REDMOND, WA – After concluding two rounds of robust community engagement through the Routes to Rails campaign, the City of Redmond is pleased to share that the Heron Rookery Trail wayfinding project was selected to pilot from June 7 through 28. More than 400 responses were received throughout the campaign. To celebrate this pilot, a launch event will take place from 4:00 - 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 9, at the Heron Rookery Trail entrance on Bear Creek Parkway, near the intersection of 161st Avenue NE. There will be family-friendly activities and staff onsite available to answer questions about transportation projects in Redmond.
“Ensuring easy access to light rail in Redmond is vital to our future,” said Mayor Angela Birney. “Seeing the community’s excitement about being a part of this work is meaningful and demonstrates how working together results in the best outcomes for all.”
Routes to Rails is an effort funded through a Washington State Department of Commerce Climate Change grant to supplement outreach for the City’s Transportation Master Plan update. The campaign kicked off in March with a community questionnaire asking community members how they plan to travel to and from the future light rail stations. The second phase of the campaign developed pilot projects from the community feedback received in the first phase with a goal to install one pilot project by June 2023.
In addition to the Heron Rookery Trail wayfinding pilot project, two of the three other proposed pilot projects are moving forward to permanent installations. These include crossing improvements at the intersection of 166th Avenue NE and NE 79th Street in the Downtown Station area and crossing improvements and speed limit reduction on Turing Street in the Overlake Station area. Staff from the Planning and Public Works departments will be working on specific implementation steps in the coming months.
For more information, visit LetsConnectRedmond.gov/TMP or email Transportation Program Administrator LaNaya Taylor at ltaylor@redmond.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jill E. Smith, Communications Manager
jesmith@redmond.gov, 425-556-2448
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