Inspired by Ice Age floods that scoured the landscape, the Tonquin Trail moves towards the future this summer as Metro and its partners finalize the blueprint for a signature pathway that will connect Tualatin, Sherwood and Wilsonville.
A master plan for the 22-mile trail will be adopted later this year, but you can get a sneak preview at a May 23 open house. Metro Councilor Carl Hosticka, who represents the southwest part of the region, predicts people will like what they see: a trail that links vibrant neighborhoods, schools, parks and business hubs, providing ways to enjoy nature, exercise and commute – weaving together many of the region’s aspirations.
"It brings all the kind of things we're trying to accomplish into play," Hosticka said. "It's the whole package."
Tonquin Trail open house
5 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 23
Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue
12400 SW Tonquin Road, Sherwood
See how your neighborhood connects to the Tonquin, check out the look and feel of the trail and offer feedback. There will also be snacks, children’s activities and an opportunity to get involved with planning the Westside Trail, which will someday meet up with the Tonquin.
For a trail map and more information, visit www.oregonmetro.gov/tonquintrail.
Shaped like a pitchfork, the Tonquin will stretch northward from the Willamette River past the Washington-Clackamas county line, with three prongs extending toward the Tualatin River. Walkers, runners and cyclists will traverse unique geologic formations such as kolk ponds and channels, basalt hummocks and knolls, left behind by floods that swept through the Willamette Valley between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago.
A trail has been envisioned for a long time, but making it reality doesn’t come quickly or easily. In partnership with the three cities and two counties along the route, Metro launched the planning process three years ago. A steering committee helped analyze options for the route and design, and reach agreements about who would operate and maintain sections of the trail. More than 1,000 residents weighed in online, at open houses or at community festivals.
At the open house this month, visitors will have an opportunity to see how their neighborhood connects with the trail and check out the proposed design. They can also provide feedback about the design before the master plan is finalized and forwarded to regional, city and county elected officials in a few months.
Meanwhile, people are already enjoying small sections of the trail at Stella Olsen Park in Sherwood, Tualatin Community Park and Metro’s Graham Oaks Nature Park in Wilsonville. These snippets offer a taste of what's to come, said Al Levit, a Wilsonville planning commissioner and member of the Tonquin steering committee.
"It’s a great opportunity for people to get out and walk and bicycle and jog," said Levit, an avid cyclist. "When the trail is complete, it will be an even better opportunity for people to not only commute to work, but to increase the length of their rides and walks – and maybe even connect up with other trails in the area. It’s a key link in the regional system."
The rest of the trail will be built piece by piece as resources are identified. First up: Sherwood's portion, known as the Cedar Creek Greenway. The Metro Council recently set aside $5.1 million in federal transportation funds to plan, design and build this 1.5-mile section, and Sherwood residents will have an opportunity to help fine-tune the route and design in the coming year.
"I hope it’s a little woodsy, which I think it will be – especially our part, going down through Cedar Creek," said Brian Stecher, Sherwood’s citizen representative to the steering committee. "The other thing is, it will connect the community. Sherwood is really divided by 99W."
Trail advocates predict that the Tonquin will become popular quickly as it unfolds on the ground. It's exciting to envision a walk or ride on the completed trail, said Carl Switzer, Tualatin's parks and recreation manager and a member of the steering committee.
"People in Tualatin love their parks and trails," Switzer said. "I imagine the entire length of the trail will be swarmed with joggers, dog walkers, fitness clubs, stroller pushers – you name it."