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Work is underway to improve pavement conditions on the Iron Horse Regional Trail north from the Dublin-Pleasanton BART station, according to the East Bay Regional Park District.
The $341,000 summer project on a 16-mile stretch of the trail between Dublin and Alamo includes resurfacing, removal and replacement of damaged asphalt, crack-sealing, leveling, micro-surfacing, slurry-sealing and seal-coating, district spokeswoman Carolyn Jones said.
“At the conclusion of this project, the trail will be much smoother and more enjoyable to the thousands of pedestrians and bicyclists who depend on the Iron Horse Trail for recreation and exercise or as a transportation corridor to get to and from work, school or other important destinations,” Jones said in a statement.
The project, which began Monday and continues into August, covers from the Dublin-Pleasanton BART station to the Rudgear Staging Area in northern Alamo. Parts of the trail will be shut down at various times during the project, with the bulk of the closures occurring from now to July 28.
The Alameda County segments will be paid for through the park district’s general fund, Jones said. The portions of the project in Contra Costa County will be funded through Measure J, the half-cent transportation sales tax approved by county voters in 2004.
For specific information on the ongoing trail closures, contact the Contra Costa trails park supervisor at 510-544-3027.
The Iron Horse Regional Trail is a public-use trail that spans 32 miles from Pleasanton to Concord.
Iron horse is a great trail for walking and cycling! Kudos to community leaders for enhancing this wonderful local asset.
The trail is such an asset for many seniors who like to walk every day from Valley Ave. to Mohr. Ave. in Pleasanton. Since this portion opened a few years ago, the shrubs and trees are maintained well. The only problem I have experienced are some of the bicycle riders who ride at a fast pace, sometimes sneaking up on you while walking. You have to keep your eyes and ears open to the surroundings. We have also experienced some minor graffiti on fences but with a quick call to the city, they see to it that it is removed fast. Anything to help relieve congestion with more cars on the road is a good thing.
It’s a great trail. My wife and I biked the whole way from Pleasanton to Concord. We also used part of it to bike from Vallejo to Pleasanton.
I’m glad to see they’re working on repaving the trail (yet again), and here’s hoping while they’re at it they add a yellow dotted line down the center to keep walkers and cyclists to the right side of the path, as they’ve done on the American River Trail in Sacramento. This would address Don’s comments above, in terms of improving safety and keeping different traffic types separated. Also hoping they add more signs to remind people to keep their dogs on a leash and not block both ears with headphones. Thank you.
While I absolutely love that the trails were made, I have a selfish complaint. The crosswalks on Santa Rita & WLP are both only a few yards away from current crosswalks. Inevitably, I have to stop at a red light before the trails, then again at the trails. Not very efficient for driving. Just had to get that off my chest!
Hi @SportsMom, I was on the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Trails Committee while the Iron Horse Trail extension through Pleasanton was being discussed (for years.) There was great enthusiasm for connecting Pleasanton to the trail, so folks here could walk or bike all the way to Martinez or Livermore, and with a minimum of conflict with automobile traffic. We recognized that the mid-block crossing at W. Las Positas was a challenge. In the end the choice was made to have car traffic stop for an extra 30 seconds occasionally (I disagree with your word ‘inevitably’ btw) rather than have people on the trail make a 2000 foot detour. (I forget the exact distance, but I think that’s about right.) We discussed the question over and over, and adding the extra crosswalk at W. Las Positas was what we thought was the best solution. I hope you get a chance to walk the Iron Horse trail through Pleasanton, it really is a nice asset for the town. Sorry about you having to wait sometimes for people to cross the street. I understand. But this compromise was the best we could come up with to do the right thing for everyone.
Kurt