Category Archives: Bike Trail

Bike Trail, safety, Water

$150 Million For Sacramento Region Flood Control Projects

Nicole Ortega-Jewell with the Corps’ Civil Works Branch says more than $25 million will ensure the completion of levee work along the American River.

“These will actually be the last remaining sections. They’re scattered throughout the American River and actually this will complete all of the work that was authorized back in 1996 and ’99.”

The work is scheduled to be finished next year.

$69 million will go to Folsom Dam projects.

Marysville and Hamilton City levee projects will also be funded.

For the first time, money was allocated for project engineering and design work for the Natomas Levee Improvement Project.

Nearly $11 million will go to improvements in South Sacramento at Florin Creek.

From CapRadio.org >>>

 

Bike Trail, Wildlife

Estimate To Acquire Private Land, Construct Sacramento Riverfront Trail — $14.5 million

Hop on a bike at Discovery Park just north of downtown Sacramento, and it’s clear riding along the scenic banks of the American River all the way to Folsom.

Heading south along the Sacramento River? You’d better bring a map.

But after years of debates and delays, Sacramento city officials said Tuesday they have finally identified 110 pieces of private land they need to acquire in the Pocket, Greenhaven and Little Pocket neighborhoods to create a riverfront trail stretching from downtown to the city’s southern border. The city also has an estimate for how much that property acquisition and construction of the path would cost: $14.5 million.

“I believe in public access,” said Councilman Darrell Fong, who represents the Pocket and has worked to develop the riverfront plan for three years. “You can’t tell me having access on the rivers all the way to Folsom wouldn’t be an attribute for people who live here.”

This is a debate that has raged in the city’s riverfront neighborhoods for decades. The discussion was resurrected at City Hall every few years, only to be shelved when the attention turned toward the controversial task of purchasing easements along the river levee from property owners who have staked claims to the waterfront.

Even today, many homeowners are defiant of the plan, saying they would rather move than sell a part of their backyards for a riverfront trail. City officials said they may use eminent domain to acquire land from the holdouts.

“No one is selling,” said Rosie Walker, who has lived in a home backing up to the Sacramento River in the Pocket for 50 years. “I don’t want to live here with people looking down into my kitchen windows or living room. Who wants people looking into their home?”

Other neighborhood residents support the concept.

“It’s a beautiful walk along the river and then you hit those gates,” said Greenhaven resident Chris Thoma. “I realize there were a lot of reasons things were set up the way they were, but it’s odd.”

More than a dozen supporters of the plan attended a City Council hearing Tuesday night, describing a neighborhood that is eager to reclaim access to a natural amenity.

“We’re concerned that the progress has been painfully slow,” former Mayor and Councilwoman Anne Rudin told the council.

Mary de Beauvieres, a principal planner with the city’s parks department, said the city will begin contacting homeowners along the river over the next two months to determine how many are willing to sell.

For now, public riverfront access in south Sacramento is broken into clusters of fenced-off stretches and unpaved levee trails. A paved bike path runs from downtown to the Westin Sacramento on Riverside Boulevard, where it suddenly ends.

From there, cyclists, joggers and walkers are forced to maneuver into the quiet Little Pocket neighborhood or travel along Riverside Boulevard for nearly a mile before a paved riverfront trail starts up again. But that path ends again after a short stretch in Greenhaven, blocked to the public by gates and chain-link fences.

Councilman Steve Hansen, who represents the Little Pocket, said public safety is the chief concern of his constituents who live along the river. Hansen said one longtime resident was attacked on the levee behind his home.

As a result, Hansen said he wants the riverfront trail to bypass Little Pocket and instead has proposed creating a two-lane protected bike path along Riverside Boulevard from the Westin to Greenhaven.

“I know some people feel righteous about wanting this, but it has to meet the reality of the facts on the ground,” Hansen said in an interview. “We need to investigate whether there’s an alternate route that’s a better use of public resources. If we really wanted this, we should have long ago purchased those properties.”

Fong said the city would try to ease public safety concerns. He said the park would be closed at night and that the city would explore increasing patrols by park rangers.

In the meantime, city officials are confident they’ll succeed in coming up with the funding for the trail.

De Beauvieres, the city parks planner, said the California State Lands Commission administers grants for local governments building access to waterways. That money can be used only to buy property from willing sellers.

More at MercedSunStar.com >>>
Bike Trail

Folsom Hears Construction A Comin’ On Johnny Cash Trail

The city of Folsom soon will begin construction of the Johnny Cash Trail, a 2.5-mile bike trail near Folsom State Prison. A concrete bridge crossing Folsom Lake Crossing echoes design elements of the prison gates. Rendering courtesy of city of Folsom

The city of Folsom soon will begin construction of the Johnny Cash Trail, a 2.5-mile bike trail near Folsom State Prison. A concrete bridge crossing Folsom Lake Crossing echoes design elements of the prison gates. Rendering courtesy of city of Folsom

In a couple of weeks Folsom will begin construction on a new $3 million Johnny Cash Trail for bikes, which includes a bridge over the busy four-lane Folsom Lake Crossing.

The bike trail is on an easement on the western edge of Folsom State Prison, the state’s second oldest prison, and its neighbor California State Prison Sacramento.

Both facilities are directly below Folsom Lake.

The trail’s name comes from the legendary singer’s 1955 song “Folsom Prison Blues,” the January 1968 concert at the prison and the subsequent hit album “At Folsom Prison” of that same year.

The bridge over Folsom Lake Crossing is the most expensive part of the project, and it will safely carry riders over the busy traffic of Folsom Lake Crossing and East Natoma Street, which connects Granite Bay with Folsom and El Dorado Hills.

The concrete bridge is designed to reflect the look of the Gothic guard towers of Folsom State Prison’s west gate, said Robert Goss, director of parks and recreation in Folsom.

“We didn’t copy the design, but you can’t miss the connection,” he said.

The city of Folsom has 35 miles of Class 1 bike trail, which are trails for bikes only and not shared on city streets. This new segment of trail adds about 2.5 miles of Class 1 bike trail parallel with East Natoma Street and makes a connection with the city’s civic center and also with the American River Bike Trail.

More at BizJournals.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Fish, Rafting, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Eppie’s Great Race Considers Change Of Venue

Facing the very real possibility of an extremely low American River flow in July, the organizers of the 41st Eppie’s Great Race are considering using Lake Natoma for the paddle portion of the triathlon.

Eppie’s Great Race is scheduled for July 19 this year, and without substantially more rain this season, the American River may have very limited flows by race time.

The race features a 5.8-mile run and 12.5-mile cycle that usually ends with a 6.4-mile paddle down the American River.

More at BizJournals.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, safety, Water, Wildlife

Sacramento County Sued Over Parkway Events

A group that has fought to protect the American River Parkway for more than 50 years is suing Sacramento County in a bid to stop officials from allowing permits for foot races, concerts and other events that it says are harming the area and threatening the safety of parkway users.

Save the American River Association, a nonprofit group that helped create the 23-mile parkway enjoyed by an estimated 5 million people each year, filed suit in Sacramento Superior Court last week seeking an injunction against events that it says are violating parkway guidelines and state law.

“We have tried to work with the county, and for 50 years we were able to work with the county on any issue that came along with the parkway,” said Stephen Green, the association’s vice president. “We can’t do that anymore, and it’s very unfortunate.

“The county has been issuing permits for events that are totally inappropriate and are not allowed by the American River Parkway Plan, which is in state law.”

County spokesman Zeke Holst declined to comment Monday, saying the county had not yet been served with a copy of the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday.

The complaint takes aim largely at events held away from the bike trail and is not targeting longstanding community events such as Eppie’s Great Race.

Instead, it is seeking to halt the issuance of permits for some events that are being allowed on equestrian and hiking trails, and at other locations where SARA claims events have damaged parkway property and disturbed riparian areas.

“The more intensive uses include concert events, food truck events and competitive events off the bicycle trail,” the complaint states. “The more intensive uses by organized groups and special events can impede and deny access to individuals, families and small groups.”

The suit is the second SARA has filed this year against the county seeking to stop such events. The first was filed in April and was aimed at stopping a 100K “Gold Rush Run” last May from Sutter’s Mill to Sutter’s Fort that charged a $150 entry fee. That event took place with 190 runners and is scheduled to be repeated next year, although on a different course that will not use the parkway.

Ellen Moore, executive director of the Sacramento Running Association that sponsors the event, said the change was not made because of the lawsuit. She added that her group has supported the county’s efforts to allow such events to take place on the parkway.

“We want to support that and feel that different groups can co-exist,” she said.

More at SacBee.com >>>
Bike Trail, safety, Wildlife

Threatening sign, poison thwart efforts to rescue feral cats at American River

Fish and Wildlife officials want to know who’s responsible for leaving threatening messages and poison in an effort to kill cats on state property.

A woman trying to help the cats found the poison Friday night, days after someone left a a warning letter demanding she stop her rescue efforts. It happened along the banks of the American River next to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.

A big problem along the American River comes from people abandoning their cats. That’s led to a large feral population which the Department of Fish and Wildlife is trying to control humanely.

Michelle Lee admits she’s a cat lover, so when she saw large numbers of feral cats along the American River, she wanted to do something to help them. She contacted Animal Control and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and they agreed to work with her.

“Animal Control will use live capture traps, and what that allows us to do is it takes the animals out of here safely, spay or neuter them, and we often release them because after a certain period of time, they’re not adoptable,” Department of Fish and Wildlife Scientific Aide Jason Fareira said.

Lee set traps not just for the adult cats, but also kittens she believed could still be adoptable.

“What she’s doing is definitely helping the population stay at as low a number possible is what we’re after,” Fareira said.

But on Tuesday, when Lee came back to the river, she found all her traps gone, replaced with a sign that read, “All feral cats will be trapped, shot or poisoned. You like em, take em to your house. They have no place here.”

More at News10.net >>>

Bike Trail, safety

More Rangers For American River Parkway

Sacramento County has four new job postings for rangers. Chief Stan Lumsden says the four openings will make up half of the positions lost during the recent recession.

“They lost several rangers which eroded the ability to provide public safety out in the park. Now we’re hoping with the addition of these four rangers, we can enhance that safety,” says Lumsden.

Before the recession, the Sacramento Regional Parks system had 22 rangers. Today it has just 13.

Lumsden says the new rangers will increase safety and service along the parkway through a ranger stewardship program.

“I have rangers assigned to geographic areas. In other words, they more-or-less own their specific, respective pieces  of the park. I hope to enhance that program.”

The Sacramento Regional Parks system has 15,000 acres. In addition to the American River Parkway, rangers patrol other areas including Sherman Island, Hogback Island, Georgiana  Slough and the Rio Linda Bike trail.

After background checks and academy training, new rangers could be on the parkway by June.

From CapRadio.org >>>

Bike Trail, Fire

Suspect sought after fires set along American River in Sacramento

Sacramento Fire Department investigators are searching for a suspect who is believed to have started several small fires this afternoon along the American River near Highway 160.

Assistant Chief Kim Iannucci said the first crew responded about 2:40 p.m. to a fire on the north side of the river near Northgate Boulevard. Firefighters arriving at the scene reported fires on the south side of the river as well, and a second crew was dispatched to the area near Richards Boulevard, Iannucci said.

The fires were largely contained by about 4 p.m., although crews continued to mop up hot spots.

From the SacBee.com >>>
Bike Trail, safety, Wildlife

American River Parkway Rangers Propose Letting Dogs Back On Bike, Horse Trails

A new effort to protect the American River Parkway would expand where people can walk their dogs, but maintain the strict guidelines on leashes.

Park rangers will present the possible law change to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Mark Gibbons walks his dog, Charlie, on the bike path often.

“I’ve never had a problem with my dogs, nor have I seen anyone else walking their dog have a problem with bicyclists or walkers,” he said.

But he also strays off the beaten path.

“There’s some secluded areas where I can let her off the leash,” Gibbons said.

But that’s against the law, according to park rangers. Under current law, dogs aren’t allowed on the trails, because they pose a public safety risk, by running  into, or even biting, cyclists.

“There have been times where dogs have been on the bike trail, and I’ve had to brake and swerve out of the way,” said cyclist Daniel Mueller.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>