By Ian Thompson | DAILY REPUBLIC | October 23, 2008
Allan and Jennifer Deal, of Benicia, walk on the new McCoy Creek trail in Suisun City after an opening ceremony Thursday morning for the 1/2 mile stretch of trail between Pintail Drive and Highway 12. Allan Deal is a member of the Solano Transportation Authority's pedestrian advisory committee. Photo by Brad Zweerink
SUISUN CITY - It may not rank with Davis as far as being pedestrian and bicyclist friendly, but Suisun City is pushing hard to make itself one of the more bike and pedestrian-friendly cities in Solano County.
City officials opened the first half-mile of the McCoy Creek bicycle and pedestrian trail between Highway 12 and Pintail Drive Thursday. The city's still-growing network of bike paths, which are nearly 3 miles long, will help make Suisun City a healthier city, Mayor Pete Sanchez said.
'The more people that bike and walk, the more healthier they will be,' Sanchez said during a small ribbon-cutting ceremony largely attended by city and Solano Transportation Authority officials.
While Vacaville has nearly nine miles of bike and pedestrian paths, the much smaller Suisun City, with its two miles of bike paths, has most bike paths per street mile.
STA Executive Director Daryl Halls said Suisun City has long been the most dogged in its efforts to create bike paths that will allow residents to cross the city without using their cars.
The cost of the 10-foot-wide trail is $300,000, with the money coming from grants administered by the STA and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
The trail will eventually extend another mile to follow McCoy Creek and Laurel Creek to Blossom Road. There are also longer-range plans to eventually extend it to Railroad Avenue.
Just when the other portion of the bike path, which is divided into three more phases, gets completed entirely depends on when Suisun City gets more grants.
'We are already moving to get funds for phase II,' said Councilman Mike Segala, who is also a member of bicycle advisory committee member.
Councilman Mike Hudson called the latest addition 'a project for the neighborhoods' that will provide more opportunity for exercise and mobility for residents.
This is not the last of the city's bicycle and pedestrian path projects. Crews are laying the foundations for a half-mile bike path and pedestrian bridge that will allow residents to ride from Marina Boulevard to the north end of Main Street.
'We hope to finish it by January,' Public Works Management Analyst Alysa Majer said.
See the complete story at the Daily Republic online.
