Work begins on new leg of SLO biking and walking trail over Hwy. 101, railroad tracks
A long-awaited extension of the Railroad Safety Trail connecting downtown to Cal Poly is now under construction off California Boulevard, and it includes two crossings — over both Highway 101 and the train tracks.
The newest 0.4-mile section will extend from Taft Street to Pepper Street and is part of the city’s effort to encourage alternative forms of transportation. It is one of the “most challenging links” of the trail, City Manager Derek Johnson said in a YouTube virtual groundbreaking address.
When finished, the 4-mile cross-town trail will provide bicyclists and pedestrians access from Orcutt Road to Cal Poly. The pathway has been “a top priority for many of our bicycle and pedestrian community members,” said SLO Public Works Director Matt Horn.
The entire project, 40% complete thus far, has been in the planning and construction stages for the past two decades.
The newest leg is expected to be completed this summer and will cost an estimated $5.2 million.
Part of the section will be positioned behind the California Highway Patrol offices and then extend to a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge crossing the Union Pacific tracks and connecting Phillips Lane and Pepper Street.
The portion of the project passing over the freeway will be integrated into the California Boulevard crossing and will include a railing system to protect walkers and cyclists from nearby vehicles. Traffic lanes will be narrowed, and car speed will be slowed, to allow for the path. Two-thirds of the 15-foot-wide path will be for cyclists, while the other third will be for pedestrians, according to Horn.
“The project provides safer access for bicyclists and pedestrians while reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Mayor Heidi Harmon in the YouTube video. “As a car-free bike rider myself, I’m pretty excited.”
SLO safety trail includes multi-agency partnerships
The trail extension, being built by Souza Construction, is a partnership between Cal Poly, Caltrans and Union Pacific Railroad, as well as the city.
“There was a lot of energy, effort and creativity that went into this,” former Public Works Director Daryl Grigsby said in the YouTube groundbreaking. “This project will be around for generations to enjoy.”
Funding comes from multiple sources.
In 2015, the city applied for a Caltrans Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant for the project and was awarded $3.24 million.
The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) contributed $250,000, and the city’s Local Revenue Measure, a sales tax for public infrastructure and services, helped pay for the work as well, Horn said.
“Over the past five years, the project progressed with planning, design, environmental review, permitting and right-of-way acquisition to the current ‘shovel-ready’ stage,” the city noted in a news release.
In the video, Cal Poly President Jeff Armstrong said the existing stretch of the trail is used by about 1,000 people per day, including many university students.
SLOCOG Director Pete Rogers said the trail has historical significance in that it’s a connection to the 1,200-mile Juan Bautista de Anza National Trail traversed by more than 240 people in the 1770s as part of a journey to establish the first non-native settlement at San Francisco Bay.
“It’s historically and inter-regionally important,” Rogers said. “... The railroad has divided the town for years.”
Other safety trail project details
The initial work is occurring behind the CHP offices on California Boulevard and has included tree removal and clearing, Horn said, as well as installation of the bridge across the railroad tracks.
The previous phase of the Railroad Safety Trail along California Boulevard between Foothill and Taft was completed in 2009.
“The project is being constructed in phases, and different segments of the trail have been completed in 1998, 2002, 2009, 2011 and the portion of the trail that is currently being constructed,” Horn said.
The next phase of the trail will start where the current project ends on Pepper Street and bring the Railroad Safety Trail to the Amtrak Station and the Jennifer Street Bridge.
“The last portion of the trail is planned to be funded with the city 2021-23 Financial Plan and will likely be complete in 2024,” Horn said.
SLO environmental goals
The project is part of the city’s effort to reach carbon neutrality by 2035 with a target of 20% of all citywide trips occurring by bike and 18% on foot and other modes of transportation.
San Luis Obispo was recently recognized by The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy recently when it earned top scores in the small cities group of ACEEE’s Community Energy Challenge.
ACEEE examined the participating cities’ efforts to make homes and buildings more energy-efficient, to scale up the use of renewable energy, and to ensure community involvement in developing equitable use of renewable energy.
“The city ranked No. 1 amongst its peers in California and beyond,” a SLO news release noted. “As the highest scorer, the city is leading the way by setting goals to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, adopting green building standards, and working with partners to decarbonize the electric grid while making it more reliable.”
For more information about what the city is doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pursue climate action, visit www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/city-administration/sustainability/climate-action-plan.
This story was originally published January 21, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
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