It came as no surprise when Kirkland City Council members voted 6-1 to endorse mass transit on the Cross Kirkland Corridor (CKC). After all, it was the City Council’s idea in the first place. Sound Transit had proposed Bus Rapid Transit on I-405 where it belongs, but the city council wanted a bigger piece of the $20 billion ST3 “project pie.” Mass transit on the CKC will accomplish that but will also cost Kirkland residents $24 million dollars a year, every year.

And they didn’t bother to first ask Kirkland residents whether they needed or even wanted it. Over 1,700 residents signed a petition saying no to buses and trains on this beautiful trail. If mass transit is put on the CKC, the trail will become an afterthought to a concrete transit thoroughfare destroying wetlands, beautiful canopies of mature trees and the peaceful park like setting that currently exists.

The Save Our Trail organization is now doing what the City Council neglected to do – reaching out to residents of Kirkland to find out what they want. And making sure that is communicated loud and clear to Sound Transit.

Sharon Riddle, Kirkland