Citizen Activism Leads to Progress in East Palo Alto Bay Trail Closure

After a confluence of flood-prevention, rare bird nesting, and interagency communications and responsibility led to the closure of portions of the Bay Trail in East Palo Alto, residents organized to get key segments of the trail reopened.Last year, construction work to prevent floods closed a critical segment of the Bay Trail (see map) in East Palo Alto that functions as a north-south commute route as well as a community recreational resource. Without the trail connection, people biking were forced onto East Bayshore Road, a high traffic road that also had construction causing narrower-than-usual lanes and less than ideal conditions. The trail was supposed to reopen on February 3 but the contractor in charge informed the Santa Clara Valley Water District in mid-January that they would need to keep the trail closed through December 28, 2018 due to technical and liability concerns. This caused an outcry in the local community, particularly by members of East Palo Alto Neighbors, who organized several meetings with the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to discuss their concerns.JPA heard from the community loud and clear via emails, calls, and the public meeting on February 13. Over 60 people attended the meeting, representing local residents and commuters. A primary complaint was that the planning never considered the local community including people who bike and the impact of this trail closure.At the February 13 meeting, the JPA shared that Friendship Bridge is now temporarily reopened until May 2018, which enables people biking to take a longer detour on the San Francisquito Creek Trail and Embarcadero Road around the golf course and airport. However, portions of this trail are unpaved and the route adds additional time to those who are trying to travel north-south. In addition, construction barriers have been removed from East Bayshore Road and the roadway will be restriped this week, which will make for an easier ride for those biking on this road.For more information, check out Palo Alto Online's coverage here and here.Thanks to East Palo Alto Neighbors for organizing quickly and effectively, JPA, and all the other stakeholders involved in this process.Do you bike in this area? Let us know if the Friendship Bridge and East Bayshore detours work for you and what you think of the situation.