Public comments are only at the opening of the meeting before the budget presentation. However, having seen what what was presented to the Park District Board (another name for the City Council), there wasn’t anything in it for the Burke-Gilman other than the status quo.

Here are the public comments I have submitted:

First, I want to extend a sincere thank you to Superintendent Michelle Finnegan for attending the 55th Anniversary of the Hike-In for the Burke-Gilman Trail at Matthews Beach. Her presence meant a lot to the community, and her informative presentation on budget process including the role of community was appreciated by estimated 1,000 who gathered to celebrate this iconic trail.

The turnout for that event reflects just how deeply our community cares about this vital corridor. To date, 240 community members have signed a petition explicitly calling on the city to fix the outstanding trail maintenance issues.

Second, I want to acknowledge the quality of the work completed over the last couple of years. However, the quantity is simply not up to the task. The current budget only provides for 1/5 to 1/4 of a mile of repairs each year. For an 8-mile stretch, that creates a 32-to-40-year gap between pavement repairs. That is not enough to keep up, and it leads to a patchwork approach that is inefficient and less effective.

Furthermore, these maintenance delays have real human consequences. Delayed maintenance due to contracts not being signed in a timely manner recently led to a crash involving one of my friends that resulted in a 911 call and a trip to the ER.

Third, I want to share information from the SDOT official counter in place on the Burke-Gilman Trail. The trail sees an average of over 750 cyclists on a typical weekday, and that number increases to 1,300 cyclists on an average weekend day. The peak this year was over 2,400! These are only cyclists as the counter does NOT register runners or walkers.

Finally, the trail is 50 years old. I am here tonight to make a direct plea to the Board to increase the budget for pavement maintenance within the current cycle. We cannot afford to wait. Furthermore, I urge you to prioritize and expand planning for these critical infrastructure repairs as you look ahead to Cycle 3.

Investing in the maintenance of our existing trails ensures they remain safe, accessible, and viable for the thousands of Seattle residents who rely on them every single day. Thank you for your time and your continued dedication to our city’s parks.

References:

https://win.newmode.net/seattleparksfoundation/increaseburkegilmantrailcapitalfunding

https://sdot.eco-counter.us/site/300062598?flowmode=2&granularity=P1M

https://www.seattle.gov/board-of-parks-and-recreation-commissioners/meeting-agendas-and-minutes/calendar?trumbaEmbed=eventid%3d157486319%26seotitle%3dBoard-of-Parks-and-Recreation-Commissioners%26view%3devent%26-childview%3d