"Wings and Wheels" Trail Connects 52 Miles of Pathway

Renton bikers and walkers celebrated a new section of pathway today that connects the Cedar River and Lake Washington Loop trails.

More than 70 circular bronze castings, by two Seattle artists, Judith and Daniel Caldwell, dot the 2,100- foot-long path. 

The "Wings and Wheels" castings tell the story of Renton's rich aeronautical history.

"It's historical, but it's also a love of planes and a love of cycling," Caldwell said the inspiration behind the castings, which depict Boeing and aviation history in both words and images.

Caldwell painted a picture of a child's first bike ride for the crowd of more than 40 attendees at the trail's opening ceremony.

"Riding a bike is one of life's most significant passages," she said, adding that bikes and planes have a lot in common.

City Arts Commissioner Sarah Eldridge explained that the commission wanted artwork that "connects bike history with Renton history."

The pathway is officially known as the Logan Avenue North Lake Washington Trail, not the Chastain Trail, a name that will be reserved for a waterfront trail along south end of Lake Washington across the north edge of the Boeing plant — if and when that trail is ever approved from construction.

Just that fact that a trail connecting 52 miles of pathway, no matter where is was located, was enough of a victory for the dozens of bikers at the event. 

"We've been waiting for this connection (between the two parks)," said Krista Holmes of Renton, who brought her children Callie, Jackie and Parker. 

The trail was funded through a Federal safety grant and cost approximately $1 million.