Hundreds submit names for new Lake Union loop

Ask Seattle-area residents to name a new trail and you'll get hundreds of responses — some sweet, some snarky, some practical and more than a few just plain silly.

The proposed 6.2-mile pathway around Lake Union would stitch together existing segments of trail to give joggers, walkers and recreational cyclists a calm space close to the shoreline.

More than 500 people suggested names to the Department of Parks and Recreation by the Feb. 18 deadline. Mayor Greg Nickels is to pick the winner sometime in March.

Many included comments as to why their name should win.

"Lake U Loop," suggested one contributor, who said that name is "fun to say. Short, sweet, to the point, unpretentious like Seattle-ites."

"Tenas Chuck," the Duwamish Tribe's original name for Lake Union, was suggested by many, for a variety of reasons.

"Accurate. Honors cultural history. Will fit on a sign," wrote one contributor.

Said another: "Why not honor the past? There are enough areas named after rich, white man already so please don't go that route."

Another suggested calling it the Mike Holmgren Trail, because "the Seahawks were a terrible team" before Holmgren came along and "he has shown us that people of high character can be successful."

A few suggested naming it after other local personalities or historic figures, from J.P. Patches and Paul Allen to Thomas Mercer and Chief Sealth.

Some couldn't resist predictable acronyms — SLUT, for South Lake Union Trail, came up repeatedly. Lake Union Sidewalk Trail — LUST — was also mentioned, as was Shoreline Multi-Use Trail (SMUT).

One noted that SLUT would pair well with the South Lake Union trolley, which has already been embraced by locals as the SLUT.

LUI, for Lake Union Interconnection, got one person's vote. " 'Louie Louie' is the Washington State song. It's short, catchy, and user-friendly. And hey, it's not sexual like the SLUT train."

Yellow Brick Road was suggested by upward of a dozen people.

One person who sent in that name had considered all the angles:

"It begins and ends at Gas Works, with a stunning view of the Seattle 'Emerald City' skyline, and is a currently unused tie-in to the city's nickname. It has a built-in marketing slogan ('Follow the Yellow Brick Road') and family- and kid-friendly design theme — not to mention that the Frank Baum 'Oz' books and the original illustrations are all now public domain and free of copyright issues."

Another suggestion was less high-minded: Pass Gas Path.

"The path name pairs up with Gas Works Park and is easy to remember," that person wrote.

"I was surprised we got as many as we did because we didn't have a budget for advertising," said Paula Hoff of the parks department. "We think it's great. The more suggestions the better."

Hoff and two citizens on a parks-naming committee will winnow the suggestions to their 10 favorites, then send three final names to Nickels, who will select the winner. The winner will receive a bike from REI.

Hoff said the city hasn't considered yet how to resolve a tie if a name that many people suggested is picked.

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com

Seattle Times staff reporter Bob Young contributed to this story.