An unpleasant bike trail in San Jose is now cleaned up and planted
By Dale Bryant
Originally published by Silicon Valley Community Newspapers Nov. 23, 2011.
Until very recently, the bike path along Highway 87, at the point where it opens onto Willow Street was pretty much a bike trail in name only. Because broken glass and debris spread across the path, it was not suitable for bicycling.
Four years ago, Debbie Wade and Deb Hoag, both members of the Almaden Cycle Touring Club, decided it was time to do something about it, so they began organizing monthly cleanup rides in their club. Club members would volunteer to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday sweeping up glass, clearing debris and painting over graffiti.
Club member Marvin Laurence suggested planting a native garden at the end of the trail where it opens onto Willow Street. He contacted the California Native Garden Foundation, headquartered at Middlebrook Gardens, 76 Race Street, San Jose.
The native garden foundation agreed to take it on as a project, and the first step called for cleaning up the area, removing weeds and covering the area with mulch a foot deep. The city’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department helped, and with donated wood chips, the area was ready for planing.
Then, according to Debbie Wade, “It sat for two years.”
Wade learned about a nonprofit organization called CommUniverCity San Jose, a collaborative project of the Five Wounds/Brookwood Terrace communities, San Jose State University and the city of San Jose. She applied for 25 volunteers to help with planting. The Almaden Cycle Touring Club agreed to cover the costs, and the native garden foundation secured the plants.
On Nov. 4, the cleanup, the planting and community effort came together as the planting of the native garden was finally achieved.