The City of Tacoma hosted a public ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning to mark a recently opened segment of the Pipeline Trail near East 48th and R streets in the Salishan neighborhood.

According to city officials, this half-mile segment will anchor a larger active transportation network that is expected to facilitate more bicycle and pedestrian activity, and serves as an important link in a larger plan that aims to connect the Foothills to the Tacoma Dome and, ultimately, Point Defiance. The idea for the project began in 2006, when the City of Tacoma, Metro Parks and Pierce County funded a feasibility study for a 16.5-mile trail from the Orting Foothills to the Tacoma Dome Station.

Representatives from the Salishan community and the City of Tacoma’s partner organizations, including Metro Parks, Pierce County, Tacoma Housing Authority, and the Tacoma School District attended the ceremony Thursday.