Transit to Trails

Action Alert — Pedestrian Access on the Bridge of the Gods

While house-sitting this week in Hood River, OR, I took the bus to Cascade Locks to check out transit hiking conditions at the southernmost Washington trailhead of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). My assessment? Mixed. And in some cases — decidedly not great. And a lot of that is because you have to cross the Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia River to continue on the PCT, whether you are traveling northbound or southbound.

I did some preliminary digging to see if I could understand why authorities have not done the most minimal separation — simple concrete curbs and a few flex posts? — to afford pedestrians real space while crossing the bridge. I didn’t find the fulll answer to that question, but did find that there is local support for a pedestrian bridge, some preliminary funding and studies were secured, but due to some byzantine federal rules about toll bridges (vehicle drivers pay tolls) the pedestrian bridge addition is on indefinite hold. As I said in my Twitter thread, I don’t know numbers for locals who cross the bridge on foot, but I do know that in 2023 people should not have to walk in a lane of traffic to cross a major river.

Just a couple weeks ago, the Pacific Crest Trail Association published a Call to Action to urge legislators in both Oregon and Washington to fund the bridge. It’s a short read and easy to sign on. Please sign and share.

Advocacy Update — Summer 2023

Here’s a few quick notes on the advocacy fronts I’m working on.

WTA adds transit-accessible hikes to their quarterly Hike It section

I’m a big believer in the power of using small levers to make modest but important changes. So I’m thrilled to report that Washington Trails Association reached out earlier this year after I wrote several trip reports based on some of my transit trekking outings. The result was this Q&A — and an informal agreement that I’ll write a transit-focused listing for their Hike It section in their quarterly member magazine. The first one appeared in the summer 2023 issue – a trip guide for McCurdy Point in Port Townsend. 

It’s so important to keep showing that transit-based recreation is possible, so that people can try it, and to build support for its expansion. If you are a member of WTA or use their site to look up trip reports, please take a minute to express appreciation for featuring more transit-accessible hikes, and let them know you’d like to see an increase in this kind of content and to see WTA step up support for transit as one of the key means for addressing climate, equity, and conservation. You can email the editor at editor AT wta.org (I’d love if you cc me, too: hithere AT this webdomain).

Transit Trekker is a host organization for the National Week Without Driving

If you want to help invite leaders from the Washington state area to take on this challenge, get in touch using the email above and put “NWWD” in the subject line. If you have connections to Mason or Jefferson counties here in Washington state, I’d especially appreciate hearing from you. 

The Feds

I’m participating in organizing at the national level, learning about some developments at the federal level that could result in increased support for rural and small town transit — more on that this fall. Sign up to get on the mailing list if you want to be in the loop on that.

Want More Updates?

Check out the press page. And if you’ve got travel plans beyond Washington and want to find some transit treks, check out the resource page. Follow on the dying site of Twitter or, now, Blusky at transittrekker.bsky.social, or the blog.

Graphic with a bus and image of a waterside park. The text explains that King County Metro runs 7 days a week from Redmond Technology Station to St. Edward State Park. The closest stop to the park is 153rd Places and Juanita Drive NE.

For Ride Transit Month I Talked to Move Redmond

Move Redmond advocates for multimodal transportation in Redmond. As part of their Ride Transit Month coverage, I talked to them about Transit Trekker. I also provided a few tips on easy transit trips that can be done from Redmond. You can read all about it in their June newsletter, here. Especially note the clear, friendly graphic treatments they created to highlight the trip itineraries I offered.

Redmond and the eastside in general could use much better local transit service, IMO. That said — Redmond has great access to multi-use trails in the form of the Sammamish River Trail, the soon-to-be re-opened East Lake Sammamish Trail, the developing Eastrail network, and — with a lift from King County Metro route 224 to Duvall — the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, which will connect you to the Palouse to Cascades Trail. That last one you can ride all the way to the WA-ID border from about May to October — hundreds of miles taking in the Cascades, eastern WA semi-desert, and the Palouse. As I write that, I am amazed and grateful all over again to live in a region rich with stunning rail trails. My e-bike is in the shop awaiting repairs (and an e$timate) and I think I’m going to be planning a quick venture along the Palouse to Cascades Trail via the eastside very soon……

The featured image in this post is used with permission of Move Redmond.