Kennewick Pathways and Trails Master Plan

Since the last public open house we:

• Heard your feedback
• Defined typical trail types
• Developed a proposed trail network

Keep reading for more details!

Thank you for visiting the Kennewick Pathways and Trails Master Plan virtual open house. This is the second public open house for this project.

This plan will identify a network of trails within the City of Kennewick, connecting existing trails and proposing new ones to provide a higher level of accessibility and connectivity. The project team is collaborating with the public and with public and private entities, organizations, and agencies to identify opportunities for trail locations.

The focus of this project is off-street pathways, both paved and unpaved, which are accessible to a mix of user types. The focus is on people walking, biking, and using other mobility and micromobility devices. Trails give people options for walking and biking for transportation or recreation, supporting health, livability, connectivity, and economic opportunities for the local community.

For the purpose of this project, trails are generally not parallel to roadways unless they are closing a critical gap to access a destination or corridor of interest.

The following vision statement serves as a high-level guiding principal in the City of Kennewick’s trail planning and implementation efforts:

To create a vibrant, inclusive, and interconnected network of pathways and trails that promote active lifestyles, enable active transportation, enhance community well-being, foster sustainable connections between urban and park spaces, and provide access to all community members, developed in collaboration with partners across the Tri-Cities Region for long-lasting impact.

These goal statements guide specific activities during the development and implementation of the Trails Master Plan.

1. Promote active transportation and wellness by increasing walking, rolling, and cycling, universal accessibility, and diverse recreational opportunities for all residents and visitors of all ages and abilities.
2. Foster meaningful public involvement and equitable representation.
3. Develop a cohesive vision for an interconnected trail system that links downtown, neighborhoods, schools, and parks.
4. Coordinate with regional partners and adjacent jurisdictions to maximize the interconnectedness and navigability of local and regional trail systems.
5. Partner with public and private landowners, organizations, and agencies to leverage rights-of-way for trail development.
6. Define maintenance strategies for long-term sustainability.

This is the second of three public outreach events. There will be one more opportunity in early fall 2024. The final master plan will be adopted by City Council in November 2024.

Three trail types are proposed:

• Regional Trails - These are typically longer trails for recreation and transportation. They are designed to be wider to accommodate people walking, rolling, and biking.
• Neighborhood Trails - These tend to be shorter segments and provide connections to the regional trail system and local destinations.
• Unpaved Trails - These tend to be on the edges of town, parallel to other proposed trails, and/or through environmentally sensitive areas.

The map below shows the proposed trail network.