Editor,
Will residents use the Freeland Trail enough to justify the cost? If the idea is to create a north/south trail for cyclists, we have reservations.
The concept seems to be the Tenino, Centennial and Burke-Gilman trails.
These other trails are scenic. The most scenic areas on the island are along the water, and sometimes near the small farms and tide water areas; they’re only occasionally along highways 525 and 20.
Second, a trail near these highways (like the one near Coupeville) is not a quiet ride in the country. The road noise is deafening and unpleasant. The scenic areas noted above are more relaxing.
Third, the two areas on Whidbey that are trail-like (Coupeville and Zimmerman Road) are ones cyclists would avoid. Near Coupeville, the trail has insufficient width, unnecessary hills, many stops for cross roads and tight gates at intersections. Zimmerman road is a near disaster — dirty, with four unnecessary and unnecessarily tight gates, and used (illegally?) as an off-leash dog park. These areas probably should not be used as models for expansion of a trail system.
Meanwhile, South Whidbey recently made itself less attractive to cyclists because rough and noisy chip-seal was installed. Chip-seal shoulders accumulate debris, which creates flats, so cyclists ride on the road (instead of the safer shoulders) where over time the cars have made the surface a bit smoother.
Highways 525 and 20 are for traveling north/south in the shortest amount of time. If cyclists or other users of the trail wanted to get north/south quickly they would just drive.
Is along these highways the best place to invest money to connect north and South Whidbey? We have doubts that such a trail would have much appeal to cyclists. They would probably rather have shoulders installed on the shoulder-less scenic roads, or smoother shoulders, or some signage about sharing the road (we have seen none of these).
The price tag at $700,000 per half-mile is $60 million plus for the entire highway. Would it be used enough to justify it? Whidbey could be a cyclist’s dream, and a boon to business. It is well situated for cyclists, because of another feature: Drivers are awesome, friendly and careful.
DANIEL & VICKY GRAYBILL
Langley
