Imagine enjoying a bike and walking trail that begins at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, follows Cedar Creek through Sherwood and extends to the Grahams Oak Nature area along the Willamette River in Wilsonville. Trail planners also envision additional trail spurs that will connect the commuter rail Westside Express Service (WES) stations in Wilsonville and Tualatin with neighborhoods, town centers, and regional open space destinations. County and city planners from these jurisdictions are collaborating with Metro and consultants from CH2M Hill and Alta Planning to make the vision of a regionally, significant non-motorized trail through our area a reality.

Planning efforts began in earnest with a feasibility study that determined several alternative routes for the Tonquin Trail to follow. The cities of Wilsonville, Sherwood, and Tualatin along with Washington County and Clackamas County are now finalizing the alignment and developing the master planning document.

One of Sherwood’s segments will directly connect some of our region’s most prominent natural features within our local neighborhood community. The recently completed Cedar Creek Feasibility Study (September 2009) provides an outline for this portion of the trail. Primarily a vegetated corridor and wetland area, this segment will begin at Stella Olsen Park and follow near the Cedar Creek bed itself. Plans also include a bicycle and pedestrian access way across 99W that will provide a safe passage for the user and help link Sherwood together.

On December 15, Metro Council awarded the City $ 5.1 million in regional flexible funds for design and construction of the Cedar Creek Greenway Trail for 2014-2015. Metro manages the regional flexible fund program whereby the Metro Council and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation select transportation programs and projects for federal flexible funds. Regional flexible funds come from two different federal grant programs: the Surface Transportation Program and the Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality Program. The regional flexible fund allocation process identifies which projects in the Regional Transportation Plan will receive funding. Regional flexible funds are allocated every two years.

The Master Planning process began in July of 2009 with the final plan to be completed in the summer of 2012. Many opportunities exist for public input and comment along the way including mailers, open houses and online information and surveys.

For more information, please contact Michelle Miller AICP, Associate Planner, (503) 625-4242 or via email: millerm@sherwoodoregon.gov