How a $2.97M grant for Tuolumne Riverwalk will bring activity, access to west Modesto
A $2.97 million state grant will bring a paved path, shade trees and parking to an underused part of Tuolumne River Regional Park.
The work will happen along about half a mile of river from the Highway 99 bridge near downtown to a point near John Thurman Field in west Modesto.
It is by no means the largest project in the park’s history, but it will provide a key link to downtown for the mostly low-income west Modesto.
The project is expected to be done in 2022 or 2023, said Nathan Houx, parks planning and development manager for the city. He gave The Modesto Bee with a tour of the project area on a mid-December morning.
The park stretches along seven winding miles of the Tuolumne between Mitchell and Carpenter roads. It was established in the 1970s, but only the Legion Park and Mancini Park portions near the east end have had major improvements for visitors.
Recent years have brought grants to enhance public access and restore floodplain in some of the other stretches.
The latest grant includes the next segment of the Tuolumne Riverwalk, a paved path that eventually will run the length of the park. The project area already has dirt trails used by walkers, joggers and mountain bikers. The hard surface will make it accessible to visitors using wheelchairs, strollers and skinny-tired bikes.
“Our goal is to get as many people using the trails and nature as we can,” Houx said.
Connecting west Modestans to river
The grant came from a park bond measure approved by California voters in 2018. The specific source is the Recreational Trails and Greenways program, which favors projects that connect low-income people with nature.
That explains the sidewalk upgrades to be funded by the grant on a block just outside the park boundary. A sidewalk will be built where none exists on Sunset Avenue between Rouse Avenue and Jean Street. Six wheelchair ramps will be installed on this block and at the entrance to the new park path.
Ron DeLoach, chairman of the West Modesto People of Action Committee, said the trail project will help dispel the idea that this area is unsafe.
“We want to be a pivotal part and have people not be so afraid to come to our side of town,” DeLoach said by phone. “This is a prime example that, ‘Hey, there are things to do here.’ ”
Boat ramp also is coming off Neece
The new trail will connect at its downstream end with a boat ramp expected to be built by fall 2021 under an earlier state grant. The $805,000 ramp is part of an effort to get visitors to raft, canoe and kayak on the Tuolumne.
The latest grant will pay for a parking lot at the boat ramp, along with seating and shade trees on the new Riverwalk segment. Some of this stretch already has mature trees.
The new path’s upstream end is at the park’s Gateway Parcel, between the Highway 99 and Ninth Street bridges. This 86-acre expanse looks somewhat barren today, but it eventually will be TRRP’s centerpiece.
Much of the Gateway Parcel has been reshaped into terraces that mimic natural floodplain. High river flows can spread in this zone, protecting downstream property while enhancing salmon habitat.
The Gateway Parcel has young valley oaks and other native vegetation, and a small outdoor classroom for nature study. This area eventually will get parking, a farmers market and other features that promote large gatherings.
This area lies just a quarter-mile from the edge of downtown, but access is tricky for people on foot and bicycle. The city in August approved a downtown master plan that calls for much better connections.
Extending the Riverwalk takes time
Houx said the new Riverwalk segment will take so long to complete because of state and federal rules on building next to a river. The construction will be during summer, when salmon are out to sea.
Despite the delay, the trail is welcome news for the West Modesto Community Collaborative, which promotes health and education.
“It gets people out and walking,” Executive Director Perfecto Munoz said. “Improving these trails will give people an opportunity to enjoy the Tuolumne River and also appreciate the surrounding area.”
Downstream from the project area, park users already can use a dirt trail along the edge of Dryden Park Golf Course. It continues on to the Carpenter Road portion of TRRP, which will get trails and restored floodplain through yet another state grant.
This project, funded in July, is a partnership between the city and the Tuolumne River Trust. The environmental group has long worked to enhance access for riverside neighborhoods. It, too, endorses the grant announced this month.
“The extension of this trail (Gateway to Neece Drive) and the development of the Carpenter Road Parcel is an essential step to moving the TRRP vision forward,” said an email from Edgar Garibay, community relations manager for the Trust.
This story was originally published December 27, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
