THE PATHS

Path list

Path photographs

Path locations

Path building

Path maintenance

Path stories

Santa Fe Right-of-way

Path data:

Photos (click on thumbnail to display photo):

no photos yet

Santa Fe Right of Way Opens for Six Month Trial by Susan Schwartz
Berkeley Path Wanderers Association Newsletter -- Spring 2007 -- Vol. 10 No. 1

The Santa Fe Right of Way, the old rail corridor that in Berkeley runs north-south, west of Sacramento Street, is now open from University Avenue all the way to McDonald and San Pablo Avenues in Richmond. The last remaining barrier, a fence just north of Lincoln Street in Berkeley, was opened in March for a six-month trial to assess the impact of the change on nearby neighborhoods. Path Wanderers should be sure to explore this enjoyable, level 4.5-mile route.

Known as the Ohlone Greenway north of North Berkeley BART, this long strip of real estate was once used by an 1880s, narrow-gauge railway that was supposed to run to mining boom towns in the Sierras. Those tracks never got past Orinda, however, and, at the turn of the Century, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway -- called simply the Santa Fe -- bought the right of way in order to extend its tracks from its Point Richmond terminus to Oakland.

As rail traffic declined in the 1960s, the Santa Fe sought in vain to sell the forty-foot wide right of way and, finally, in 1979, virtually gave its property in Berkeley to the city. BART took over the portion north of where the North Berkeley Station now stands. Albany and El Cerrito built pedestrian and bicycle trails under the rails that run through those towns, and a number of creek-restoration and other community projects now dot the route. In Berkeley, the trail is flanked by community gardens and fascinating public art, and Strawberry Creek Park with its pioneer daylighting of Strawberry Creek, was developed in the 1980s in what had been the Santa Fe railroad yard.

More recently, Spiral Gardens opened a nursery and community garden at Sacramento. Berkeley Community Orchard Project will soon beginning planting trees between Ward and Carleton Streets; neighbors have turned the block between Carleton and Park into an informal dog park; and Berkeley Youth Alternatives has established a community garden on the block south of Bancroft. At the urging of Berkeley Partners for Parks, the city earlier this year completed a wide bicycle-pedestrian trail from University Avenue to Delaware Street, complete with a special mid-block crossing light at the old Santa Fe Station, now Berkeley Montessori School, on the south side of University Avenue. Planning is underway to open the trail west of the school to connect it to Strawberry Creek Park. And Berkeley Partners for Parks is seeking financing for a master plan for the trail.

The newly opened fence had separated the right of way from basketball courts and a satellite parking lot for BART riders. That fence was installed years ago to discourage crime. Ironically, the resulting cul-de-sac seemed to attract illegal camping. Berkeley Path Wanderers and some neighbors lobbied the Berkeley Parks Commission to install a gate in the fence, but other neighbors protested that removing the fence would increase problems in the area. As a compromise, the Parks Commission voted in December [2006] to open the fence for a six-month trial to start when Daylight Savings Time began [in 2007].