File #: 2022-0270    Version: 1
Type: Motion Status: Lapsed
File created: 7/12/2022 In control: Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee
On agenda: Final action: 2/1/2023
Enactment date: Enactment #:
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.
Sponsors: Reagan Dunn
Indexes: Natural Resources, Department of, Parks and Recreation, Trails and Paths

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 prowl activity and, for those areas, include, but not be limited to, the following:

                       1.  Identification of locations to place:

                         a.  security cameras; and

                         b.  clear, visible signage warning trail users of the high car-prowl area, providing information on whom to contact to report a crime, and stating that violators will be prosecuted;

                       2.  A plan for establishing a volunteer-based community watch program to monitor trailhead parking lots.  Through the program, volunteers would do the following and report out to the department of natural resources and parks and King County sheriff's office:

                         a.  conduct parking counts at regular intervals at the trailheads, including collecting data on length of stay; and

                         b.  monitor the trailhead parking lots for suspicious or criminal activity and record a written description or audio or video evidence of the activity;

                       3.  A plan to expand the trailhead direct program to the car-prowl prone areas; and

                       4.  An analysis of the cost to implement the trailhead safety program and expand trailhead direct access, as identified in the plan, and identification of funding sources for these costs.

                     B.  The implementation plan should be developed with the intention that the trailhead safety program be fully operational as soon as possible after transmittal of the plan to the council.

                     C.  The executive should electronically file the implementation plan no later than January 9, 2023, with the clerk of the council, who shall retain an electronic copy and

provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers, the council chief of staff and the lead staff for the transportation, economy and environment committee, or its successor.