The long-desired missing link of the Bob Jones Trail to connect San Luis Obispo with Avila Beach is one small step closer to the finish line.

SLO County supervisors unanimously approved a $1 million contract with the Wallace Group on July 10 to deliver engineering, design, and environmental services for the 4.4-mile bike and pedestrian path, which would start at the Octagon Barn near SLO and merge with the existing trail on Ontario Road. Securing the funds to move the trail project forward has proven difficult over the years, but through a mix of grants and parks funding, the county was finally able to pool the resources needed for the design phase.

click to enlarge Photo Courtesy Of Slo County

CITY TO SEA SLO County entered into a $1 million contract with Wallace Group on July 10 for design work on the final segment of the Bob Jones Trail, mapped here.

The supervisors' decision received resounding support from one future user of the trail.

"If you give the Bob Jones Trail this money, I could ride my bike on the Bob Jones Trail to the beach from my house easily, on a trail that's only for bikes and pedestrians," 7-year-old Cadence Flickinger said during public comment.

Design work on the trail is expected to take roughly a year, according to the county. It includes mapping three bridges over San Luis Creek, a Highway 101 undercrossing, and obtaining approval from property owners along the path.

"We have a few hurdles for where we're going to place the trail," Public Works Director Colt Esenwein said.

Esenwein said the county is applying for state transportation grants to help offset the estimated $10 million in construction costs. The Bob Jones Trail was given top priority by the county out of six bike trail projects ranked for grant funding.

"We're hopeful the Bob Jones Trail will compete well," he said. Δ