After decades of development, a brand new family campsite will open on Friday on the site of a huge gravel pit right on the waters of San Francisco Bay.

The 60-acre Dumbarton Quarry Campground in Fremont consists of 63 family campsites, a warehouse, showers, playground, picnic areas, and waterfront access in Coyote Hills Regional Park. Campsite reservations opened this week.

“The public has a local destination on the Bayfront that is perfect for urban family camping and is largely privately funded,” Park District Director Ayn Wieskamp said in a statement. “That’s an exciting reason to celebrate.”

East Bay Parks say Dumbarton Quarry is the first urban campground to be developed along the San Francisco Bay and one of the newest major campsites to open in California in three decades.

Dumbarton Quarry campsite.

East Bay Parks

The campsite on the north side of Dumbarton Bridge in Alameda County was a long time coming. Once the site of a quarry 300 feet deep and 1,400 feet wide, the rocks excavated there helped build early highways, bridges, and roads in the Bay Area in the 1950s. Plans to fill the abyss and build a family campsite have been in the works since the 1970s.

In addition to negotiating between the quarry owners, the Oliver DeSilva Company, the City of Fremont, and the East Bay Regional Parks District, the biggest task was to fill the huge hole. It took 12 years to fill the quarry with six million cubic feet of soil from major construction projects in the Bay Area, including the Bart extension to San Jose. The top 50 feet of earth was then compacted with a 10 ton weight suspended from a crane.

Dumbarton Quarry campsite.

East Bay Parks

“This project represents the best of public-private partnerships and is a win-win for the local economy and the environment. This wonderful campsite took maybe 40 years to open, but it was worth the wait, ”added Wieskamp.

An inauguration ceremony with tours and a cutting of the ribbon is planned for Saturday lunchtime.

Campsite fees range from $ 45 to $ 75. To make a reservation at Dumbarton Quarry, visit the East Bay Parks website here.

The post Dumbarton Quarry Campground on the San Francisco Bay is the world’s first new campsite in a long time appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A couple of streetsbloggy messages for your weekend consumption.

Take the vaccine express for your COVID shot:

The transit agencies in the Bay Area have compiled and consolidated information on how to get trains, buses and ferries to vaccination sites.

From the vaccination website “HealthyPlan”:

Public transportation providers in the Bay Area are working hard to ensure coronavirus vaccine (COVID-19) outlets are accessible. Many systems offer free trips to vaccine sales outlets. Some set up shuttle services to the vaccination centers for people without a car or for people who need assistance with mobility.

The website lists vaccination centers that Caltrain, BART, VTA, SFMTA, AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, and SamTrans can access. The trips are free (depending on the operator in one or both directions) with proof of a vaccine appointment. There is also a free shuttle service to the sights. Make sure to check out the page when your appointment comes.

It’s nice to see the Bay Area transit companies working together, if not slightly disappointing that there are still differences in their vaccination pricing policies. Now let’s hope Seamless Bay Area can develop a permanent vaccine to prevent the Bay Area’s 28 independent transit companies from relapsing and doing everything else in their own silos.

Dumbarton rail link finally moving?

A map of the proposed crossing. Note that the rail approaches are already in place, as is a burned-out bridge. Image: SamTrans

It is frankly ridiculous that there is only one level crossing between the entire East Bay and the San Francisco Peninsula, especially when one albeit badly damaged level crossing has been rotting for decades. But there is hope again. A $ 3 billion project under development would rebuild the intersection and provide a transit service in the center of the peninsula. Learn more about the project at a public meeting on Monday March 15th to discuss it.

From a SamTrans press release:

The project is currently in the strategic planning process, with a focus on developing conceptual alternatives to connect Redwood City to Union City via the Dumbarton Rail Corridor. These alternatives are based on the public relations and stakeholder engagement that has taken place over the past two years. SamTrans, which owns the rail corridor, and Facebook are working on developing this alternative analysis to see what a public transportation option using the old rail bridge might look like. This work will be completed by spring 2021. At this point, SamTrans will continue his role as project manager for the region.

The aim is to connect Caltrain, ACE, BART, the Capitol Corridor and California High-Speed ​​Rail. According to SamTrans, they are “working with local and regional funding partners on a funding plan for the future project. Currently, measure W and regional measure 3 contain funds for the project. “

Streetsblog urges proponents to join the virtual community meeting on Monday, March 15th, 6pm to 7.30pm. Link here or use Zoom Webinar ID: 968 8464 7203. Or call (669) 900-6833.

San Francisco Mayor Breed wants to make common spaces permanent.

A “common space” on Taraval. Photo: SFPlanning

Last but not least, Mayor London Breed announced legislation on Friday that would make the “Shared Spaces” program in San Francisco permanent. The program enables companies to set themselves up on sidewalks, curbs or parts of the roadway via a simplified application portal. This has been a lifeline for many restaurants and other small businesses that were otherwise unable to provide food and other goods and services due to the need for social distancing under COVID-19 guidelines.

From the mayor’s statement:

Shared spaces have brought people so much joy and opportunity to safely enjoy their neighborhood and support local businesses in an otherwise incredibly challenging time. They have also been a lifeline for business owners, providing restaurants, cafes, and stores with the space they need to provide outdoor services and keep their businesses going. It was amazing to see people dining and having fun outdoors and I know this program will be an incredible addition to our city as we relax and move forward.

Legislation is supported by supervisors Ahsha Safai, Rafael Mandelman, Catherine Stefani and Matt Haney.

The post Free transit to vaccine facilities, Dumbarton undertaking shifting ahead – Streetsblog San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.