Federal funding boosts Guadalupe Trail expansion in San Jose
Federal funding boosts Guadalupe Trail expansion in San Jose
The Guadalupe River Trail has secured $1 million in federal funds to complete another half-mile section of the trail.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - One of the most ambitious public trail projects in San Jose received a significant boost Thursday. Federal funding has been secured to help complete a vital section of the Guadalupe River Trail, an expansive path that will eventually run from the San Francisco Bay all the way to South San Jose.
Connecting communities
What we know:
The Guadalupe River Trail is already complete from the Bay to downtown San Jose, but efforts are ongoing to extend the reach to the south. On Thursday, community leaders gathered to announce $1 million in federal grant funding to complete another half-mile section of the trail, stretching from Branham Lane to Chynoweth Avenue in South San Jose.
Guadalupe River Trail secures federal funding.
"This is more than just about a half a mile of a trail," said Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19). "This is about connecting this South San Jose community to the San Francisco Bay. It is about ensuring access to downtown San Jose and it is about connecting our San Jose city."
Transforming the landscape
The expansion comes after significant efforts to prepare the landscape. The area around the trail extension was previously the site of several large encampments of the unhoused. Because this area around Guadalupe Creek is managed by Valley Water, extensive cleanup efforts were required over the past year before the trail project could proceed.
"We had a tremendous amount of unhoused encampments along the river, so we had to address that first before we could then move into the real goal, which was to create the trail," explained San Jose Vice Mayor Pam Foley.
Guadalupe River Trail secures federal funding.
Guadalupe River Trail secures federal funding.
While the community looks toward the future, the project still has a long road ahead. Jon Cicirelli, Director of San Jose Parks and Recreation, expressed optimism for the impact the project will have on residents, noting that he hopes the public can "see the future" and how beneficial the connection will be for the city.
Projected completion date
What's next:
Though the design phase for the extension is now finished, construction is not expected to begin until next year, with a projected completion date sometime in 2029.
Featured
Trump to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities beginning Feb. 1
Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, President Donald Trump said the move was aimed at cities and states that refused to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and in the administration's bid to stamp out fraud.