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The Riverview Trail Improvement Project (rTrip) is committed to linking neighborhoods of South West Seattle through a dedicated greenway trail, and revitalizing the largest contiguous greenbelt in the city of Seattle, the West Duwamish Greenbelt.

The Master Plan and Feasibility Study for the Riverview Trail have been funded in part by the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and by King County.

The West Duwamish Greenbelt reforestation project has been funded in part by the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Washington Department of Natural Resources and the USDA Forest Service through the Natural Resource Stewardship Network.

Seattle Parks and Recreation has selected the West Seattle Greenbelt as one of the "Green Seattle" partnership sites.
history
                                April 2006 EarthCorps has chosen the West Duwamish Greenbelt as the location for their 2006 Earth Day Event.
                                January 2006 EarthCorps events continue into 2006.

rTrip began working with the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail core team on the "Dells and Ridges - East meets West" project. The National Park Service’s Rivers and Trails program has awarded DNDA a technical grant to come up with a concept plan for Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail and Riverview Trail connections. Partners include:
vFeet First • DNDA • Neighorhood House • Seattle Housing Authority
Seattle Public Utilities • Seattle Parks & Recreation
Rivers & Trails, National Park Service (received technical grant for 2006) •
Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail Steering Committee • Longfellow Creek Watershed Council •
rTrip (Riverview Trail Improvement Project) • Megawatt •
Schools:  Highpoint Elementary - Sanislo - Cooper Elementary - Sealth High School •
Cascade Bicycle Club • King County Metro Transit
 
                               2004 - 2005
 After the successful West Duwamish Environmental Summit in 2004, and a series of fifteen volunteer events that began significant forest restoration at the north end of the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle Parks selected the West Duwamish Greenbelt as one of the Green Seattle Partnership sites starting in 2005. The Green Seattle Partnership is a partnership with the City of Seattle (SPU and Seattle Parks) and Cascade Land Conservancy to raise public awareness and attract increased financial and volunteer resources. The goal of the partnership is to remove ivy, replant and restore the most at risk 2500 acres of Seattle's public forests. Senior Forester, Mark Mead, chose this site and ten others due to current efforts, the support of the community and the significance of the West Duwamish Greenbelt to the city's forests.

Resources were allocated in 2005 for EarthCorps to lead nine volunteer events in the West Duwamish Greenbelt including one large event on June 3, 2005 with Deloitte Touche, which included 250 people. The other eight events focused on drawing on the local community, including a collaborative event with the Nature Consortium and South Seattle Community College faculty and students.

  In 2004 through 2005, rTrip was involved with the Nature Consortium and the Soundway Preservation Group, a community effort to preserve the seven acres in the Greenbelt known as Soundway West. The Soundway group is preparing to sign an agreement with the City Council, Mayor, and Seattle Parks to preserve the property as greenspace.
                                April 2004

rTrip hosted the West Duwamish Environmental Summit at South Seattle Community College, a forum to gather together community members and organizations interested in the environmental and historical issues regarding the West Duwamish Greenbelt and surrounding watershed. Participants included:

Duwamish River Clean-up Coalition • The Duwamish Tribal Council •
Seattle Chinese Gardens • South Seattle Community College • Seattle
Parks Urban Forester • Seattle Parks Trail Coordinator • Natural
Resources Stewardship Network (NRSN) • EarthCorps • Washington Native
Plant Society • Clear the Air • Community Coalition for Environmental
Justice • Seattle Audubon Society • The Nature Consortium • Save the
Soundway Greenspace • Urban Wilderness Project • Department of Ecology •
Port of Seattle • People for Puget Sound

                                January 2004
 Awarded a $23,000 King County Natural Resource Stewardship Network grant for reforestation of 20+ acres in the West Duwamish Greenbelt adjacent to the South Seattle Community College campus, in partnership with Earthcorps.
                                October 2003 Enlisted Earthcorps to work with us in exploring the possibility of a wilderness trail through the sensitive areas of the Greenbelt, and to assist with restoration work.
                                Summer 2003 Preliminary Feasibility Study shows that a dedicated trail to AASHTO standards through Area A (the northern-most leg of the trail through the Greenbelt) would be undesirable due to impacts on sensitive areas.
                                Fall 2002 -                                 Summer 2003 Coordinate Feasibility Study progress through City of Seattle Interdepartmental Disciplinary Team (IDT) meetings and Community Meetings.
                                Summer 2002  Receive $10,000 grant from King County as additional funding for the Feasibility Study.
                                July 2002  Receive a second $10,000 matching grant from the Department of Neighborhoods to develop a Feasibility Study for the trail proposed in the Master Plan including slopes, property ownership and other issues.
                                June 2002 
 rTrip included in City of Seattle Interdepartmental Disciplinary Team (IDT).
                                April 2002  State Representative Velma Veloria tours and supports Riverview Trail
                                April 2002 
 Riverview Trail made PRIORITY on Delridge Neighborhood Plan
                                December 2001 
 Submitted final Master Plan to Department of Neighborhoods.
                                August 2001 Submitted the first phase of the Master Plan, which includes design of the trail through Riverview Park up to South Seattle Community College.

                                May 2001
Community Meeting at Riverview Park

                                March 2001  
Selected Landscape Architect Dave Ringstrom of Atelier, PS to assist in the development of the
Master Plan.
                              January 2001 Received a Department of Neighborhoods $10,000 Small and Simple matching grant to produce a Master Plan for a greenway trail linking our South West Seattle neighborhood with the West Duwamish Bike Trail and the regional trail network.
                              Fall 2000 rTrip (the Riverview Trail Improvement Project) was formed.