This post was written by Colleen Noland, a friend of Bike East Bay and a local transportation advocate.
Colleen is a League-certified instructor through our Bike Education program, and supports Bike Concord’s great work in Contra Costa County. This piece was originally published in Bike Concord’s newsletter, and since it features another long-time Bike East Bay friend, advocate, and 2025 Bike Champion, we are thrilled for the chance to share the profile, too. Check out and support Bike Concord’s great work!
The piece below outlines Ole’s years-long advocacy and contributions to bringing the Mokelumne Trail Overcrossing into existence. We’re grateful for his tenacity, and the ways it supports one of our long-term campaigns to enhance connectivity and rejoin communities via bridges. Read our March 2024 ‘Bridging the Bay’ blog here.
Have you ever wondered who makes the Bike Kitchen a success, who watches your bike at the farmer’s market, or who can help you fix your flat? Bike Concord is excited to highlight our amazing volunteers. You can catch them at the Bike Kitchen and the Thursday night farmer’s market (May-October). Next time you see them, be sure to say hello and thank them for all their efforts.
We recently caught up with Bruce Ohlson, or Ole for short. Ole is a regular volunteer at the Bike Kitchen, repairing bikes and giving salvaged bikes new homes. We recently caught up with Ole to discuss his bike advocacy and how his actions were integral to the construction of the Mokelumne Trail Pedestrian and Bicycle Overcrossing. Around Bike Concord, we also call this the “Ole Overpass”!
Ole’s hobby is “attending public meetings, paying attention, and speaking when appropriate.” He retired in 2016 and started attending public meetings in 1997 when he returned from his bicycle ride around the world (but that’s a story for another day).
Ole works to encourage better biking infrastructure because he uses his bike for transportation every day, and in his words– he is selfish and willing to tell others what he wants.
We asked Ole about the history of the Mokelumne (Ole) Overcrossing and the long journey from its planning to its long-awaited construction in 2024.
In the 1980s, Highway 4 passed through the downtown neighborhoods of Oakley and Brentwood. The city mayors did not like this, and requested that Caltrans build a freeway bypass to reroute the freeway. However, Caltrans was not willing to build a freeway at the time, and only owned, operated, and maintained freeways. The mayors were determined to build a freeway bypass, so they formed the State Route 4 Bypass Authority (SR4BA). In order to pay for this large project, they formed the East Contra Costa Regional Fee & Financing Authority (ECCRFFA). Within the Authority (including the cities of Pittsburg, Oakley, Antioch, and Brentwood), new construction projects paid $15,000 for single family homes (now $28,313 as of 2024) to fund highway improvements.
This significant bypass project required an Environmental Impact Report (as required by California Environmental Quality Act), which said that each freeway section had to be crossed by bike and pedestrian paths. At the Marsh Creek Trail crossing, designers created a trail on the bank of the creek. At the Delta de Anza Trail, bikes and pedestrians can use the maintenance road that runs along the canal and crosses the freeway. Finally, at the Mokelumne Aqueduct trail, designers proposed a culvert under the freeway, approximately 9 feet tall and 14 feet wide, and costing about one million dollars to construct.
At an SR4BA meeting, this culvert was in the consent calendar for representatives to approve, however, one elected member decided to remove the discussion of the culvert from the meeting agenda altogether, essentially stopping the project. This culvert was required by the EIR, however, the City of Brentwood staff members put off building this crucial overpass (or underpass) for pedestrians and bicyclists, arguing that there was not yet a bike path that took users directly to the freeway. After three years, the City of Brentwood successfully built a trail on either side of Highway 4 in 2004, however, the SR4BA said that they had no funds available to build a bridge.
Ole noticed that this bridge, allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to cross Highway 4 in Brentwood, was an EIR requirement. He was persistent, reminding the SR4BA about this requirement every year for over a decade.
Finally, when the Bypass Authority completed their project, rerouting Highway 4 around Oakley and Brentwood, maintenance was transferred to CalTrans. When Ole politely reminded CalTrans of the EIR requirement present from the conception of this project, CalTrans argued that the requirement to build a crossing did not transfer to them.
Still, Ole continued his habit of attending public meetings, paying attention, and speaking when appropriate. His excellent listening skills make him an incredible advocate, and Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) staff were surprised that neither the SR4BA nor CalTrans had completed the requirements of this regional infrastructure project. Finally, CCTA staff used funds from Measure J (approved by voters in 2004) and federal sources to design and build the bike and pedestrian overpass. The Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing–or colloquially, Ole Overcrossing–opened in 2024, and ensured access for all from cities in East Contra Costa County across Highway 4.
When we asked Ole about this lengthy process, he emphasized the need for persistence and speaking to the right people. He notes that finding your City Council meeting and attending–in person if possible–sends the message that constituents are listening and expecting public servants to serve their needs.
Ole is able to continue his advocacy and attend events in Concord and beyond due to infrastructure like the Mokelumne (Ole) Overcrossing. We asked him about his current focus in his advocacy, and he shared some exciting projects in the works in Contra Costa County.
For example, at the urging of Ole and other residents, the City of Pittsburg is upgrading the Delta De Anza Trail by adding rapid flashing beacons, raised crosswalks, and additional signage.
In addition, Ole is giving feedback to CCTA as they upgrade the I-680/Highway 4 interchange. This $500 million project will improve highway conditions and make them more efficient. However, Ole is advocating for one gap in bike and pedestrian access to be resolved in this area. Two local trails, the Iron Horse Trail, and the Contra Costa Canal Trail, are crucial transportation corridors for many residents. However, the paths do not connect through the interchange, so Ole asked for the construction of a bike path connection through the interchange and it has been promised.
When we chatted with Ole, he was energized by speaking both about past and future projects. However, one constant of his work is his ability to focus on local projects. City initiatives like road work and trail changes can be hard to follow in our busy lives, but Ole suggests that showing up and speaking for what we believe in can have a huge difference, whether it’s over a month or decades. For 29 years, Ole has been urging the City of Pittsburg to build bike facilities–and now they have lots of them!
We are so grateful to know and volunteer with Ole, a consistent and thoughtful champion for biking throughout Contra Costa County. The next time you see him, thank him for his work and ask Ole about his current project.
Would you like to attend public meetings and speak up for infrastructure and road safety projects in Contra Costa County?
The Contra Costa Transportation Authority
CCTA) envisions a future where all transportation systems work together for more streamlined, safe, efficient, and convenient travel.
511 Contra Costa is a countywide Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program that promotes transportation alternatives to the single occupant vehicle.