City studies Central Way bike path tied to Peter Kirk Park upgrades; council favors preserving parking, seeks grants

Kirkland staff asked council for feedback on a proposed joint project to add a protected bike facility along Central Way between Peter Kirk Lane and Third Street while Parks removes aging poplar trees and upgrades Lee Johnson Field. Senior project engineer Euan Yang and interim capital projects manager George Masian presented three design alternatives and a no‑joint‑project option; staff emphasized the cost savings and reduced disruption of doing the transportation and park work together.

The City identified problems the project would address: aging poplars that are reaching the end of their life and whose roots have clogged field drainage, and a gap in the eastbound bike network. The proposal would remove the poplars, create a new bike facility that fills the bike network gap, replant more appropriate urban trees, and — depending on the alternative — preserve on‑street parking or shift the park boundary.

Alternatives presented to council - No joint project: Parks would remove trees and upgrade the field but no bike facility would be added (parks-only cost). Trees removed in that scenario would be mitigated by fee in lieu rather than on‑site replanting. - Alternative 1 (on‑street bikeway): Remove the…