Greenway hopes Naches Trail is start of something bigger

NACHES, Wash. -- Now that Naches has built more than a mile of paved trail near its historic depot, community leaders are spearheading a fundraising campaign to link the trail to the Yakima Greenway.

"Yeah, I do believe it will happen," said Naches town administrator Jeff Ranger about the nearly 11-mile project. "People will give to something that works, and this works. This is a project that benefits more than the town."

The Yakima Greenway Foundation is launching its "Fund-a-Foot" campaign on Tuesday. Members plan to visit service clubs and pay for newspaper, radio and television ads this summer to spread word of the project.

Earlier this spring, Yakima Greenway Executive Director Al Brown estimated the entire project would cost $4 million.

For every $300,000 raised, one mile of pathway will be added to the length of the Yakima Greenway. The goal is to eventually link the Greenway at 40th Avenue and Fruitvale Boulevard with the trail ending near Allan Road in Naches.

Once this occurs, Greenway officials contend people will use the expanded trail to exercise and commute. More businesses will be attracted to the area, and tourism will increase in the community.

Donna Smith of Yakima, an avid bicyclist and former world-champion sprinter, said the expansion makes sense. Naches is already a popular attraction for cyclists, and having the trail may relieve some of the pressure on the roadways, she said.

"I already ride the Greenway a lot. I use it for my casual days," the 52-year-old said. "Sometimes I don't want to go out and deal with cars. I just want to go on the Greenway and ride it."

Each foot of the trail is estimated to cost $50 -- a contribution many people can afford, said Jeff Brantner, deputy director of the Greenway.

"Naches has done its first mile. People see that. The momentum is there," he said. "The more feet you fund, the faster the project will be done."

Brantner said the board is in the process of securing financing for another 2.4 miles. Negotiations are also under way to obtain needed materials from a nearby road-removal project.

The Greenway already links Union Gap, Selah and Yakima. The new expansion would more than double the length of the Greenway and connect to the other towns through the old railway line.

Yakima County rail banked the line in 2004, which allows the rails to be converted to trails. The railroad ties now there are being removed.

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 509-577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com

If you go...

WHAT: Ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the second phase of the Naches Trail project. It cost $375,000, and includes a lighted picnic area and more than a mile of trail between the Naches Depot and Allan Road.

WHEN: Noon on Tuesday

WHERE: Naches Depot on the corner of South Naches Road and East Second Street

INFORMATION: Naches Town Hall, 509-653-2647

Fund-a-Foot

WHAT: Through the "Fund-a-Foot" campaign, people are asked to donate at least $50 toward the Greenway trail expansion.

WHO: The grass-roots effort is being championed by the Yakima Greenway Foundation, a nonprofit organization that does not receive tax dollars.

INFORMATION: www.yakimagreenway.org/nachesR2T or call the Greenway Office at 509-453-8280