Street Ends - Community Trails and Wildlife Habitat

"Street Ends" are places that can provide 
a unique community resource.

Section of 147th in Briacrest is a
Community Connector route

They are little places that connect neighborhoods, but as walking routes without motor vehicles.
Shoreline has a number of these places. They are "streets" that never were connected. They may show up on a map as a street, but in reality they are actually blocked to vehicles.

And usually that's the way the community likes it.

Briarcrest 147th Street End has a barrier,
but not a defined trail. It also has some
invasive weeds that need removal

There are of course many miles of trails in Shoreline Parks and the now famous Interurban Trail near Aurora Ave N. But Shoreline has a goal of providing connections between parks and neighborhood and eventually to the Burke Gilman trail.


We have explored two here, but there are many others. Other's that come to mind include the "Fremont Trail" in Highland Terrace off of N 160th.  And in Echo Lake Neighborhood is the 195th St Trail Design. Some of these trails were cleared with the assistance of the City of Shoreline. Some have been maintained by citizens and neighborhoods. Some have received mini-grants from the City for neighborhood groups to adopt-a-street-end. The 2006 Parks Bond included a Trail Corridor Study Project which produced a report.
http://www.cityofshoreline.com/index.aspx?page=160


Another Street End that neighbors have improved is on N 198th in Hillwood Neighborhood. The Hillwood Neighborhood Association got a mini-grant to remove invasives and improve the native plantings there.

Hillwood Trail

These walkways can provide an alternative to busy traffic streets with no sidewalks and make a fun community project. If your neighborhood wants to explore such a project, check with the City Public Works and Parks Department and then find out about the Neighborhood Mini-grant or Environmental Mini-grant program to find out about possible funding for your idea.