Bay Area Ridge Trail: Gateway to Trails and Parks

The Open Space Authority has contributed $265,284 toward Reach 1 of the Penitencia Creek Trail. This section stretches from Alum Rock Park to Noble Avenue. The trail will follow one of the few urban creeks in the county that flows through its natural channel, offering visitors a chance to observe a riparian ecosystem.

The Authority helped fund Bay Area Older Adults’ Environmental Education Park Crawl program. The project consists of eight, 4-hour walks in different parks and one wildlife lecture. Each two- to four-mile walk has an environmental theme that educates the participating adults age 60+ about our valley’s parks, natural resources, and urban green spaces. It also includes lunch, coordination of transportation, parking fees, and three trained guides. Participants will benefit in multiple ways: safely walking outdoors in a group is critical in reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and depression, and learning about nature promotes cognitive health and reduces the risk of dementia.

The Open Space Authority contributed funds towards the development of this 1.3-acre park, including walking trails, a pedestrian bridge, benches, a landscaped swale with a biotreatment component, and interpretive signs that shows the agricultural history of the site.