PITTSBURG — Sheila Larson was not particularly fond of walking near Frontage Road. The underutilized section of the area used to be a garbage dumping site and a magnet for homeless encampments.

Now that the Living Green Pittsburg trail project is complete, her perspective has changed.

A $2-million initiative to improve pedestrian accessibility to the Railroad Center BART station and revitalize Railroad Avenue, the project now allows the city to meet its environmental goal to increase its stormwater bioretention area while at the same time providing a safer space for residents.

For Larson, who often walks and cycles near the trail, she said she was happy to see how it has transformed.

Larson had previously made the city aware that she was concerned about the risk of fire from a nearby homeless encampment before the area was cleared for the project. Her teenage daughter and friends used to worry about walking their dogs along Frontage Road, but now that the trail is in place, they are no longer afraid.

“This (Living Green Pittsburg project) makes the area look cheery and positive,” said Larson at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Oct. 25 to unveil the new trail. “It feels safer walking here now.”

Her neighbor, Marilyn Berg Cooper, who has lived in the area for 51 years, said the new trail will be perfect for her walking routine after she recently underwent hip replacement surgery.

“I can’t wait for the trees to grow,” Cooper said. “They (the city) did a wonderful job.”

Cooper said there wasn’t previously a proper, accessible walking trail to the BART station.

“I feel like it’s mine. Of course, I’ll let others use it too,” she said jokingly.

Brenda Wener, a resident of the Rossmoor area off Frontage Road, said she was happy to see how an eyesore once filled with garbage and weeds has transformed into a trail.

“A lot of people will be able to use the path for cycling and walking, so it’s really nice,” she said.

In 2022, Pittsburg received two Caltrans Clean California grants, including $1,3354,000 for the Living Green Pittsburg project and $2,891,962 for the Reviving the Heart of Pittsburg Pride project for downtown park and landscape improvements, which was completed this year.

The grants were among 16 awarded by Gov. Gavin Newsom to underserved communities in the Bay Area. This was part of the $296 million in Clean California grants announced by Newsom in 2022, which were intended for communities throughout the state to remove litter and transform public spaces. In the Bay Area, other cities besides Pittsburg, such as Oakland, Richmond, Hayward, and San Pablo, also received monies.

To help make the Living Green Pittsburg project a reality, the city also utilized $812,250 in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The trail, which is about 0.25 miles, will support an initiative to improve bicycle and pedestrian accessibility to BART, a project that broke ground in April.

According to information provided by city staff, the trail’s amenities include an outdoor exercise station, a bike repair and water filling station, and bioretention basins that treat stormwater runoff from approximately two acres.

Pittsburg Mayor Juan Antonio Banales said the project illustrates Pittsburg’s commitment to reaching every corner of the city, finding ways to utilize local funds and grant money to provide infrastructure and spaces that beautify neighborhoods and provide safe access.

“This project also demonstrates how unused spaces can be made useful and beautiful while helping us achieve our environmental goals, which, in this case, is improving water quality,” said Banales.

He said city staff has been doing a great job in writing proposals and winning grants.

“The staff does an extraordinary job in this. They have an ongoing list of grants they are applying for,” he said.

The city also launched its Pittsburg Living Green website, which provides residents with information on bike paths and walking trails available to them.

Originally Published: October 30, 2024 at 6:30 AM PDT