Why does the trail have to be so wide? I’ve seen bike trails in other places that aren’t so wide, and they work just fine.

The STO Trail is not just a bike path. It’s intended to be used by various different types of users going in both directions. The widely accepted design standard for shared-use paths of this kind calls for a minimum width of 10 feet, with greater width in areas expected to see particularly heavy use; trail width can be dropped to 8 feet for short distances where physical constraints exist or where use is expected to be light.

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1. Frequently Asked Questions
2. What is the Sound to Olympics Trail? Where will it go on Bainbridge?
3. Who is the trail intended for? Won’t it mainly serve people who live off the island?
4. Why does the trail have to be so wide? I’ve seen bike trails in other places that aren’t so wide, and they work just fine.
5. I’ve heard that the trail is so wide because it’s funded with grant money from the federal government. Is that correct?
6. Why would we want to build a trail next to the highway?
7. I saw what happened with the first section of the trail, and I’m worried about impacts to the trees along the highway. Won’t building the trail change the character of the highway corridor?
8. Why would the City spend money on the STO Trail when we have other more pressing needs to address safety for walking and biking on the island?
9. How can we justify spending so much money on the trail when so few people are using it?
10. Why do we need a separated trail along the highway when we already have decent shoulders along most of the highway where people can ride?