Click here for the full Niles Canyon Trail feasibility study (Dec 2015).
The East Bay Regional Parks District didn’t believe there was a good option for punching a multi use pathway through Niles Canyon, 6 miles from Niles to Sunol, but asked a consulting team to take a closer look at it. Turns out there are 3 options. A full house of interested residents heard the good news at a January 2015 community workshop, and encouraged the Parks District to move the feasibility study forward.
The 3 options include a combination of existing old roadways, right-of-ways alongside the Niles Canyon Railroad and the UP Railroad, on top of an old aqueduct, and one or more new bridges. Jim O’Laughlin of Save Our Sunol suggested to the crowd to close SR 84 through Niles Canyon for a day and open it up to people, walking, running, bicycling, and riding horses. The crowd in attendance liked the idea, and in October 2015 the very first Niles Canyon Stroll and Roll event was enjoyed by an estimated 10,000 participants.
If you support this pathway idea, let County Supervisor Richard Valle know. Send his Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Miley a quick email of support.
News:
- Oakland Tribune: Southern Alameda needs proposed Niles Canyon trail (2/8/2016)
- Contra Costa Times: Niles Canyon Trail plan seen as regional system connector (1/26/2016)
- Fremont Bulletin: Bikers, walkers, runners take over Niles Canyon Road (10/15/2015)
- ABC7: Hwy 84 closure part of effort to make Niles Canyon safe for cyclists (10/2/2015)