Using the Chief Sealth Trail Safely

The Chief Sealth Trail is a non-motorized multi-use trail for walkers, bikers, rollerbladers, and joggers. To ensure the safety of all trail users please keep the following rules in mind:

All users of trails

• Show courtesy to other trail users at all times.
• Use the right side of the trail except when otherwise designated.
• Always pass on the left.
• Respect the rights of adjacent property owners.
• Keep dogs on leash (maximum length 8 feet) and remove pet feces.

Bicyclists

• Municipal Code 11.44.120, County Code and State Code. You are responsible for the safe operation of your bicycle under City, County, and State Codes.
• Yield to pedestrians.
• Give audible warning when passing pedestrians or other bicyclists.
• Ride at a safe speed. Slow down and form a single file in congested areas, when visibility is reduced, and other hazardous conditions.

Pedestrians

• Stay to the right side of the trail except when otherwise designated.
• Watch for other trail users.
• Be especially alert when running.
• Listen for audible signals and allow faster trail users (runners and bicyclists) to pass safely.
• See selected provisions of the Seattle traffic code for more information.

For more information about the Seattle Bicycle & Pedestrian Program, call (206) 684-7583 or visit www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikeprogram.htm.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes the Chief Sealth Trail unique?

• It was built almost entirely from recycled materials, such as recycled soil and crushed concrete from the Link Light Rail Project in Rainier Valley.
• Runs along the City Light utilities corridor in Southeast Seattle, rather than an abandoned railroad bed.
• Connects Beacon Hill with Rainier Valley.
• Future extensions (not currently funded) will include trail connections north to Downtown Seattle, and south to the city limits.

What’s new with Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan?

In June 2006, SDOT’s Bicycle Program kicked off the planning process for the recently released Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan. The plan’s primary objectives are to increase bicycle use and to enhance bicycle safety. The planning process included analyzing opportunities to improve on-road bicycling conditions, expanding the urban trails network, developing a wayfinding system, establishing facility design guidelines, and creating a trail maintenance and funding plan. For more information on Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan visit: www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaster.htm

How will the Chief Sealth Trail be maintained?

The City of Seattle will mow the grass along the trail similar to how the city maintained the area before the trail construction. To minimize long-term maintenance, construction crews seeded the area along the trail to maintain stability and control erosion. Drainage swales (shallow ditches) were added that maintain the flow within the existing drainage patterns that connect to the city stormwater system.

What about access to Seattle City Light’s utility corridor?

The construction of the trail has increased access along the entire corridor for maintenance and operation of Seattle City Light's towers and transmission lines. Construction was designed to include placement of crushed rock pads at the base of the towers to allow access for City Light’s heavy maintenance vehicles. This is especially important in the event of a major power outage or other emergency.

How does the trail look?

Great! The appearance of the trail varies in different neighborhoods along the 3.6 mile right-of-way. In general, the pathway curves between gently sloped and seeded hills and mounds. The asphalt paved trail is 10 feet wide, with a two foot gravel shoulder on each side. The completed trail includes pedestrian and bicycle signage and markings to clarify the multi-use trail purpose. No motorized vehicles (except City maintenance ones) are permitted within the corridor.

Since the trail is within the City Light corridor, there is limited flexibility in landscaping or other beautification options. Seattle City Light must maintain easy access to their power facilities for maintenance, repairs, and emergency access. This, combined with ease of landscape maintenance objectives, prevents planting large or medium sized vegetation. The new portions of the trail were seeded with low-growing grass and groundcover.

The excavated soils that were recycled from the light rail construction site have been used to build the trail and to create landscaping mounds along the trail corridor. To build the trail itself, the contractor used clean soils from excavated street trenches and crushed concrete crushed from excavated city streets. This means that virtually the entire trail is built with recycled materials. The height of the mounds varies at different locations. In addition to the trail meandering around and in between these mounds, much of the corridor itself is located on the hillside of Beacon Hill. This affords the design of the trail to provide a variety of grades for various levels of interest and ability. Chief Sealth Trail winds through the right of way corridor offering good transitions between hills and at-street crossings.

Stay in touch and learn more

For further information or to offer comments about the trail, please contact Communications Manager LeAnne Nelson either by telephone at 206-684-3897 or via email, at leanne.nelson@seattle.gov.