Railroad Safety Trail Nears Completion

Nurtured by a mild Mediterranean climate, the coastal city of San Luis Obispo in California is known for its nearby wineries and an abundance of outdoor activities, including ocean sports, hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. A lesser-known attraction in San Luis Obispo—or SLO, as the locals call it—is the community's long history of supporting bicycle and pedestrian trails. 

One local rail-trail project that has generated a great deal of support is the Railroad Safety Trail, named to highlight the building of a safe, official trail where an unofficial path used to be. Upon completion, it will offer users easy access to virtually the entire downtown, and it will improve the commute for many in the community who ride to work or school. That's a significant population, because during peak hours, more than 300 SLO residents already ride their bicycles across town to work or school every day. 

One mile of the Safety Trail has already been completed. It connects to a local park, the Amtrak station and downtown San Luis Obispo. A second segment has been funded by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and will begin construction in the fall.

The rail-trail will eventually provide access to the Bob Jones City-to-Sea Trail, a 12-mile pathway to Avila Beach. One hitch in development is a crucial portion of the Safety Trail that remains unfunded: a 500-foot segment situated in the middle of the trail, running from Cal Poly to Foothill Boulevard. According to Adam Fukushima, executive director of the San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition , the critical section is too expensive for the city to fund yet too small for a grant. Partnering with the Rotary Club, the Coalition is leading an advocacy campaign to raise the $300,000 needed to finish the trail, rallying support at the city government level to make sure the corridor is listed among the city's top five budgetary goals. 

Other community groups have gotten involved in fundraising as well. Spearheading the effort so far have been the SLO Chamber of Commerce and local Rotary Club, which itself donated $50,000 for fencing. While Fukushima notes that finding funding for the Safety Trail has been a major challenge, he remains optimistic about the project. "This trail will be the premier bicycle connection through the city," he says. "It will provide an option for commuters to truly leave their automobiles at home."