A new section of the Bob Jones Path is moving forward! This week, the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) officially received funding from the California Transportation Commission* (CTC) in the amount of $600,000 for an extension of the Bob Jones Path from the water treatment plant in SLO to the Los Osos Valley Road overpass.
“This is one segment of a much bigger and regionally significant project […] The beauty of this particular piece of the trail is that it creates a safe connection for bicyclists and walkers along an otherwise busy portion of roadway and freeway.”
Ron De Carli, Executive Director of SLOCOG
This new extension will make this class one bike path a complete connector route by creating a bridge and path from the water treatment plant to the traffic light at Los Osos Valley Road and Highway 101. The $600,000 from CTC will be matched by an additional $350,000 from the City of San Luis Obispo, for a total cost of $950,000 for this portion of the path.
Commonly referred to by opponents as the “path to nowhere”, this section of the Bob Jones Path is now finally becoming connected to existing infrastructure.
The funding for this small segment of the Bob Jones Path (set to one day go from SLO to Avila Beach) is a major victory. Yet we will continue to advocate for a safe and accesible under crossing below Los Osos Valley Road in the future, to prevent bicycle riders and pedestrians from being required to navigate this increasingly congested intersection while enjoying a leisurely Sunday bicycle ride with their family.
Connect SLO County is committed to ensuring that future extensions and projects are accessible by all users ages 8 to 80. We believe that these facilities are best built when they can be enjoyed by people of all abilities without having to enter heavily trafficked roadways along the way. Learn more about the purpose of the initiative here.
*The CTC allocated $600,000 of SLOCOG’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Transportation Enhancement (TE) funds to the City of San Luis Obispo for an extension of the Bob Jones Bike Trail. STIP TE funds are allocated by formula to regional agencies like SLOCOG and then are awarded on a discretionary basis by SLOCOG for important projects.
Read more on KCOY here.
Read more in the Tribune here.
The City of San Luis Obispo is currently working on an alignment study to extend the Bob Jones Path from this intersection to the Octagon Barn, which will be the trailhead for the path as it continues southbound to Avila Beach. Stay tuned for updates as this progresses.
Connect SLO County 