Central Sonoma Valley Trail - Background

Project History

This project was initiated by a coalition of community groups, agencies, and elected officials, which lead to development of the Central Sonoma Valley Bikeway Plan in 2001. Groups included the Verano Springs Association, Sonoma Valley Trails Committee, Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Central Sonoma Valley Trail Task Force.

Trail projects are a collaboration between cities, the County, and departments within the County. Regional Parks is responsible for developing the off-street connections (Class I bike paths) and the County's Transportation and Public Works Department is responsible for developing on-street connections (Class II bike lanes and Class III bike routes.)

Trail Segments

The current project consists of constructing three paved trail (Class I bike path) segments:

Sonoma Charter School – Vailetti Property Trail Segment (0.31 miles)

This trail segment starts at Vailetti Drive, continues south through the Sonoma Charter School and Vailetti properties and ends at Depot Road. The Vailetti family and MidPen Housing will construct this trail segment as part of their joint mixed-use development which was approved by the County in 2015. The proposed development includes affordable and senior housing, a retail complex, community garden, and a segment of the Central Sonoma Valley Trail. This trail segment was completed in Spring 2017.

Flowery School Trail Segment (0.11 miles)

This trail segment starts at Larson Park and extends north through Flowery Elementary School to Depot Road. Proposed improvements include a paved path and pedestrian/bicycle bridge crossing Pequeño Creek. In July 2015, the County obtained a public access easement from the Sonoma Valley Unified School District to construct the trail on school property. This trail segment was completed in Fall 2017.

Verano Avenue Trail Segment (0.31 miles)

This trail segment starts at Main Street and continues west on the north side of Verano Avenue to Sonoma Creek. Along this route, there are no sidewalks on either side of the road, but there is a crosswalk connecting to Maxwell Farms Regional Park. The proposed improvements include a paved path separated from traffic on Verano Avenue. All of the improvements will be on County property. This trail segment was completed in Fall 2017.

Project Funding

The DeChene Avenue-Larson Park segment was funded by $50,500 of State Proposition 40, $50,000 of Transportation Development Act Article 3, and $63,000 of Sonoma County's Measure M, a quarter-cent sales tax for transportation improvements approved by voters in 2004.

The Flowery Elementary School and Verano Avenue trail segments are funded by $155,000 from Transient Occupancy Tax, $500,000 from Metropolitan Transportation Commission Lifeline Transportation Program, $100,000 from the local Measure M, and $25,000 from County Park mitigation fees.

The Sonoma Charter School – Vailetti Property Trail Segment is funded by credited County Park mitigation fees. The estimated construction cost for this trail segment is $211,000.