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Orting resident urges cheaper, safer trail routing in main city park
Summary
During public comment Benjamin Ramirez urged the council to reroute a proposed park trail away from Washington Street to a quieter street, add painted bicycle lanes and zigzag patterns to slow cyclists, and avoid costly demolition of historic bricks and park features.
Benjamin Ramirez addressed the Orting City Council during public comment on Jan. 28 about the city’s parks master plan, focusing on the proposed trail alignment through the main city park.
Ramirez said he reviewed the master plan materials and concluded the plan’s proposed trail routing to Washington Street would create safety conflicts between cyclists and children. He urged council to consider an alternative alignment across Van Schaoyuk (transcribed with spelling variants) that he said would be quieter and safer for pedestrians. Ramirez also recommended low‑cost traffic‑calming measures such as painted bike lanes and zigzag patterns at key points to slow cyclists and suggested removing nearby parallel parking to create a new trail corridor without demolishing historic bricks or part of the basketball court.
Ramirez told council he had prepared a PowerPoint with alternatives and emailed it to staff; he offered to answer questions. The clerk noted the presentation was received and the planner/staff agreed to follow up on specific map questions (for example, which street will serve the park entrance and parking access).
Why it matters: Ramirez framed his comments around pedestrian safety and potential cost savings by avoiding more extensive park reconstruction. Councilors acknowledged the suggestions and staff agreed to follow up with specific mapping and design clarifications.
What’s next: Staff said they would follow up with Ramirez on the park entrance and parking questions and will consider his routing and traffic‑calming suggestions as the parks design proceeds.
