Posted on Categories Land Use, Sonoma Coast, TransportationTags , , Leave a comment on Another small step in Bodega Bay trail

Another small step in Bodega Bay trail

Mary Callahan, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Work is underway on a small section of a long-awaited bike and pedestrian trail designed to extend along 3½ miles of Bodega Bay coastline, part of it built on an elevated boardwalk at the harbor’s edge.

A crew began last week to clear brush and mark the route of the new half-mile segment toward the northern end of this seaside village, running roughly parallel to Highway 1 between the Bodega Bay Community Center and the entrance road to the state-run Bodega Dunes Campground.

But while a step in the right direction, the estimated $533,000 trail to be laid this fall is just that: a single step in what could still be a prolonged campaign to turn the complete multiuse trail plan into reality, thanks to cost, necessary engineering and environmental hurdles.

Of particular complexity is the milelong boardwalk section designed to skirt the commercial center of town along the harbor tidelands, an environmentally sensitive, seismically demanding stretch of land that also raises residential privacy and commercial right-of-way concerns, Sonoma County Regional Parks personnel said.

That phase, estimated to cost about $2.4 million for construction alone, “is at least 10 years out, because there’s no funding right now,” senior park planner Mark Cleveland said.

Read more via Another small step in Bodega Bay trail | The Press Democrat.

Posted on Categories TransportationTags , Leave a comment on Close to Home: Building bridges in Santa Rosa

Close to Home: Building bridges in Santa Rosa

Gary Helfrich and Janis Watkins

Quietly, without fanfare or fireworks, a land-use issue was resolved this past month in Santa Rosa.

You probably didn’t hear about it because it didn’t involve protests or lawsuits or contentious hearings before the City Council. It was settled with reasonable discussions among sensible adults looking to find a solution that would work for both sides and, more importantly, for all residents of Santa Rosa.

We want to share that good news.

At issue is the community connector bridge across Highway 101, a project that has been planned for several years to provide a safe way for people to cross the freeway without using their cars. The bridge would create a new connection between Santa Rosa’s east and west sides, between Santa Rosa Junior College and Coddingtown, between northeast Santa Rosa and the SMART train station in the northwest on Guerneville Road.

via Close to Home: Building bridges in Santa Rosa | The Press Democrat.