Added to the regional dream of our golden necklace, a trail from the confluence to Coloma, could be this wonderful vision, from the Delta to the Bay.
An excerpt.
A freewheeling dream
If approved, a Delta bike trail could link Bay Area with Sacramento
By Judy Lin -- Bee Capitol BureauPublished 12:01 am PDT Saturday, August 26, 2006
Life on six acres by the Sacramento River affords Dave Storm many amenities: pastoral quiet, serene water and crisp air.
Yet, the 67-year-old dedicated bicyclist can't help but lament the absence of a bike trail along the Delta -- one of nature's more scenic and challenging playgrounds.
"I've been wondering for a long time why there's not a bike trail," Storm said as he pumped the rear tire on his Trek road bike in preparation for a 25-mile ride with the Sacramento Wheelmen Bicycling Club.
Luckily for Storm, someone is working on it.
Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, has a bill moving through the Legislature that would direct the state to start planning a Great California Delta Trail, linking the Bay Area, Sacramento and Stockton.
If the Legislature passes the bill before it adjourns Thursday and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs it, the measure could lay the groundwork for a multiuse paved trail linking the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta's 1,000 miles of levee waterfront, historical towns, wineries, parks and recreational areas.
"It's very exciting," said Yolo County Supervisor Helen Thomson, a board member of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. "It's important because we're laying out the vision of what this will be in the future."
The idea of a Delta trail was inspired by the San Francisco Bay Trail, which covers more than 450 miles of bayfront. Through a network of locally planned routes, the Delta trail would link San Francisco with San Jose, Sacramento and Stockton.
When all the trails are combined, the region could have more than 1,500 miles of trail.
"About two years ago, I thought we should just think big and go all the way," Torlakson said.
The measure, Senate Bill 1556, already is getting support from bicycling clubs, preservation groups and local governments for its breadth and vision.
But the obstacles are even bigger.
The bill doesn't allocate any state money, nor does it dictate a route. The project would take years, if not decades, to achieve.
Many levees have been deemed unstable, and local planners can expect contentious battles with private landowners fearful of trespassers.
There are also the physical challenges of building a trail through wetlands. Because the Delta contains islands, planners would have to connect the trail using bridges and boats.
Torlakson, however, isn't discouraged.
As population swells in the Bay Area and the Central Valley, the senator said, there's growing demand for recreational opportunities in the Delta, whether biking and hiking or water sports and wildlife education.
"What I find especially attractive about a Delta trail concept is the idea of getting close to the water," said Torlakson, a triathlete who rode 75 miles from Antioch to the Capitol for this year's Ride to Work Day. "There's a yearning of Californians to get close to the beach, the bay, the river."
Currently, the Delta is undergoing a sort of management reorganization as the state decides how to proceed on maintaining the natural resource while meeting the state's ever-growing demand for water and development.
Linda Fiack, executive director of the Delta Protection Commission, said the idea of a bike trail is consistent with the state's plans. The bill would direct the commission to lead the planning process.
"Timing is ideal for this because the commission has gone through a major transition," Fiack said. "The Delta encompasses five counties, three councils of government and multiple cities, so we need to bring more regionalism to a strategic plan.
"We feel the trail would fit perfectly with those efforts to be better land stewards."
