SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The California Transportation Commission has awarded SLOCOG $600,000 to expand a very popular bicycle trail in San Luis Obispo.
SLOCGO says in a release, "The California Transportation Commission (CTC) today allocated $600,000 of SLOCOG's State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Transportation Enhancement (TE) funds to the City of San Luis Obispo for an extension of the Bob Jones Bike Trail. STIP TE funds are allocated by formula to regional agencies like SLOCOG and then are awarded on a discretionary basis by SLOCOG for important projects. The City of San Luis Obispo sought the money from SLOCOG in a call for projects in late 2011.
This money will build an extension of the Bob Jones Bike Trail in the City of San Luis Obispo from its current end point at the water treatment plant through to Los Osos Valley Road. Currently users of the trail are forced to stop at the water treatment plant and have no connection to Los Osos Valley Road. This new extension will make this class one bike path a complete connector route by creating a bridge and path from the water treatment plant to the traffic light at Los Osos Valley Road and Highway 101. The City of San Luis Obispo will match the $600,000 with an additional $350,000 for a total cost of $950,000 on this portion of the trail.
"This is one segment of a much bigger and regionally significant project," said Ron De Carli, executive director of SLOCOG. "The beauty of this particular piece of the trail is that it creates a safe connection for bicyclists and walkers along an otherwise busy portion of roadway and freeway."
SLOCOG, the County of San Luis Obispo and the City of San Luis Obispo are currently working together to complete additional connections to the Bob Jones Bike Trail. SLOCOG has committed an additional $800,000 to a San Luis Obispo County segment of this project anticipated to begin in the next year and a half.
Additionally at this CTC meeting, the County of San Luis Obispo received $375,000 in State and Local Partnership Planning funds. This money will be used to establish a 23 acre oak woodlands habitat adjacent to the Dana Adobe as mitigation for the Willow / US 101 interchange. This project will include 4000 acorn plantings, an irrigation system and a seven year plant establishment period."
