Pleasanton Moves Toward Closing Iron Horse Trail Gap

The City of Pleasanton moved a step closer to closing the 1.6-mile gap in the Iron Horse Trail after completing a public workshop Feb. 10 to discuss the project’s feasibility study and master plan.

The workshop, a joint meeting with the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission and the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Trails Committee, was well attended by local residents, advocates for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as other representatives from regional agencies.

"It’s been a long haul, but we’ve got the project ready," said Jim Townsend, trails development program manager for the East Bay Regional Park District. "Working with residents, business leaders and our talented team of design professionals ... we’ve developed a plan that improves access  and connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians, preserves and improves ... existing recreational facilities and closes the last gap in the Iron Horse Trail."

The Iron Horse Trail, historically significant because it runs along the former Southern Pacific Railroad corridor, is a 28-mile continuous path from Concord to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station and is operated and maintained by the East Bay Regional Park District.

Another 3.25 miles of the trail was developed in 2007 stretching from Santa Rita Road to the Livermore border.

The master plan, presented at Thursday's workshop, sets the guidelines and proposed alignment for the remaining 1.6 miles between Dublin/Pleasanton BART station to Santa Rita Road.

This proposed path crosses five streets, two creeks and runs along two parks. It cuts through the Hacienda Business Park, and several housing developments, finally connecting with the existing trail on Santa Rita Road.

Most of the project's funding, $2 million, will come from a federal grant the park district received last fall. Another $1.5 million will come from bond money, Measure WW.

Councilmembers commended park district officials for being able secure the federal grant, called TIGER II, stating that it is one of the most difficult to receive.

But the grant also puts a faster timeline on the project.

Most of the workshop attendees expressed their support for closing the gap, especially cycling advocates and those who say the trail will promote a healthier lifestyle by encouraging residents to walk and bike. 

Others, however, brought up concerns with the proposed alignment. Residents who live near the trail are concerned with the impacts it will have on the area.

"Everyone recognizes that this is a very positive thing for Pleasanton, but we do want to find a way to mitigate some of these impacts," Stan Kataoka, president of the homeowners association for Valencia at Hacienda Homes, told councilmembers.

For example, a basketball court and a tennis court currently located at the Hacienda Linear Park would need to be moved to Owens Plaza Park.

Townsend said the master plan assures residents will have a net gain of recreational amenities.

"We’ve budgeted and secured funding for the replacement of those facilities," he said.

Townsend added that the district will continue to work with residents to address all the remaining concerns with the proposed alignment during the design phase of the project.

How the trail crosses the Santa Rita Road and Stoneridge Drive intersection was another big concern.  The proposed alignment traverses the Arroyo Mocho and would require users to cross the busy intersection twice before hitting the trail again heading towards Livermore.

Townsend said that section of the trail is constrained by surrounding facilities owned by the water agency, Zone 7. But, there's a possibility to revisit that part of the trail in the future to allow for a more direct crossing.

One of the public speakers, Greg Vischer, advocated for a 3.2-mile trail alignment that would use existing underpasses. Vischer said his "alternative" path would avoid busy intersections and improve safety for trail users.

"We’ll avoid all the problems we’re talking about," said Vischer, who encouraged the City Council to reject the plan.

In the past, residents also brought up safety concerns about the 10-inch Kinder Morgan petroleum pipeline that runs along the Iron Horse Trail.

"The majority of our 175 miles of paved regional trails follow those types of utility corridors," said Townsend. "We're very careful when we construct a project there, we locate the actual pipelines in the field ourselves so we know where all these things are."

The City Council will approve the master plan and feasibility study during it’s March 15 meeting through consent calendar. After approval, the park district will begin environmental impact studies before starting construction in spring 2012.