The deal for a new King County trail on the Eastside looks better all the time. County Executive Ron Sims' promise to preserve the current rail corridor for future transit use adds to the bold plan's attractiveness.

The County Council and the Port of Seattle Commission still must agree to the complex proposal, which includes the county handing over King County's Boeing Field to the port and the port purchasing the Eastside rail line for the county to preserve. The lightly used line is owned by BNSF Railway, which says it would otherwise sell the corridor for development.

The council and the commission want to ask hard questions about removing rail. That's appropriate. But a study chaired by County Councilwoman Julia Patterson favored a multiuse trail for now, with some areas candidates for joint trail and rail use. And there's little room for fretting over whether, at some point, the proposed deal's transfer of the county airport to the port might lead to commercial flights, and their noise. Given costs, immediate rail service is less the issue than whether a transit line could be built there at some point. A trail would protect the corridor from development, preserve rail as an option, provide healthy recreation and offer a chance to assess biking's lower-cost, emission-free contributions to Eastside transportation.

For bicycle commuting, this could be a case of build it and they will come, but at much less cost than rail. Runaway skepticism, obsession with immediately putting rail everywhere or fear of future airport noise hinder good decisions.

Soundoff (Read 33 comments)
Tell us what's on your mind.

Should the BNSF's line on the Eastside become a trail?
17.0% Yes	33.0% Yes, as long as it is preserved for rail and transit in the future
2.5% Yes, but not under the proposed deal between King County, the Port of Seattle and BNSF Railway	6.4% No
38.7% No, it should be bought as a rail line, mainly for transit	1.8% No, let it be sold for development
0.7% Other, not sure or don't care
Total Votes: 282