Lodi cycling group hopes unused rail line can become new bike, pedestrian trail
Bike Lodi members Doug Bojack and Jeff Pell will present the idea of turning Lodi’s unused Union Pacific spur line extending from Lockeford Street to Woodbridge into a bike trail during a Lodi City Council shirtsleeve session set for Tuesday morning.
According to Bojack, the presentation will inform the council on the current status of the spur line and propose the idea of converting the rail to a dedicated bike and pedestrian trail that will connect Woodbrige and Lodi Lake with the Downtown and the Heritage District.
“We envision it with an alleyway of trees on either side of the path, along with nice landscaping and beautification,” Bojack said
The spur line currently serves the former General Mills site. However, it has not been utilized since General Mills closed. Bojack and Pell say they will not advocate for the project if rail service remains viable to the site, now owned by Bond Manufacturing.
“We want to be very clear that Bike Lodi does not advocate for the abandonment of rail service,” Pell said. “We do not wish to see this line disappear. If there is a chance that freight service can be restored, we would favor that, but we also know there is the possibility that the railroad could seek abandonment. We want the city to be aware of this and be in a position to where they can move forward and acquire the corridor.”
Because it’s been more than two years since there has been traffic on the line, it qualifies for a class 1 exemption abandonment, Pell said — but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Union Pacific would abandon the line.
Bojack hopes the council will authorize city staff to begin planning for the project if rail service is no longer viable.
“I want the city to be in a position so that if and when the Union Pacific no longer uses the spur line, they know what to do and what they would like to see happen with that area of the city,” Bojack said.
Bojack and Pell will also inform council on how the city could acquire the spur line — either by a donation or a process called rail banking, Bojack said. Through rail banking, the city would have indefinite use of the right of way until the railroad needs the line again.
The pair also have ideas for how the greenline project could be funded. Bojack plans to tell the council about options for grant funding and state and federal monies that are available for this type of project.
“In this initial planning stages, it shouldn’t cost the city anything, but there is money out there that the City of Lodi can go after. Bike Lodi is ready and willing to assist with the grant writing to secure that funding,” Bojack said.
Bojack shared the success of a similar project in Manteca and another in Sacramento. According to Bojack, Manteca had a similar project completed about 15 years ago called Manteca the Tidewater Bike Way. Sacramento has a similar project involving a spur line running through residential neighborhoods.
During the meeting, Pell will give the council some historical background on the railroad. According to Pell, the spur line predates the city and is the last remnant of what was once known as the San Joaquin and Sierra Nevada Railroad. It was built in 1882 by Jacob Brack a local entrepreneur.
“Trains have been running on that corridor for over 135 years, and at one time the trains ran from Brack’s Landing to the Foothills,” Pell said.
The historical significance of the right of way would be the highlight to the project, Bojack said.
According to Bojack, turning the rail into a greenline is important because the city prides itself on its livability. Not only would the greenline increase livability, he said, it also would provide a number of benefits.
“They provide an economic benefit of increasing home values and sales tax receipts,” Bojack said. “People visit from out of town to experience these types of amenities. It will connect Downtown Lodi and the businesses there with one of the biggest regional draws in Lodi which is the lake. It would connect the Downtown to the Woodbridge area.”
He felt the greenline trail would also create a community identity. According to Bojack, the spur line is dead space in the community, but that would change if an effort was made to beautify it.
Pell suggested that the greenline would get more people to ride their bikes.
“I think it would be a great addition to Lodi and our growing popularity in bicycling,” Pell said. “It would be a class 1 bike path that would be separate from the roads, so that means it would be a path for bicycles and pedestrians. There wouldn’t be any cars. That’s one of the biggest drawbacks to getting more people bicycling locally . ... We feel that, in addition to bike lanes around town, a separate bike path would go a long way toward getting people out on their bikes and giving them the feeling of their personal safety.”