The vision for the Fort Ord Regional Trail & Greenway (FORTAG) is to create a multimodal route designed to accommodate people of all ages and abilities that connects communities in and around the former Fort Ord to each other and to education, employment, community and recreation centers. It will serve as a safe pedestrian and bicycle corridor connecting the cities of Seaside, Marina, Del Rey Oaks, Monterey and unincorporated community residents to California State University Monterey Bay, the Fort Ord National Monument, and the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail. The Final Environmental Impact Report for the proposed 28-mile paved trail was certified by the Transportation Agency Board on March 25, 2020. A Master Agreement was approved by the Transportation Agency and the underlying jurisdictions in June 2020.
Phase 1 of the Canyon Del Rey/State Route 218 Segment involves construction of the trail through the City of Del Rey Oaks from Fremont Boulevard to Del Rey Woods Elementary in the City of Seaside. From Fremont Boulevard, the trail will run along State Route 218 and then move behind Safeway through Work Memorial Park traveling around the tennis courts and towards Angelus Way. There are no improvements proposed along Angelus Way based on feedback from the community. The trail will pick up again at Del Rey Park and travel towards State Route 218 along the existing trail. A tunnel under Canyon Del Rey Boulevard will connect near Del Rey Oaks City Hall and the Frog Pond. A raised pathway will be constructed to connect trail users from the tunnel to Carlton Drive at an accessible grade. The trail will extend northeast up Carton Drive to Plumas Avenue. Along Carlton Drive the trail will consist of a new 12-foot wide multi-use sidewalk on the west side of the road. Along Plumas Avenue the trail will follow the existing PG&E easement up to Del Rey Woods Elementary. The tunnel landing and the raised pathway are the only project elements to be constructed within the Frog Pond as part of Phase 1.
To hear feedback and concerns directly from Del Rey Oaks residents and the community, the project team has held in-person site visits, virtual public workshops and focus groups, and received over 300 comments from our online interactive project map. Amongst the comments received have been questions regarding the safety of the trail and the tunnel, potential impacts to the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve, and whether the trail could be realigned along State Route 218. The project team has been responsive to these comments and has modified the design to further reduce impacts that do not result in safety or security issues. Examples of these adjustments include reducing the length of the switchback in the Frog Pond to avoid trees and impacts to the existing trail system; and modifying the segment along Carlton Drive to incorporate traffic calming features that will slow speeds on the roadway as well as reintroduce some pockets of on-street parking. The Cities of Del Rey Oaks, Seaside, and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District have signed a Master Agreement that supports the current alignment and the ADA access that the project will provide to the Frog Pond. The agreement also incorporates the findings of the certified environmental impact report that found that the project will not harm sensitive habitat in the Frog Pond Preserve. The project team also made a recent presentation to the Del Rey Oaks City Council that revisited the rejected alternative alignment along State Route 218. After extensive analysis, the team reaffirmed the findings from the environmental document that this alternative is not the safest option and further determined that the State Route 218 alternative would necessitate the reclaiming of public right-of-way along residential backyards, the removal of at least 160 trees, and result in a significantly higher cost due to the installation of large retaining walls and upgrades that would be required to State Route 218. Despite the compromises already made to the project and outreach efforts to listen to the community, a group of Del Rey Oaks citizens are collecting signatures to bring forward a ballot initiative in an attempt to restrict bicycle trails in Del Rey Oaks to State Route 218, General Jim Moore Boulevard, and South Boundary Road. Agency staff is not recommending modifications to the approved alignment as it would reduce safety and jeopardize the State grant funds awarded to the project.
Final design and right-of-way certification are anticipated for completion by Summer/Fall 2022. Construction is scheduled to start thereafter in 2023. Concurrently, the Agency is pursuing grant funds for other segments of the FORTAG, which will proceed to final design and construction as matching funds are obtained.
Agency staff will provide an update on the status of the project at the Committee meeting.