Renton has started the design phase for a multi-use trail alongside a section Sunset Boulevard to improve pedestrian connectivity.

Sunset Trail will be a 12-foot-wide multi-use trail on the north side of Sunset Boulevard that runs from NE 10th St. to Edmonds Avenue NE, along with a landscaping strip to provide protection from vehicles.

Project manager Hebe Bernardo said the project will also include illumination and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) improvements on the intersections.

Bernardo said the overall purpose of the project is to increase non-vehicle transportation and improve pedestrian connectivity and accessibility in the area.

The Sunset Trail is a part of a larger project, the Sunset Boulevard Improvement Project, which was started in 2014 to improve the neighborhood around Sunset Boulevard, Bernardo said.

“This is just a segment of the Sunset Boulevard Improvement Project,” Bernardo said. “The goal for the Sunset Trail project would be that it provides a link between these new housing developments that are being constructed and the library and the park.”

Bernardo said they just started design and don’t expect construction to begin on the project until 2027.

At the March 3 Renton City Council meeting, the council approved the professional services agreement with Perteet Inc., encompassing engineering design, right-of-way design and property acquisition, and construction acquisition services with a maximum allowed payment of $1,243,483. The current budget for the design and right-of-way of the project is $1,773,629, being funded by a Puget Sound Regional Council Grant and city funds.