What Is CYCLE?
Community Youth Council for Leadership & Education (CYCLE) is working to revitalize the City of Richmond by transforming an abandoned Santa Fe railroad corridor into a linear park.

Traversing the heart of Richmond, CYCLE's Central Richmond Greenway will convert a 2.5-mile tract of blighted land into a park filled with pedestrian and bicycle paths, community gardens, basketball courts, and playgrounds.

In its final form, the Greenway will run alongside Baxter Creek through the property south of Angelo's Delicatessen and connect with the end of the Ohlone Greenway in El Cerrito, just south of Albertson's.

Part of Richmond's Coronado Neighborhood Council, CYCLE provides job training and educational opportunities for Richmond youth ages 10 to 24. Led by Project Director Judith Henderson, young people are working to restore local creeks, develop community gardens, clean up vacant lots, and plan the Central Richmond Greenway.

Where Will the Greenway Run?
Santa Fe's abandoned railroad right of way runs westward from San Pablo Ave. near MacDonald Ave. to Garrard Blvd. within the vacant area bounded by Ohio and Chanslor Sts.

Friends of Baxter Creek is working to extend the Ohlone Greenway along the creek to connect with the easternmost point of the Central Richmond Greenway near San Pablo and MacDonald Aves.

Who's Involved in the Project?
To help move the project forward, CYCLE has joined forces with the following partners: City of Richmond, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Urban Ecology, National Park Service, California Center for Land Recycling, East Bay Bicycle Coalition, East Bay Regional Park District, Oasis, and West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee.

In 1999, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission awarded a $50,000 grant to CYCLE and its partners for a community planning and design process for the proposed greenway. Assemblywoman Dion Aroner and State Senator Don Perata helped secure another $50,000 in matching funds to help complete the process.

How Will the Greenway Improve My Life?

• Economy. Many rail-to-trail projects, including Walnut Creek's Iron Horse Trail and the Lafayette-Moraga Trail in Eastern Contra Costa County, are proving to be economically beneficial to their communities. By attracting local tourism, greenways provide opportunities for new businesses such as restaurants, bicycle shops, and sporting goods stores. Trails enhance neighborhoods by attracting new development and raising property values.
• Community. Local parks and community gardens provide places for people of different backgrounds to interact. The process of developing and maintaining parks brings communities together around a shared vision. Greenways become hands-on educational resources for residents to learn about their cities and the local environment.
• Environment. By increasing vegetation, greenways boost production of oxygen, absorb airborne particles, and attract a rich variety of wildlife. Car traffic is reduced as more and more residents use the trail to reach schools, libraries, transit hubs, and shopping districts by foot or bicycle.
• Health and Safety. Local parks contribute to the health of communities by increasing the likelihood that residents will participate in moderate exercise. Greenways provide easily accessible, safe, and beautiful places for all kinds of physical activity. When regularly used by walkers, bicyclists, and gardeners, greenways discourage activities like drug dealing and illegal dumping.

What’s Been Done So Far?
To create a Greenway shaped by nearby residents, CYCLE is working with neighborhood council districts bordering the Greenway to convene a series of design workshops for gathering community input. CYCLE is also meeting with civic groups to determine how to:

• Link the Greenway to public facilities and the regional Bay Trail system;
• Develop economic opportunities on adjacent land; and
• Display the history and culture of Richmond along the trail.

CYCLE youth have been creating a city-funded community garden at 20th St. between Ohio and Chanslor Sts. Shrubs and trees have been planted in this garden for eventual transplanting along the Greenway.

How Can I Get Involved?
Anyone who cares about the future of Richmond is encouraged to participate in the Central Richmond Greenway community design process. For more information, send CYCLE an e-mail message, write 342 11th St., Richmond, CA 94801, or call (510) 233-1415.