A planned trail from Fresno’s Manchester Center to the Old Town Trail in Clovis is delayed because of miscommunication over whether Fresno County’s transportation tax could fund it.
According to a report from Nexstar, the $22 million trail has a quarter-mile gap near Fresno Yosemite International Airport that is owned by the railroad, keeping the trail from getting finished.
The backstory: After being in the works for years, Fresno unveiled the plan for the Midtown Trail in 2016.
- The trail was planned to span seven miles and start at Manchester Center and connect to the existing Old Town Trail that begins on Clovis Ave. between Shields and Dakota avenues.
- Construction started in 2022 with an estimated completion date at the end of 2025. While Fresno is responsible for constructing the sale, some Measure C funding is supporting its construction. Measure C is the half-cent transportation tax that is managed by the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA).
The big picture: The Midtown Trail currently stops at the Valero gas station at the southwest corner of Clovis and Shields avenues.
- On the northeast corner lies a quarter-mile stretch currently managed by the San Joaquin Valley Railroad, right in the path of the trail. Union Pacific Railroad actually owns the land and essentially leases it out to San Joaquin Valley Railroad.
- Officials have known about the railroad for years, and despite that, the FCTA has advertised the trail connecting to the Clovis trail.
Zoom in: Nexstar pointed out that Measure C advertised on social media twice last year that the trails will connect, even though there has been no progress to resolve the quarter-mile gap.
What they’re saying: A Measure C official told Nexstar that the “FCTA miscommunicated the status of the Midtown Trail and the connection with Clovis’ Old Town Trail.”
- Fresno Public Works Director Scott Mozier told the Fresno City Council that the city has been transparent throughout the process about the quarter-mile gap. Mozier said the city has applied for grants for the quarter-mile stretch that were ultimately not funded. The city has also been unable to obtain approvals to do any rails-to-trails conversions or acquire the right of way. Mozier also noted that there have been challenges on the west side of the street to acquire any right of way from the Air National Guard.
- “We have a seven-mile trail, and ultimately there is a goal of closing that last quarter-mile gap,” Mozier said.
- If the city is unable to acquire the right of way for the land, Mozier told the council that the city would pursue an alternate route.
