Preserving Transportation Corridors for the Future: Another Look at Railroad Deeds in Washington State

The advent of recreational trails throughout the country has allowed thousands of citizens the opportunity to casually bike, hike, jog, walk, and in some cases rollerblade along miles of urban waterfront or through the pastoral rural countryside. The light clicks of shifting derailleurs or muffled taps of air-soled shoes, however, mask one of the country's most contentious property issues over the past 30 years.' The dispute has been over preserving unused railroad corridors by converting them into public recreational trails or pathways.2 In