History/ Goals / Accomplishments:

In 1987, State Senator Bill Lockyer authored S.B.100 to produce a "Ring around the Bay". This Bay Trail would preserve and make available this land for recreational, educational and aesthetic purposes. State and planning funds came to the project as well as widespread support from local agencies and organizations around the Bay Area thus making this project truly regional. The Bay Trail Project's mission is solely for the public's benefit; to enhance their appreciation of the Bay. It was intended that the Trail be completed by the year 2000 whereby the nonprofit Bay Trail Project would disband.

The Bay Trail is a proposed 400-mile network of multi-use pathways that one day will circle the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays, passing through all nine Bay Area counties and 42 of its 98 cities.

Currently, one-third is complete, the Trail will serve walkers, runners, cyclists, nature lovers and hikers of every age and cultural background. When finished, the San Francisco Bay Trail will be an aesthetic, cultural and recreational asset for the entire Bay Area.

When complete, this "Ring around the Bay" will be a trail system comprised of three components: spine trails, encircling the Bay and creating a continuous recreational corridor which links all nine Bay Area counties; spur trails, providing access from the spine trail to points of natural, historic and cultural interest along the Bay shoreline; and connector trails, providing restricted access to interpretive trails in environmentally sensitive areas along the shoreline and connections to recreational opportunities as well as residential and employment centers inland from the Bay. The Bay Trail is a rich natural resource that helps make life in the Bay Area so enjoyable.

Geographical Area/Number of People Served:

The San Francisco Bay is one of the geographic features that makes this area so unique and special. The Bay Trail makes the entire San Francisco Bay shoreline available so that everyone may enjoy this treasure in their own way. Each of the 6 million+ residents of the metropolitan Bay Area are current or potential users of the Trail. Many people have used portions of the Trail without even realizing it. The ease by which people congregate along the trail is a demonstration of the Bay Trail's success.

If you have ever walked across the Golden Gate bridge to get photographs of San Francisco or to appreciate the view, flown kites along the Tiburon shore, in-line skated in Foster City, joined a birdwalk in Mountain View's Shoreline Park to see the many shorebirds and waterfowl that breed and nest there, jogged on the levees in Hayward, windsurfed at Candlestick Point Park, you too have enjoyed the Bay Trail. The Bay Trail offers opportunities for everyone twenty four hours a day, every day of the year.

Number of Volunteers:

Volunteers are one of the keys to the Bay Trail's continuing success. The Board of Directors is composed of 25 individuals who work tirelessly to make the Trail a reality. They meet frequently with cities and governmental agencies to define the alignment of the Trail. The Board is composed of many leading environmentalists, city planners, recreationalists and other from the Bay Area.

Volunteers also serve on the many Bay Trail Committees. The Steering Committee meets monthly to discuss staffing, program and planning issues. The Fundraising/Promotions Committee produces Bay Trail merchandise, plans direct mail, and attends community fairs. The Trail Development Committee works with staff to identify ways to expedite accomplishing the goals of the Bay Trail. The Legislative Committee works with corporations, cities and county agencies to solve any problems in order to bring more segments into the Trail. And two regional committees East Shore Friends of the Bay Trail and the South Bay Ad Hoc are working to complete key sections of the trail. Volunteers also assist with BayCycle, a regional high-visibility bicycle race which attracts national and even Olympic racers.

Cities and Counties, State and Federal Agencies, conservation groups, bike clubs, private developers, special districts also participate in the Trail's success by offering viewpoints, funding and publicity. Each of these groups are users of the Trail and will ultimately educate the community about the Trail once it has been completed.

The San Francisco Bay Trail is fortunate to have about 400 volunteers committed to improving and providing access to the San Francisco Bay shoreline by developing the Bay Trail.

Other Bay Trail Projects:

Bay Trail Awareness Week, pioneered the first week of August, 1993, united many organizations to offer bike rides, hikes and clean-ups around the region. The fun rides were for cyclists of all skill levels, hikes were planned to be educational in nature but to also enjoy views of the Bay, and a visit to the Bay Model gave youngsters an opportunity to see the Bay in an exciting new way..

Clean-up events focus attention on the importance of maintaining the health and beauty of the San Francisco Bay shoreline; enlist community participation in the restoration of significant environmental resources; teach volunteers how to clean up sensitive environments, especially how to protect wildlife and preserve habitat they might find in and around debris they remove; educate the public how to recycle non-traditional materials (tires, wood, scrap metal, etc.); and provide recognition for the San Francisco Bay Trail Project as a conscientious user.

The Bay Trail BayCycle Race, sanctioned by the U.S. Cycling Federation is one of a series of three races at Oakland's Lake Merritt. The last two years have attracted some of the world's fastest riders and teams such as Coors Light, Greg Lemond's Team Z, Spago and Subaru/Montgomery.