Public Works Committee
The Public Works Committee identified four issues for action based on community input and has resolved three by working with the City of Oakland and coordinating with Shepherd Canyon Homeowners' Association (SCHA*)
1. Correct drainage problems along the Montclair RR Trail at several locations.
2. Install new guard rails between Paso Robles and Saroni.
3. Create a smoother transition to the trail at each end of the Snake Road bridge.
(4. Replace the locked gate at the Corporation Yard with removable bollards to restore pedestrian and bicycle access.)
* SCHA is a sister organization whose efforts in Shepherd Canyon are, in many cases, complementary to those of FOMRRT.
Item 1 - Drainage Issues Corrected
An excerpt from the City's Storm Drain Master plan:
www.shepherdcanyon.org/DOWNLOADS/Traffic%20Safety/Figure%205.6%20SC%20Storm_water_Shepherd_Canyon_Road.pdf
i) Bishops Court
The biggest drainage problem on the trail came from rainwater runoff and mud accumulation near Bishop's Court, draining below the asphalt surface. It created erosion and an erosion-cut through the hillside below the trail. Ref: http://schagallery.shutterfly.com/parkstewardship/165.
FOMRRT and SCHA volunteers found an existing drainage pipe to re-route rainwater into an existing storm drain pipe, rather than flowing directly onto the trail. The City installed a basin with trash guards. Volunteers created a drainage swale uphill to minimize erosion during heavy rains.
The Public Works Committee identified four issues for action based on community input and has resolved three by working with the City of Oakland and coordinating with Shepherd Canyon Homeowners' Association (SCHA*)
1. Correct drainage problems along the Montclair RR Trail at several locations.
2. Install new guard rails between Paso Robles and Saroni.
3. Create a smoother transition to the trail at each end of the Snake Road bridge.
(4. Replace the locked gate at the Corporation Yard with removable bollards to restore pedestrian and bicycle access.)
* SCHA is a sister organization whose efforts in Shepherd Canyon are, in many cases, complementary to those of FOMRRT.
Item 1 - Drainage Issues Corrected
An excerpt from the City's Storm Drain Master plan:
www.shepherdcanyon.org/DOWNLOADS/Traffic%20Safety/Figure%205.6%20SC%20Storm_water_Shepherd_Canyon_Road.pdf
i) Bishops Court
The biggest drainage problem on the trail came from rainwater runoff and mud accumulation near Bishop's Court, draining below the asphalt surface. It created erosion and an erosion-cut through the hillside below the trail. Ref: http://schagallery.shutterfly.com/parkstewardship/165.
FOMRRT and SCHA volunteers found an existing drainage pipe to re-route rainwater into an existing storm drain pipe, rather than flowing directly onto the trail. The City installed a basin with trash guards. Volunteers created a drainage swale uphill to minimize erosion during heavy rains.
Flooding on the Railroad Trail Erosion caused by rainwater runoff
ii) Corporation Yard Bend
This is drainage that flows onto the trail off the residential hillside above the the bend near the 1/2 mile marker. FOMRRT volunteers have trenched the area to keep mud and water off the trail.
iii) Tiffany Court
Sink holes in the trail near Tiffany Court were caused by leakage problems in the main storm drain pipe that runs under Shepherd Canyon Road. The City repaired this major storm pipe in the large Shepherd Canyon Storm Drain Repair Project.
Item 2 - Replaced Guard Rail on Shepherd Canyon Rd
A wooden guard rail running along the Railroad Trail between Paso Robles and Saroni Drive was installed by a housing developer built along Shepherd Canyon Road. It was intended to be a physical barrier between the trail and the busy Shepherd Canyon Road. The railing did not meet City codes. A Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment completed by SCHA addressed the problem. n Page 23 of this Assessment. Pictures of the condition of the decrepit railing can be seen at http://schagallery.shutterfly.com/trafficsafety/50.
Replacing the guard rail was a huge priority for safety. FOMRRT and SCHA consulted with the City funding the project.
Item 3 - Repaired Transitions on the Snake Bridge
Item 4 - Locked Gate with Bollards at Corporation Yard
The entrance from the Corporation Yard on Shepherd Canyon Road provides trail access for residents on the east side of Shepherd Canyon Road, as well as access for trail users to the soccer field and fire station.
The Environmental Impact Report that established the RR Trail identified this entrance as part of the trail and established a requirement to maintain public access to the path behind the corporation yard to the Railroad Trail: “In no way should conventional use of the trail be abridged.” (EIR Page 23.) However in recent years, the City has blocked access by installing a locked gate.
A City-approved design, coordinated with the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Accessibility Coordinator, provides for the installation of removable bollards, which would block vehicular access, but allow pedestrians and bicycles to pass unimpeded with the required 5' for accessibility. Funds for implementation have been available since June of 2009.
FOMRRT is currently working with the City to move forward with this plan. However, implementation has been held up by city worker concerns about difficulty of unlocking a padlock at ground level versus unlocking one at waist-high level. FOMRRT hopes these concerns can be resolved and this project can move forward. Ref: http://schagallery.shutterfly.com/parkstewardship/274
