Publication Date: Friday, September 20, 2002
Work moving forward on trails
Arroyo Mocho segment opens in time for school
The city opened the chunk of the Arroyo Mocho Trail from the Alamo Canal to the Chabot Canal in time for students to ride their bikes to Hart Middle School, much to the delight of trail supporters. At Hopyard Road, trail users cross over Arroyo Mocho to its north side to access a path along Chabot Canal the short distance to West Las Positas Boulevard, where the school is located.
"As a non-vehicular transportation corridor, it's exciting," said Dick Quigley, founding member of the Trail Council of Livermore-Amador Valley. "The trails community has planted that seed and I'm excited about how it's germinating."
The City Council OK'd giving the $272,240 contract to Redgewick Construction Co. on July 16, so the paving could be completed for school opening Aug. 26. The trail will continue west on Arroyo Mocho on the Zone 7 property south of the arroyo.
"We are now finishing up mitigation discussions with the Parkside neighbors," said Jim Wolfe, director of Parks and Community Services.
The neighbors in the 61 homes backing up to Arroyo Mocho from Hopyard Road to Santa Rita Road were apprehensive about a public trail being opened behind their homes, citing possible noise and vandalism. Council directed city staff in April to work with the Parkside neighbors on a mitigation plan.
When the plans are completed, the trail will open along Arroyo Mocho and all the way to Stoneridge/Santa Rita Road and beyond, said Wolfe. At Santa Rita, it will intersect the Iron Horse Trail.
The Trail Council is planning a party to celebrate the opening of the Arroyo Mocho Trail, said Quigley and is waiting for a date from the city.
"The neat thing is that the landscape is in the public domain so there's nothing to buy," Quigley said. "The other Zone 7 arroyos are out there with opportunities that are really also exciting."
The Arroyo Mocho trail connects on the west side to the Arroyo de la Laguna trail. This trail is already paved north to Val Vista Park, which is undergoing a massive renovation.
"Once Val Vista Park is done, people will be able to access the park from the trail," said Wolfe.
The path continuing north along Alamo Canal is also being paved from Val Vista park to I-580 for pedestrian and bicycle use. The council approved a bid Aug. 20 from Grade Tech Inc. for $282,191 to improve that segment of the trail.
That trail will eventually link north Pleasanton and south Dublin under the I-580 freeway.
Funds for both projects came from the city's Capital Improvement Program and some federal funding from the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.