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San Lorenzo Creekway
Building Equitable Active Transportation in Alameda County
Welcome to the San Lorenzo Creekway Virtual Site Tour!
Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (H.A.R.D.) and the Alameda County Flood Control & Water Conservation District (ACFCD) are planning for a new multi-use path along the San Lorenzo Creek. The San Lorenzo Creekway will connect communities in San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, Hayward and Castro Valley.
San Lorenzo Creekway Alignment
The trail will run along the existing channelized creek from the San Francisco Bay all the way to Don Castro Regional Recreation Area with a spur up to Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area. It will be one of the few east-west connections connecting these two major regional draws. On the way, there are many destinations from libraries, schools, parks, retail centers, and transit.
Scroll down to take a virtual site tour of the existing San Lorenzo Creek.
San Lorenzo Creekway Site Tour
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The San Francisco Bay Trail to the East Bay Hills
The San Lorenzo Creekway will connect the mountains to the San Francisco Bay, connecting a vast network of regional pathways.
Video Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRXm9Na7Ibc
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Where the Creekway meets the Bay
The San Lorenzo Creekway goes through many different kinds of environments, from the hills, to a concrete channel. Right next to the bay, the creek (while still channeled) has wetland characteristics.
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Potential to reopen past connections
Historically, the bridge called the Via Barrett Bridge connected San Leandro to Via Barrett in San Lorenzo through the KIPP Academy campus. The Flood Control District closed the northern entrance to the bridge because the KIPP Academy closed its gate south of the bridge. Once the bridge became a dead-end, the District closed the other side to prevent loitering on the structure. If the San Lorenzo Creek Trail is approved with appropriate agreements with HARD for trail operation and maintenance, it may be possible to open the bridge, depending on whether KIPP Academy chooses to open its gate.
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The creek before flood control
Prior to Alameda County Flood Control channelizing the creek, the San Lorenzo Creek meandered through the nearby development. This photograph from the Hayward
(HAHS Collection)
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Flood control construction
In the 1950's, after severe flooding of the Alameda Creek, the Alameda Flood Control District began construction of the San Lorenzo Creek that we know today.
Video Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3P8CzLVf2c
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Washington Ave & I-880
Both Washington Ave and I-880 present two (of several) barriers for the proposed San Lorenzo Creekway. While the highway and large streets are difficult to cross, often nearby areas to these larger streets provide a lot of extra space for public spaces along the Creekway.
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Retail
The Greenhouse Marketplace and nearby stores are examples of some of retail that will be easily reached from the creekway. Destinations include pharmacies and grocery stores.
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San Lorenzo High School
San Lorenzo High School is just one of many schools that are in close proximity to the creekway. Ensuring good connections to schools will be important to the success of the creekway so that more students can walk, bike, and roll to school.
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Meek Estate Park
Located just off the Creekway, Meek Park is one of the larger parks that will be accessible via the Creekway with approximately 10 acres. It is a historically significant park with Meek Mansion but also has playgrounds, picnic tables, and places to walk. There is also a nearby community garden.
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Meek Estate
There was a long history of farming in this area, particularly large scale fruit crops. William Meek, owner and builder of Meek Mansion at Meek Estate Park, was the largest land owner in the area. Due to the many cherry trees he planted, the area became known as Cherryland.
A View of Meek Family Orchards, Mission Blvd. in the foreground taken from Prospect Hill (HAHS Collection)
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Meekland Ave Bridge
Like some other portions of the creekway, the Meekland Ave Bridge clearance is too low to go under Meekland Ave. Therefore, the design team will need to figure out a way to safely cross the street.
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BART & Union Pacific
The Creekway is located near BART and multiple railway corridors. While being in close proximity is great for connection purposes, railways can be dangerous and crossing can pose difficulties if they are not grade-separated . The design team will work to create safe crossings.
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Mission & Mattox
Mission and Mattox is an opportunity to create a mini plaza and entrance to the Creekway. HARD has recently purchased a property to create a park and a housing development is proposed nearby so it has the possibility to be a very well used segment of the Creekway.
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Grove Way & Mission
The entrance at Grove Way and Mission Boulevard will be a key connection to nearby stores and community hubs, like the Eden United Church.
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Hazel Ave
Hazel Ave is a proposed entrance for the San Lorenzo Creekway and has the opportunity to be a larger public space for people to gather with seating, picnic tables, and shade.
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Downtown Hayward
This connection is the closest to BART, providing access to a regional destinations like Oakland and San Francisco. It also has the largest concentration of destinations anywhere along the creekway.
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Japanese Gardens
The Japanese Gardens, the Douglas Morrisson Theater, and the Hayward Area Senior Center are more significant destination along the trail that are all very close to Downtown Hayward. This is also where the San Lorenzo Creekway will cross with the proposed Foothill Trail.
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A Street
After going along the San Lorenzo Creek, the creekway will switch to be on-street. A Street will be upgraded to have wider sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure.
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Grove Way
Just as on A Street, pedestrian and bike improvements for Grove Way will needed to make it safe for people of all ages to make the final connections of the trail.
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Don Castro
Don Castro is a 101-acre park in East Bay Regional Park District. The lagoon and adjacent lake were created when the Alameda Flood Control and Water Conservation District dammed San Lorenzo Creek. People fish, hike, observe nature here.
Learn more here .
Video Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ry-StjzW3Q
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Cull Canyon
The proposed creekway will terminate at Cull Canyon which is on the developing Chabot-to-Garin Regional Trail. Cull Canyon has a lagoon for swimming complete with a sandy beach!
Learn more here .
Want to see more? Check out the full tour here:
More photos of the San Lorenzo Creek
San Lorenzo Creekway Visions
Check out artist renderings of the San Lorenzo Creekway that show the inspiration for what the San Lorenzo Creekway could be. Just slide the bar to see before and after.
The preliminary community vision for where the San Lorenzo Creekway meets the Bay Trail
The preliminary vision for a mid-segment of the San Lorenzo Creekway
Tell us what you think!
Be part of the next piece of history for the San Lorenzo Creekway and tell us what you'd like to see in your neighborhood. What must we include in our design to make a successful and well loved creekway?
Take the survey
To help understand your priorities, HARD and ACFCD have created a survey. Tell us your thoughts.