Growing trash, tents on Interurban Trail causing concerns

A trail stretching from Seattle to Everett normally provides miles of solitude for walkers, joggers and bicyclists, but people are now saying the Interurban Trail is being filled with trash and tents.

People KIRO 7 talked with in the Bitter Lake area said every time they come to the trail, they see new tents, with some taking up a significant amount of space.

“I would say that people have definitely changed their walking patterns along here,” Sheila Larussa said.

“Well, I walk this trail three or four times every week, and you know over the last year especially, it’s gone from just a nice, pretty green natural area to filth and trash and now there’s vehicles, people are building structures out of pallets, somebody built a garage, they’ve got a truck down there,” Michael Stevenson said.

“I’ve been emailing the city about it. It’s definitely gotten worse. It started with one tent and, you know, grew exponentially. I go actually into the cemetery and I see more people walking in there. You know people like my mom who lives close by, she would come down here because she doesn’t have to worry about traffic. She doesn’t come down here anymore and, you know, that’s very sad,” said Sheila LaRussa.

La Russa isn’t the only person who has reached out to the city. KIRO 7′s Briseida Holguin talked with several others who have done the same.

Holguin also reached out to Seattle City Light, which has utility poles along the trail. It said it was aware of the situation but also said, “City Light lacks jurisdiction over the Interurban Trail and cannot unilaterally remove people and their belongings. We are working with the City’s Unified Care team and our City partners to address the community’s concerns.”

Neighbors feel like their concerns have fallen on deaf ears.

“I don’t think this should be a place where people are living. You know it would be one thing if it were not as trashy and built up as it is, but it’s just really gotten worse over the last year,” Stevenson said.

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