10/27/2021
Napa Valley Vine Trail/San Francisco Bay Trail receive boost in funding
The Vine Trail/Bay Trail project to connect Vallejo with American Canyon received a boost in funding through the San Francisco Bay Trail’s Block Grant funding. It was approved by the Bay Trail Board of Directors at its meeting on October 4, 2021. The funds will be administered by the Solano Transportation Authority.
The Bay Trail Board of Directors approved $400,000 requested to help fund the shortfall on the project. The shortfall was caused by unforeseen costs of having to reroute the Bay Trail along SR 29 from Lewis Brown Drive to Meadows Drive and costs incurred for upgrades of the Union Pacific’s railroad crossing at Mini Drive.
The Bay Trail Grant Program is funded through Block Grant #6 from the State Coastal Conservancy’s Bay Program utilizing $1.4 million from Proposition 68 approved by voters in 2018 as pass-through grants to local jurisdictions.
Of the $1.4 million total, $955,000 was specifically reserved for Severely Disadvantaged Communities (SDAC’s) as defined by Proposition 68, leaving $445,000 for non-SDAC areas.
The Vine Trail/Bay Trail project qualified under the SDAC program. Three projects were funded under the SDAC category. In addition to the Vine Trail/Bay Trail other projects in the SDAC category include East Bay Regional Parks District which received $200,000 for the Martinez section of the Bay Trail and the City of San Rafael which received $140,000 for a Bay Trail connection on Grand Avenue.
The Vine Trail’s partnership with the Bay Trail began when the Bay Trail and Vine Trail jointly funded a $100,000 feasibility study for this section of the trail. The Vine Trail’s original investment of $50,000 in 2024 has now garnered more than $6 million in federal, state and local competitive grant funding. The Vine Trail also invested $800,000 in engineering and design to jump start the project. These funds were raised philanthropically.
If you want to support the Vine Trail in its effort to complete the 47 miles planned between the Vallejo Ferry terminal and the City of Calistoga, please contact Philip Sales, Executive Director at psales@vinetrail.org.