New plan maps route for finishing Bay Trail

The Bay Trail Gap Closure Implementation Plan (BTGCIP) sets priorities for future work to complete the remaining 150 miles of the vision of a 500-mile trail network around the bay.

By MTC & ABAG staff

Staff from the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) this summer released the Bay Trail Gap Closure Implementation Plan (BTGCIP) final report, which establishes prioritization criteria to rank the benefit of closing the remaining gaps in the San Francisco Bay Trail.

The vision for a complete Bay Trail is a total of 500 miles of trails that circle the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. To date, more than 350 miles have been completed.

The BTGCIP inventories the remaining gaps, identifies priorities and ranking of gaps for future investment, and develops cost estimates for closing those gaps.

A multi-year process, the BTGCIP featured engagement with a working group of more than 100 participants, with representation from all nine Bay Area counties. The working group included staff from cities, counties, state, federal, transit and advocacy organizations, as well as partnership with nine community-based organizations that engaged with members of the public in Equity Priority Communities.

The process reviewed the entire Bay Trail through the lens of these identified priorities:

• Center Equity Priority Communities in building out future segments of the Bay Trail
• Connect segments that create the longest continuous sections of trail
• Connect job centers to housing
• Increase access to transit-rich and connected communities
• Improve access to parks and open space
• Preserve the shoreline environment and access to the shoreline
• Consider impacts of sea level rise in the coming decades

Project History

In 2005, MTC and the ABAG conducted an evaluation of the Bay Trail network, The San Francisco Bay Trail Project Gap Analysis Study. This study identified gaps in the Bay Trail network, scored and prioritized them, developed cost estimates for future construction, and presented an overall timeframe for completion of the full 500-mile vision of the Bay Trail.

The purpose of the BTGCIP is to build upon the work from 2005 to identify and evaluate existing missing segments of Bay Trail (trail gaps) and prioritize their construction in the remaining build-out of the Bay Trail.

In this updated gap analysis study, a greater emphasis was placed on Equity Priority Community engagement and needs along with aligning the prioritization criteria with Plan Bay Area 2050.

Finally, the study updated cost estimates for closing gaps and conducted sea level rise analysis to begin the discussion about how certain segments of the Bay Trail may need to consider adaptation strategies in the future.

Engagement

The BTGCIP focused on working with the San Francisco Bay Trail Board and Steering Committee, partner agency stakeholders and the community to identify new criteria for prioritizing gap closures and assessing the projects identified to address existing gaps.

This process involved:

1. A Working Group with agency staff and advocates from throughout the region. The working group had more than 100 participants – staff from cities, counties, state, federal, transit and advocacy organizations – with representation from all nine Bay Area counties.
2. Paid partnerships with nine community-based organizations (CBOs) who work within and represent communities within Equity Priority Communities (EPCs). The CBO partners hosted nine public engagement events throughout the region with over 200 participants. Two events were held in Spanish, and Spanish translation was available at all events. The engagement events were held in many formats, including: bike rides, tabling at existing community events, zoom meetings, farm gatherings, dinners and picnics.

See Gap Closure Implementation Plan Prioritization Map – This map visualizes the existing Bay Trail network, the Bay Trail gaps symbolized by priority score, and the existing and proposed connector trails to the Bay Trail network.

See Bay Trail Fieldwork Review Map – This map visualizes the trail conditions data collected from a field review of all existing off-street Bay Trail segments (nearly 300 miles).

Staff Contact – Lily Brown, Associate Planner/Analyst ‐ Equitable and Active Transportation

Phone: 415-778-6721 Email: lbrown@bayareametro.gov

The Bay Trail is a joint project of the ABAG and MTC. To learn more click, here.