The Coyote Creek Trail is planned and partially-constructed, and as one of San José’s longest trail systems, will ultimately extend from the San Francisco Bay to the southern boundary of the City. The trail is currently 18.7 miles long and is divided into three segments, two of which are a Class I paved bicycle/pedestrian paths, while the third is currently gravel.

Under contract to the City of San José, DJP&A completed the environmental review for a Master Plan covering a 3.1-mile reach of the trail in addition to a separate, 4.1-mile reach. The trail would primarily follow Coyote Creek and would be placed either adjacent to the Creek or along structures such as trestle bridges, maintenance roads, and existing trails. The alignment also required nine undercrossings of roadways and highways.

Environmental compliance had an added layer of complexity because the City sought federal funding, which is administered by the Caltrans District 4 Office of Local Assistance. As a result, the project required compliance with federal statutes (Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966) in addition to environmental documentation under California law. The City of San José was able to obtain federal funding for this beneficial recreation and beautification project.

Images courtesy of: Don DeBold (Flickr), Carlos Urrutia (Flickr)