Work is nearly complete on a new bike and walking path in Balboa Park. The 26th Street Trail project started earlier this year and will connect Golden Hill to the heart of Balboa Park.
On Wednesday, California Conservation Corps (CCC) crews were busy installing new fencing along 26th Street to protect trail users from car traffic. The trail improvements started in April and will make it easier to get from Golden Hill to the park's main trails.
Jackie Higgins recalls what this trail used to look like.
“It was really deteriorated, a lot of erosion and actually quite dangerous in some areas,” said Higgins who is a landscape architect and Vice President of Planning at the non-profit, Forever Balboa Park.
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Neighbors like Higgins remember when the trail was barely walkable.
The CCC cleared brush from the area. They widened the trail and stabilized it with granite. Now it can be used by walkers, cyclists, and people in wheelchairs. The work crews also installed three new wooden bridges.
“It’s really cool to see them walk on the bridge that we built. We did that. It feels like it pays off,” said Ashley Salazar, a member of the CCC.
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The construction work by CCC is not only making the area around Balboa Park safer, but it’s proving to be an opportunity for the members of this crew.
“I like working out here. It’s really nice. You have nice weather, the sun. It’s not an office job. Just being out here with my crew. I enjoy it very much,” said Jose Uriate, a CCC crewmember.
Uriate has been working with the CCC for about five months and is hoping to turn it into a career with Cal Fire.
As the young workers look toward their future, they're helping to build a safer city.
The 26th Street Trail Project is one of several improvement projects underway, or recently completed around Balboa Park.
The new trail on 26th Street cost $383,000. It was funded by the California Transportation Commission. CCC worked with Forever Balboa Park and the City of San Diego on the project.
