Drafter
Clerk 07/06/2022
Title
A MOTION requesting that the executive develop an implementation plan to establish a trailhead safety program for trails owned or operated by the King County department of natural resources and parks.
Body
WHEREAS, the parks division of the King County department of natural resources and parks operates 175 miles of regional trails and 215 miles of backcountry trails, and
WHEREAS, vehicles parked in trailhead parking lots are vulnerable to break-ins by car prowlers, who take advantage of the knowledge that vehicle owners will be absent from their cars for extended periods of time, and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Patrol has stated to media sources that vehicle break-ins at trailheads in western Washington have increased in the past year, and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Patrol has further stated that these break-ins are typically more common in the summer than other months, and
WHEREAS, the Washington Trails Association provides recommendations to avoid being a victim of car prowlers, but these recommendations may not be known to all trail users, and may not thwart a determined car prowler, and
WHEREAS, King County's trailhead direct program is a pilot project co-led by the Metro transit department and the parks division of the department of natural resources and parks that seeks to ease vehicle congestion, reduce safety hazards and expand access to hiking destinations by providing a bus ride from Seattle, Bellevue and North Bend to trailheads in the Mt. Si area, and
WHEREAS, those who access trailheads via the trailhead direct program will not be victims of vehicle break-ins;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. The council requests that the executive develop an implementation plan to establish a trailhead safety program to combat vehicle break-ins at King County trailheads, especially during peak-use times of year. The implementation plan should identify the trailheads most affected by car p...

Click here for full text