Another Section of the Bay Trail Opens to Public

A 2.4-mile segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail that connects Mountain View to Sunnyvale opened Monday for pedestrians and cyclists.
     
The new trail segment, located behind Moffett Field, is a critical link because it creates 26 miles of continuous trail from the Alviso area in  San Jose to East Palo Alto, said John Bourgeois, executive project manager for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project.
     
The 2.4-mile segment is in the middle of that 26-mile stretch and part of what Bay Trail planners hope will someday be a 500-mile recreational corridor extending around the San Francisco and San Pablo bays.
     
The segment features a raised, earthen levee and offers unobstructed views of the Bay, former salt ponds, and NASA Ames Research Center.
     
"This is going to be basically a front seat for the habitat restoration that we're going to be doing for the next 20 or so years," Bourgeouis said.
     
He is referring to the salt pond restoration project, the largest tidal wetland restoration project on the West Coast.
     
Bourgeois said that in addition to restoring salt ponds, the project also shares the goals of the Bay Trail project because it aims to provide public access and "bring people back to the Bay."
     
A dedication ceremony was held for the 2.4-mile segment on Monday morning.