Capitol Campus, where access has been limited since January, reopened to pedestrians
Washington State’s Capitol Campus, a large portion of which has been fenced off and inaccessible to the public since the legislative session began on Jan. 11, reopened to pedestrian access on Thursday morning.
While the fences remain, gates will now be open at each crosswalk along Cherry Lane and at the top of the switchback trail that leads down to Capitol Lake, the state Department of Enterprise Services (DES) announced in an email on Thursday.
Cherry Lane is the road that divides the Legislative and state Supreme Court buildings from the rest of the sprawling greenery of the campus. Until Thursday it was also the line of demarcation for the “restricted area” that was off-limits to anyone without credentialed access.
The gates will be open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., but only to pedestrians, not cars, according to DES.
Since January, Washington State Patrol troopers have been stationed around the campus, including along roads that lead to the restricted area. They will remain, along with DES’s own security guards, according to the announcement.
It’s not clear how long the fences will remain up. According to DES, the pedestrian access is “subject to change based on the security environment.”
State lawmakers reacted to the news on Thursday.
“I’m glad to see it and I will urge DES and the Chief Clerk of the House to open more of the Capitol at an accelerated rate,” wrote Rep. JT Wilcox (R-Yelm) in an emailed statement.
Others went further, calling for full access to the Legislative buildings.
“It’s a step toward restoring access to the Democratic process in Olympia, but it’s only a baby step since Washingtonians still won’t be able to observe floor action in person or meet face to face with their legislators,” said Sen. John Braun (R-Centralia).
Republican legislative leaders sent a letter in February asking Gov. Jay Inslee to take down fencing around the Legislative Building and work on a long-term security plan. Democratic leaders said they deferred to security experts such as the WSP on that call.
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 11:31 AM with the headline "Capitol Campus, where access has been limited since January, reopened to pedestrians."
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