“Interim trail use will provide a broad range of community benefits, including:… giving the downtown an economic stimulus by providing a new off-street transportation route to downtown businesses of all kinds…”
— from a resolution to create a new rail-trail in Tigard
On Tuesday, June 9th, Tigard City Council will vote on whether or not they should assume responsibility for an abandoned railroad line and convert it a non-motorized trail.
The nearly one-mile, 50-foot wide stretch of rail line is adjacent to Tigard Street and extends between Tiedeman and Main Streets (see map below/link here).
According to Duane Roberts at the City of Tigard, Portland & Western is in the process of relinquishing its rights to the line. This is a federal legal process that must be done with the oversight of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). As part of that process, “interested parties” (in this case the City of Tigard) have the opportunity to negotiate right-of-way agreements so the area can be used for public use.
