Park District’s Regional Trails a Model for the Nation

July 1, 2019

A Message From General Manager Robert E. Doyle

Thanks to the foresight of former East Bay Regional Park District board members, staff, and trail enthusiasts, the Park District has an extensive network of over 200 miles of regional trails. I’m proud to have been part of that effort, first as Trails Coordinator at the Park District, and now as General Manager.

In the early 1980s, the Park District completed a Regional Trails Master Plan – the first of its kind in the nation. The plan proposed a system of inter-connected, multi-use regional trails connecting people to parks, parks to other parks, and to transit hubs.

Investment began in 1988 when local voters approved Measure AA to invest $225 million in Regional Parks, including regional trails. Voters continued that investment 20 years later in 2008 when they approved Measure WW with 72% of the vote. In 2010, the Park District received a $10.2 million federal TIGER II grant to close critical gaps in the regional trail system.

Today, the Park District’s regional trails continue to provide recreational opportunities for walking, running, biking, and horseback riding. They have increasingly served as a popular green transportation network to safely connect communities, schools, and businesses to transit stations.

To reduce the impact of traffic congestion and carbon pollution, more planned trails in the coming years include:

Albany Beach Bay Trail – Buchanan to Gilman St. (1 mile)
Lone Tree Point Bay Trail at San Pablo Bay Shoreline (½ mile)
Point Molate Bay Trail in Richmond (1 mile)
Marsh Creek Regional Trail – Vineyards Parkway to Round Valley (3 miles)
Bay Area Ridge Trail – Garin Regional Park to Vargas Plateau Regional Park (5 miles)

See you in your Regional Parks...and on your Regional Trails!

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and nature learning. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor
(925) 482-7078
dmason@ebparks.org