful trail near dusk. I highly encourage everyone to walk the length of this trail (in Southern Kirkland especially), on a sunny spring day, with birds chirping and sweet honeysuckle blooming, and then see if they are willing to desecrate it with the concrete, noise and pollution the proposed ST3 transit system would most certainly bring.

What actions we take today show what we value for tomorrow. Do we value the environment, preserving the earth and its beautiful spaces for our children for years to come? This intracity trail is one of the most beautiful in the country, a true jewel – and I would not be surprised if a Kirkland child of today becomes an author who writes fondly of walking on this trail with his grandpa, or her mom, and immortalizes it in the collective consciousness of the nation; the trail has that quality to it. But this might never happen if we trample upon its serene, uplifting beauty with loud, polluting buses, as planned in ST3.

(I have heard it suggested that art sculptures are planned with ST3, in an attempt to improve its aesthetic impact. This is just sad; Nature does a far better job at art than humans, and there has yet to be any art sculpture that could ever come close to eliciting the reverence and inspiration that a peaceful, beautiful natural setting can.)

In closing, the Cross Kirkland Corridor trail is a unique and rare natural treasure and most cities in the nation have nothing that comes anywhere close to it. Its presence greatly increases residents’ quality of life and uplifts their spirits. Any plans to destroy the trail’s serenity by constructing transit on it are soul-deaf to its beauty, short-sighted for future generations, destructive to the environment and deeply disrespectful to most residents’ wishes.

For these reasons, I will oppose ST3 on the November 2016 ballet if it includes transit on the Cross Kirkland Corridor trail.

Jennifer Shelton, Kirkland