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Shelton pursues Crosstown Trail design; rail removal deferred until funding available
Summary
Public Works reported progress on a Crosstown Trail concept and two grants for trail design. City staff said the cost to remove old rails exceeded expected revenue from recycling, so rail removal will not proceed now. Design work for the trail corridor is planned using two awarded grants totaling approximately $475,000 for design work.
Shelton staff updated the City Council on July 22 about the Crosstown Trail planning and rail‑removal work and said design work will proceed where grant funds are available while full rail removal is deferred pending additional funding.
Staff said initial estimates for removing rail tracks rose substantially during project development; the city’s estimate to remove rails was about $450,000 while anticipated revenue from recycling the rails would have been far lower. Because projected recycling income would not cover costs, staff said the city will not proceed with full rail removal now.
However, staff said the city secured grant funds to design trail segments and has a scope in place with on‑call contractor Keller Associates. Staff identified two grants—one for about $199,920 and another for about $275,000—and said they plan to combine both grants and complete design of the entire corridor from Wall Street to Highway 101 and the marina. Staff expected the design kickoff in the next month and said work orders for design will come to council when appropriate.
Why it matters: staff and the Parks Advisory Board said the trail would connect parks, the park‑and‑ride, schools and downtown, improve safe pedestrian and bicycle access, support tourism and local business, and form a spine for broader pedestrian network improvements.
Design features and constraints: staff said desirable amenities include a 12‑foot paved path separated from traffic, lighting, benches, trash cans, public art and interpretive signage. The design will include protected crossings at busy streets and preserve historic railroad crossing signs and flashing elements for interpretation. Staff cautioned that permitting and certain sections—wetlands near the pear orchard and creek crossings—are more complex and will increase cost and schedule risk.
Next steps: staff plans to use the two design grants to complete the corridor design, produce reliable cost estimates and pursue further construction funding. No construction contract or rail‑removal work will be scheduled until the city identifies additional funds or alternative methods to perform rail removal.
