Site search
sponsored by
News
ENLARGE
Matt Proietti of Penn Valley finishes his run on a path at Western Gateway Park, which runs alongside Penn Valley Drive to Spence- ville Road in Penn Valley. People walk, run and ride bicycles on the wide, tree-shaded route.
Bicyclists are the winners in this recession — federal stimulus money is footing the bill for a Class 1 bike path in Penn Valley.
The county is preparing to send preliminary plans to Caltrans for approval, said David Garcia, a transportation planner with the Nevada County Department of Public Works. Construction is scheduled for summer 2010.
An existing path runs from the Penn Valley Community Center and ends at Western Gateway Park. The project will extend the path to the Park and Ride at the intersection of Highway 20 and Penn Valley Drive, about a mile away.
A Class 1 bike path is eight feet wide, paved and at least two feet from the road. Other types of paths put cyclists on the same road as vehicles.
“I'm a big advocate of getting cyclists out of harm's way,” said John Gardiner, chairman of Bicyclists of Nevada County. “Any time you give them a chance to ride in a safe environment, you encourage them to get on their bikes.”
No trees will need to be removed, Garcia said.
Stimulus money for the project totals $237,434.
The Penn Valley Drive path was a logical project because it's used often by bicyclists and pedestrians and connects major community hubs.
Penn Valley is also popular in the winter, when cyclists want to escape the icy roads at higher elevations.
Ultimately, the plan is to lace the county with paths, including routes from Nevada City to Grass Valley, and from Western Gateway Park to Lake Wildwood.
The stimulus project is a step in that direction.
“It's piecemeal, but these efforts collectively add up over the years,” Gardiner said.
The county is preparing to send preliminary plans to Caltrans for approval, said David Garcia, a transportation planner with the Nevada County Department of Public Works. Construction is scheduled for summer 2010.
An existing path runs from the Penn Valley Community Center and ends at Western Gateway Park. The project will extend the path to the Park and Ride at the intersection of Highway 20 and Penn Valley Drive, about a mile away.
A Class 1 bike path is eight feet wide, paved and at least two feet from the road. Other types of paths put cyclists on the same road as vehicles.
“I'm a big advocate of getting cyclists out of harm's way,” said John Gardiner, chairman of Bicyclists of Nevada County. “Any time you give them a chance to ride in a safe environment, you encourage them to get on their bikes.”
No trees will need to be removed, Garcia said.
Stimulus money for the project totals $237,434.
The Penn Valley Drive path was a logical project because it's used often by bicyclists and pedestrians and connects major community hubs.
Penn Valley is also popular in the winter, when cyclists want to escape the icy roads at higher elevations.
Ultimately, the plan is to lace the county with paths, including routes from Nevada City to Grass Valley, and from Western Gateway Park to Lake Wildwood.
The stimulus project is a step in that direction.
“It's piecemeal, but these efforts collectively add up over the years,” Gardiner said.
