Public Works Committee
The Public Works Committee of FOMRRT has identified four priorities for action based on many sources of feedback, and is currently working with the City of Oakland to address them:
1. Correct drainage problems along the trail at several locations.
2. Install new guard rails between Paso Robles and Saroni.
3. Replace the locked gate at the Corporation Yard with removable bollards to restore pedestrian and bicycle access.
4. Create a smoother transition to the trail at each end of the Snake Road bridge.
FOMRRT is jointly coordinating the first three items with the Shepherd Canyon Homeowner's Association (SCHA*). More information on the progress of each issue will be posted below as it becomes available.
* SCHA is a sister organization whose efforts in Shepherd Canyon are, in many cases, complementary to those of FOMRRT.
Item 1 - Drainage Issues on the Montclair Railroad Trail
The following are our current priority drainage problems. Other drainage issues will be addressed as our priority projects are completed.
i) Bishops Court
The biggest drainage problem on the trail comes from rainwater runoff near Bishop's Court. Rainwater runs onto the trail, making the trail wet and depositing muddy sediment. As rainwater drains below the trail, it creates erosion and an erosion-cut below the trail. Ref: http://schagallery.shutterfly.com/parkstewardship/165. This erosion has cut more than halfway through the hillside below the trail and threatens the condition of the trail if not remedied (see pics. below).
This excerpt from the City's Storm Drain Master plan shows that the storm runoff is collected in storm drains above the trail but the drains are usually not properly routed. The water, once collected, is dumped out onto the surface ground to run unabated over the trail. Ref: www.shepherdcanyon.org/DOWNLOADS/Traffic%20Safety/Figure%205.6%20SC%20Storm_water_Shepherd_Canyon_Road.pdf
FOMRRT and SCHA have identified an existing drainage pipe that crosses under the trail near Bishop's Court and are working with the City on a plan that would re-route rainwater into an existing storm drain pipe rather than having it flow directly onto the trail. This would alleviate mud accumulation and water-caused erosion on the trail.
The Public Works Committee of FOMRRT has identified four priorities for action based on many sources of feedback, and is currently working with the City of Oakland to address them:
1. Correct drainage problems along the trail at several locations.
2. Install new guard rails between Paso Robles and Saroni.
3. Replace the locked gate at the Corporation Yard with removable bollards to restore pedestrian and bicycle access.
4. Create a smoother transition to the trail at each end of the Snake Road bridge.
FOMRRT is jointly coordinating the first three items with the Shepherd Canyon Homeowner's Association (SCHA*). More information on the progress of each issue will be posted below as it becomes available.
* SCHA is a sister organization whose efforts in Shepherd Canyon are, in many cases, complementary to those of FOMRRT.
Item 1 - Drainage Issues on the Montclair Railroad Trail
The following are our current priority drainage problems. Other drainage issues will be addressed as our priority projects are completed.
i) Bishops Court
The biggest drainage problem on the trail comes from rainwater runoff near Bishop's Court. Rainwater runs onto the trail, making the trail wet and depositing muddy sediment. As rainwater drains below the trail, it creates erosion and an erosion-cut below the trail. Ref: http://schagallery.shutterfly.com/parkstewardship/165. This erosion has cut more than halfway through the hillside below the trail and threatens the condition of the trail if not remedied (see pics. below).
This excerpt from the City's Storm Drain Master plan shows that the storm runoff is collected in storm drains above the trail but the drains are usually not properly routed. The water, once collected, is dumped out onto the surface ground to run unabated over the trail. Ref: www.shepherdcanyon.org/DOWNLOADS/Traffic%20Safety/Figure%205.6%20SC%20Storm_water_Shepherd_Canyon_Road.pdf
FOMRRT and SCHA have identified an existing drainage pipe that crosses under the trail near Bishop's Court and are working with the City on a plan that would re-route rainwater into an existing storm drain pipe rather than having it flow directly onto the trail. This would alleviate mud accumulation and water-caused erosion on the trail.
Flooding on the Railroad Trail Erosion caused by rainwater runoff
ii) Corporation Yard Bend
The second storm drain issue is drainage that comes onto the trail at the bend in the trail above the City Corporation Yard. This rainwater comes from the hillside above the trail and then flows along the trail towards Montclair Village, dumping sediment along the way. Like the problem above, it creates a seasonal muddy mess during rainy seasons and a continuous maintenance headache for city staff. FOMRRT volunteers are investigating options to address this drainage problem.
iii) Tiffany Court
The third drainage problem has resulted in sink holes in the trail near Tiffany Court, which are caused by leakage problems in the main storm drain pipe that runs under Shepherd Canyon Road. There is an "elbow" in the pipe alignment under the road and directly under the trail near Tiffany Lane. This bend in the storm drain pipe leaks, causing underground erosion that leads to sink holes. The City is addressing this problem in the Shepherd Canyon Storm Drain Repair Project.
Item 2 - Guard Rail Replacement between Paso Robles and Saroni
A wooden guard rail running along the Railroad Trail between Paso Robles and Saroni Drive acts as a physical barrier between the pedestrian/bicycle traffic on the trail and vehicular traffic on Shepherd Canyon Road. This railing was installed by a developer as part of a housing project when several homes were built along Shepherd Canyon Road. However, installation of the railing did not follow a proper permitting process. The railing does not meet City codes and it has never been maintained.
A Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment completed by SCHA addresses the problem. The full text can be seen on Page 23 of this Assessment. Pictures of the condition of the decrepit railing can be seen at http://schagallery.shutterfly.com/trafficsafety/50.
Community and Park Planning workshops hosted by SCHA and the City of Oakland identified replacement of the guard rail as a major action item. FOMRRT has also offered support and advocacy, and has worked with the City to come up with a design that has a larger railing on the vehicular side and a smaller railing on the bicycle/pedestrian side. FOMMRT is also working with the City and SCHA to identify sources of funding to implement the new guard rails.
Item 3 - Replacement of 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
Item 4 - Smoother Transition from Snake Bridge to Trail
Community members have raised concerns at FOMRRT public meetings about the unsafe transition from the asphalt trail to the concrete structure of the Snake Road Bridge. The transitions on either end of the bridge create an abrupt obstacle that requires bike riders to dismount in order to cross the bridge. FOMRRT is currently addressing this "ramp issue" and has been successful in getting the City to improve the north ramp of the bridge already (see picture A below). FOMRRT is still working with the City to get the south ramp improved (see picture B below).
