Opinion ID: 2651687
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The I-90 Bicycle Trail's Origins

Text: The I-90 bicycle trail was built by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in the mid-to-late 1980s and runs from Seattle to Mercer Island across Lake Washington and to other areas in the Puget Sound. To prevent motor vehicles from entering the asphalt trail, WSDOT installed wooden posts, also called bollards, at some locations where the trail intersects city streets. In October 2002, WSDOT published an evaluation of whether the trail was a public park or recreation area for purposes of federal law. Under the provision of -2- Camicia v. HowardS. Wright Construction Co. & City ofMercer Island, 85583-8 the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 known as Section 4(f),2 the Secretary of Transportation may approve a transportation project's use of a public park or recreation area only if no reasonable alternative exists and all measures to reduce harm are taken. 49 U.S.C. § 303(c). Consideration under Section 4(f) is not required, however, when the officials having jurisdiction over the site determine that recreation is not a major purpose of the land and is only a secondary or occasional purpose. See former 23 C.F.R. § 771.135 (2002); Stewart Park & Reserve Coal., Inc. v. Slater, 352 F.3d 545, 556 (2d Cir. 2003) (quoting FED. HIGHWAY ADMIN., SECTION 4(F) POLICY PAPER (revised June 7, 1989) (Bikeways), available at http://www.dot.ca.gov/ser/voll/secl/chlfedlaw/4policy.txt). In a policy paper, the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) advised local officials that when a bikeway is primarily for transportation and is an integral part of the local transportation system, Section 4(f) does not apply. Bikeways, supra,§ 13. Applying this standard, WSDOT determined that the I -90 trail was primarily for transportation. In its discussion of the trail's history, the evaluation underscores that the trail was built as part of a multi-modal transportation facility, using federal and state highway funds. No funds designated for recreational facilities were used in constructing the path and separate accounts were used to ensure the separation of recreational and transportation funds. Clerk's Papers 2 The requirements of Section 4(f) are presently codified at 23 U.S.C. § 138 and 49 U.S.C. § 303. These requirements were originally enacted as Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 and are still commonly referred to as 'Section 4(f).' 23 C.P.R.§ 774.1. -3- Camicia v. HowardS. Wright Construction Co. & City ofMercer Island, 85583-8 (CP) at 749. Although the trail is also used by pedestrians and others, it [wa]s designed and built primarily for use by bicycles. !d. While the WSDOT recognized the path can be used for recreational purposes, it perceived these uses to be minimal and fairly insignificant in comparison to its transportation function. See id. Indeed, WSDOT noted the trail serves as the only means for nonmotorized access to Mercer Island and across Lake Washington and thus is an important link in the regional transportation system. !d. In accordance with these considerations, WSDOT concluded that because the trail was neither a public park nor recreation land for purposes of federal law, it was not a Section 4(f) resource. !d. The Federal Highway Administration found this determination reasonable, and concurred that-at least with respect to the portion over the Homer Hadley floating bridge-the primary use is transportation. B. Transfer of the I-90 Bicycle Trail to Mercer Island Shortly after construction, WSDOT arranged to cede ownership in the portion of the trail running over Mercer Island. In 1987, the City and WSDOT entered into the I-90 Tumback and Landscape Maintenance Agreement. CP at 508. This agreement refers to the first phase in a process whereby certain roadways and rights-of-way would be transferred from WSDOT to the City. !d. During this first phase WSDOT agreed to pay the City to maintain and landscape these transit facilities. !d. -4- Camicia v. HowardS. Wright Construction Co. & City ofMercer Island, 85583-8 In 1991, the City created a document entitled City of Mercer Island Comprehensive Park, Recreation, Open Space, Arts and Trails Plan. CP at 175. Within this document the I-90 Trail and Linear Park are described as follows: Primarily located along the north side of I-90, a multi-purpose pedestrian/bicycle regional trail will connect the East Channel and Floating bridges in 1992.... In total, there will be 8 miles of trails in the corridor. Both sides of I-90 and !ortions of the lids and overpasses will be heavily landscaped, an used as park lands. The linear park includes 90.5 acres along the freeway. The major portion of this park will buffer the Central Business District from the freeway. CP at 178 (emphasis added). On April 1, 2000, WSDOT conveyed to the City a portion of the trail, including the spot where Camicia was injured. The quitclaim deed provided: It is understood and agreed that the ... property is transferred for road/street purposes only, and no other use shall be made of said property without obtainingprior written approval of the grantor. It is also understood and agreed that the grantee, its successors or assigns, shall not revise either the right of way lines or the access control wit~out prior written approval from the grantor, its successors or assigns. CP at 624 (emphasis added). Despite this language, the City contends it understood the trail to be primarily recreational in nature. It points to a local ordinance prohibiting adult entertainment facilities near the trail while allowing such facilities near other public streets. Additionally, the city parks department maintains the I-90 Trail and Linear Park, while city streets are maintained by a separate department. -5- Camicia v. HowardS. Wright Construction Co. & City ofMercer Island, 85583-8 C. Camicia's Injury and Subsequent Proceedings At the time of Camicia's accident, Sound Transit had retained Howard S. Wright Construction Company as the general contractor for a construction project at the South Transit Mercer Island Park & Ride facility. To prevent public access during construction, the contractor installed a chain link fence around the perimeter of the site. Some of the fence footing at this site protruded onto the I-90 bicycle trail where North Mercer Way intersects 81st Avenue Southeast. The day of her accident, Camicia was bicycling along the I-90 trail as she approached this intersection. She veered left to avoid the fence footing to her right. She looked up just in time to see the wooden post, immediately hit it, and was thrown from her bike. As a result of her fall, Camicia suffered serious injuries that rendered her paralyzed. Camicia brought suit against the City and the construction company in King County Superior Court. 3 CP at 1-8. The City moved for summary judgment, asserting immunity under Washington's recreational use immunity statute, RCW 4.24.210. Under this statute, public or private landowners or others in lawful possession and control of any lands who allow the public to use them for the purposes of outdoor recreation, without charging a fee, are immune from liability for unintentional injuries to such users. RCW 4.24.210(1). 3 The claims against the construction company have been stayed by stipulation during the pendency of this appeal. -6- Camicia v. HowardS. Wright Construction Co. & City ofMercer Island, 85583-8 Camicia argued immunity does not apply because the City failed to show that (1) it owned the trail; (2) it had the legal authority to open or close its portion of the trail; and (3) immunity otherwise applied to the trail, which Camicia characterized as a regional public transportation route. CP at 303. A hearing on the motion was held before Judge Douglas McBroom. The hearing transcript reflects that the court was troubled by the City's position that any recreational use on the trail, no matter how insignificant, would immunize the City. Following the hearing on the motion, the court denied the City's motion without prejudice. The court held that issues of fact remained as to the ownership and control of the trail and whether the trail was sufficiently recreational in nature for immunity to attach. Meanwhile, the City surveyed the accident site to determine ownership. The case was transferred to Judge Laura Inveen, and the City renewed its motion for summary judgment, again asserting immunity under RCW 4.24.21 0. In support of its motion, the City submitted the quitclaim deed from WSDOT to Mercer Island, the survey, and supplemental declarations from the City Engineer Yamashita and its CR 30(b)(6) agent. The court ruled that the City had established its ownership of the accident site. It rejected Camicia's argument that the trail's function as a transportation route affected the immunity inquiry. CP at 865 (Although [the I-90 bicycle trail] is the only means of non-motorized travel across the water of Lake Washington, bicycle commuters are quite able to use Mercer Island surface roads to traverse the -7- Camicia v. HowardS. Wright Construction Co. & City ofMercer Island, 85583-8 north end of the island. Furthermore, no legal authority is offered for exempting 'regional transportation routes', nor for requiring the property to be a 'recreational facility' for immunity to apply.). The court granted summary judgment in the City's favor, and Camicia appealed. The Court of Appeals reversed, agreeing with Judge McBroom that disputed factual issues precluded summary judgment. Camicia v. HowardS. Wright Constr. Co., noted at 158 Wn. App. 1029 (2010). The court noted that the quitclaim deed expressly transferred the property to the City 'for road/street purposes only' and that any other use required the grantor's advance written approval. !d., slip op. at 11. Moreover, evidence suggested that the predecessor in interest, WSDOT, had viewed the trail as a transportation facility. See id., slip op. at 12. Because the public purpose of the trail was disputed, the court held summary judgment was improper and remanded for trial. The City petitioned for review, which we granted at 171 Wn.2d 1027, 257 P.3d 664 (2011).