Last month, the East Bay Regional Park District celebrated the completion of the Albany Beach and SF Bay Trail Project. Even before the official opening, many local residents had already discovered the beautiful new shorefront trail, which is open to walkers and cyclists.
Berkeleyside sent contributing photographer Pete Rosos and intern Jerome Paulos to document the new trail segment and bridge, the magnificent views it provides, and the people who are enjoying using it.
The $18.9 million project included restoration of the Albany Neck shoreline and trail improvements, beach habitat and public access improvements at Albany Beach, including a new shoreline staging area with parking, walking trails, picnic tables and restrooms; and one mile of new segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail along the waterfront. By removing a major gap this new section has created 18 miles of continuous Bay Trail running from Oakland to Richmond.
Getting the project done was not without its obstacles, according to EBRD, who said a two-year effort by the park district and local community included having to challenge right-of-way negotiations with Golden Gate Fields, navigate tricky design and engineering issues, undergo a lengthy environmental permitting process, as well as find the funding to underwrite it.
Access the trail from the Albany Beach trailhead, via Buchanan Street. — Tracey Taylor
