The Importance of Transit to Parks and Trails

Outdoor destinations, including beaches, parks, natural areas, and trails, have become very popular during the pandemic. For those with cars, getting to these places is usually not too difficult.  However, for those without a vehicle, it is challenging to get anywhere outside the urban core of most cities. In this article, Gregory Scruggs writes about how King County (WA) and a number of cities and organizations are working to expand public transit service to parks and trailheads so that more people can access and enjoy the great outdoors. (To better understand how the pandemic has impacted outdoor recreation, read this article and the report it references.)     

Specifically, the article features King County's Trailhead Direct which is a pilot project co-led by King County Metro and King County Parks. This project seeks to ease vehicle congestion, reduce safety hazards, and expand access to hiking destinations along I-90. For the 2021 season, Trailhead Direct is offering service to Mt Si and Issaquah on weekends and holidays from June 5th, 2021 to September 26th, 2021. 

To learn more about this model transit to trails system and other efforts nationwide, please read the source article.