NAPA VALLEY VINE TRAIL COALITION       WALK   RIDE   LIVE   2012 WINTER QUARTERLY E-NEWS  GROW   MOVE   LAND  Happy 2012 to all our members and supporters!       WHO WE ARE The Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition is a community-supported nonprofit working to create a continuous 44-mile walking/biking trail system connecting the Napa Valley like never before—from the Vallejo Ferry Terminal to the foot of Mt. St. Helena in Calistoga. Together we are building a Napa Valley future that is safer, greener, healthier, more economically vital…and more FUN for people of all ages and abilities.    ONE TRAIL…CONNECTING PEOPLE & PLACES, CULTURE & COMMERCE, RESIDENTS & VISITORS. 2011 ACCOMPLISHMENTS  Our 3rd year saw tremendous progress towards bringing the Vine Trail vision to reality—and we couldn’t have done it without our amazing  members and supporters! See some of the year’s highlights below. Big appreciation to our hardworking board and committees–Route, Capital Campaign, Marketing/Business Partnerships–for your time, creativity, and dedication. 2012 OUTLOOK NEW CONSTRUCTION: After the excitement of two ribbon cuttings in October 2010, we are finally looking forward to more construction in 2012! This section, along Solano Avenue, will connect the Yountville Mile south toward the existing Napa Commuter Trail, which crosses over Hwy 29, paralleling the Wine Train tracks,  into downtown Napa near the Oxbow. FEDERAL POLICY: 2012 promises some serious challenges to federal funding assistance for active transportation–safe pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. We will keep you informed of developments and might ask your help several times this year to write or sign letters to key decision makers. VINE TRAIL OUTREACH & PRESENTATIONS: In 2011, the Vine Trail set up tables and shared our vision with thousands of folks at gatherings such as Cheers! St. Helena, Harvest Festivals, Oxbow Locals Night, and with speaker presentations for service clubs and professional gatherings. If YOU have a suggestion of an event for us to calendar or would like to help us organize speaking to your group or event, please contact Shannon@vinetrail.org.    DONATE OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP The Vine Trail’s ranks of members and supporters have grown to over 5,000 since we started in 2008. THANK YOU for your support and advocacy! Your dollars and volunteer hours are at the core of our ability to bring this ambitious plan to reality. PLEASE CONSIDER A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TODAY TO BECOME A MEMBER OR CONTINUE YOUR ACTIVE SUPPORT OF THE NAPA VALLEY VINE TRAIL.  We also greatly appreciate our business partner donations through such programs as Patagonia’s 1% For the Planet (THANKS Sportago, A Man’s Store, Massican Winery and more!) orNapa Valley Coffee Roasting Company’sdelicious custom “Vine Trail BLAZER Blend” availableonline or in the Napa or St Helena stores. Our capital campaign to raise $20 million in private funding is kicking into high gear in 2012. If you know someone or some group we should reach out to for major gifts, please let us know! You may donate directly to the Vine Trail with your credit card or Paypal account.  More info here or contact Operations Director Shannon Kuleto, shannon@vinetrail.org http://vinetrail.org/advocate/donate/ P.O. Box 93, Saint Helena, CA 94574       Charitable Tax ID 26-3426758 THE YOUNTVILLE MILE, the Vine Trail’s first completed portion, hosted many users and events in 2011 to rave reviews. We even welcomed federal Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Congressman Mike Thompson for a site visit in May where the secretary delivered remarks on the importance of bike and pedestrian trail funding and took a walking tour of the “Yountville Mile.”  VINE TRAIL WINS $2.5 MILLION IN FEDERAL TCSP FUNDING In August 2011, we were thrilled to make the grade in a tough national competition for federal funds.  These dollars, in combination with other funds, including Vine Trail philanthropic donations, will allow Napa County to begin building the Vine Trail to connect Yountville to the City of Napa along Solano Avenue.  “This grant provides the pivotal funding to connect 60% of Napa County’s population together between Yountville and the City of Napa on a safe walking and biking trail separated from Highway 29,” said Vine Trail Executive Director Chuck McMinn.  WE HOPE FOR GROUNDBREAKING LATE SPRING 2012 ALONG SOLANO. ROUTE ALIGNMENT The Engineering Committee, ably led by trail planner Philip Sales, worked long volunteer hours in 2011 and will be rolling out results in 2012, including section maps, a design manual, kiosk/rest stop design (special thanks to the work of design firm 38 Spatial), more finely tuned cost estimates & other details. The Vine Trail is being designed in full cooperation with all the Valley’s communities, governments and the Ag Preserve. It is the key connector in the Napa Countywide Bicycle Plan (NCTPA) and the Napa Valley Trails Master Plan (NCRPOSD). 44-MILES DIVIDED INTO TEN AVA/CITY SECTIONS The Napa Valley is world-famous, above all, for its vineyards and their appellations.  To reflect this unique sense of place, ten sections of the Vine Trail’s 44 miles will be named for the city or vineyard AVA (American Viticultural Area or sub-appellations) the trail passes through.  Each section offers a donor pledging $1M high visibility recognition on all Way-Finding Signs in that section, on Vine Trail maps and on-line.  These ten sections will also add safety and convenience for all Vine Trail travelers. CALISTOGA Section ST. HELENA Section RUTHERFORD Section OAKVILLE Section YOUNTVILLE Section OAK KNOLL DISTRICT Section CITY of NAPA/COOMBSVILLE Section LOS CARNEROS Section AMERICAN CANYON Section VALLEJO Section The new construction south of Yountville along Solano, for instance, will be part of the “Oak Knoll District Section” of the Vine Trail.  VINE TRAIL OCTOBER BIRTHDAY & MEMBER APPRECIATION PARTY We had so much fun at our 3rd birthday party on the beautiful Riverbend Plaza on the Napa River Trail behind the historic Hatt Building in Napa that we are planning to do it all again for our 4th birthday! SAVE THE DATE—Friday, October 12, 2012– VINE TRAIL 4TH BIRTHDAY & MEMBER APPRECIATION PARTY Have you had a chance to check out the pictures from our 3rd Birthday Party?  Thanks again to our great guests,  donors and volunteers–and special thanks to those of you, members old and new, who match all three categories!   For up-to-the minute news about the progress of the Vine Trail, or to share your news and photos, please follow us on Facebook!  For those of you not on FB, you can now follow our Facebook posts right on ourwebsite, without the need to be a Facebook member! http://vinetrail.org/ HAPPY TRAILS IN 2012…AS WE MOVE AND IMPROVE OUR LIVES!

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__________________________________

ANNOUNCEMENT: Public forum on Light Rail feasibility Mon 9/26 5:30 YVL PUBLIC INPUT SESSION Monday 9/26, 5:30-7:00 Yountville Community Center.

Is a light rail system on the Wine Train tracks synergistic with the Vine Trail?  Is it feasible and safe? The newly formed Napa Transit Investors (NTI) is exploring the possibilities over the next two months. There will be a public input session next Monday 9/26 from 5:30-7:00pm at the Yountville Community Center Heritage Room open to everyone who would like to know more, add comments, or raise questions and concerns.

NTI president Chuck McMinn, who is also founder and president of the non-profit Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition, will lead the discussion along with NTI founder Keith Rogal.

This effort is important to Vine Trail supporters as this transit option intends to integrate completion of the Vine Trail along the full extent of the Wine Train corridor, from Kennedy Park/Napa to Deer Park/St Helena, and would offer substantial intermodal connections with the Vine Trail, such as easy on/easy off for cyclists.

Please join this conversation as the citizens of Napa County seek to understand if light rail is something our community would like to see.

CONTACT: Keith Rogal
Founder, Napa Transit Investors
707-251-0123
keith@rogal.net

CONTACT: Chuck McMinn
President, Napa Transit Investors
707-967-5410
chuck@vineyard29.com

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The Napa Valley Vine Trail will be receiving $2.5 million in federal transportation funding for a bike trail between Napa and Yountville, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena announced Friday.

The money will be used to construct the Solano Avenue section of the trail between north Napa and Yountville.

The project is already under design, with the prospect that construction could start next year, said Paul Price, executive director of the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency.

Once completed, the Vine Trail will span 44 miles — from Calistoga to the Vallejo Ferry Building — giving pedestrians and bicyclists across the valley a clean and reliable form of transportation.

“The Napa Valley Vine Trail is exactly the kind of smart, targeted investment that will strengthen our economy while improving the quality of life in our local communities,” Thompson said in a statement. “Thanks to the generosity of the Department of Transportation and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, we’re one step closer to making this forward-thinking transportation project a reality.”

Friday’s announcement comes less than three months after Thompson and LaHood toured the Yountville Mile section of the trail, which was officially opened to the public earlier this year.

Vine Trail organizers say that the funding will go a long way toward to the goal of linking the city of Napa with Yountville in the north. (read more…)

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A Napa Valley trail? Yes, we can!

By Juliane Poirier

I’ve never met Chuck McMinn in person, but we’ve both asked the same question when enjoying multi-use trails in other communities: “Why can’t we do this in the Napa Valley?”

Now, thanks to McMinn and others, we can. As word gets out (email fans exceed 5,000) and donors step forward, the Napa Valley Vine Trail will be built in sections over about 10 years—a 44-mile multi-use path that starts in Vallejo and runs the length of the entire Napa Valley, making it possible for San Francisco visitors to get off a ferry in Vallejo and bike or walk all the way to the foot of Mount St. Helena in Calistoga.

Shared equally between local residents and the 4.7 million visitors traversing the Napa Valley each year, the Vine Trail could eliminate an estimated 150,000 car trips per year. “We will get to enjoy this beautiful place without having to see it only through the window of a car,” McMinn tells the Bohemian. “And the path is for all abilities, including moms with strollers, kids on tricycles and people in wheelchairs—not just those Spandex-wearing bike riders.”

Eschewing Spandex himself, McMinn didn’t even own a bicycle when he got the trail project rolling. He simply liked the idea of a walkway for public use. “When I’d ask why we couldn’t have a path through the Valley,” says McMinn, “people would say, ‘Great idea, but the wine industry would never let it happen.’”

Yet—who knew?—it was the Napa Valley Vintners Association in 2008 who plunked down the first $5,000 donation to create the Vine Trail nonprofit, of which McMinn is now (unpaid) director. The second $5,000 of support came from the Land Trust of Napa County, and the third from the Napa Valley Grapegrowers Association. Supporters of the Vine Trail now include nearly every community sector from the sheriff’s department to the local Sierra Club.

McMinn, a vineyard and winery owner of Vineyard 29 north of St. Helena, says his nonprofit is eager to partner with all five municipalities and the County to help complete environmental reviews and about a third of the engineering documents to get the project “shovel ready” and eligible for federal and state grant money. Cost sharing will be critical for this $50 million project, although $1.5 million has already been raised without much strain. “We haven’t even begun our fundraising,” explained McMinn, who expects to raise $12.5 million for construction and $7.5 million for an endowment to cover maintenance.

“This is a legacy project for the Napa Valley,” declares McMinn. “It will benefit our kids and our grandkids.” And though it may not make him a Spandex guy, McMinn does at least own a bicycle now—a gift presented, good-humoredly, by the Vine Trail board.

To support the Vine Trail, visit www.vinetrail.org.

Send a letter to the editor about this story.

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The Vine Trail’s ranks of members and supporters have grown to over 3,000 since we started in September 2008. THANK YOU for your support and advocacy! Your dollars and volunteer hours are at the core of our ability to bring this ambitious plan to reality.

The Coalition is our grassroots effort to implement the Napa Greenway Feasibility Study, a study commissioned by the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency that outlines a plan for a multi-use trail from Calistoga to Vallejo.  The northern portion of trail implementation runs from the Napa bike trail at Trancas Street and Highway 29 in Napa, to the Calistoga Bike Trail at Dunaweal Lane in Calistoga – a distance of 22 miles. The route here will follow Highway 29 and the Wine Train tracks.

The southern portion of the Vine Trail extends from Trancas and Highway 29 southeast across Napa, along the Wine Train Tracks to Soscal Avenue, and then south along the river through Kennedy Park to American Canyon.  From there, both a river route and an inland route are under investigation to meet up with the existing biking and hiking path in Vallejo that currently ends at the intersection of Highways 29 and 37.

We want to make this effort as open and available as possible to the entire valley community and so have created this website to communicate up to the minute information on what’s happening. The downside of course, is that this information will change over time, and often.  Our modest disclaimer: though you’ve seen it here, it may not be a done deal. All the more reason for the most open of communication lines; we’ll continue to rely on your comments on every aspect of what we are doing.  Please send us your thoughts, suggestions and ideas… the Vine Trail is for you!

Throughout this process we pledge to the community that:

• The process will be open and inclusive
• No vineyard land will be taken out of production
• All easements, use agreements, etc. will be voluntary
• Provisions will be made for ongoing maintenance & upkeep
• The result will be as beautiful as our Napa Valley

For an in-depth look at the goals and processes of the coalition and the Vine Trail, please peruse The Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition Case Statement here.

A week ago, a mile of the planned Calistoga-to-Vallejo Vine Trail was dedicated in Yountville.

On Wednesday, another 1.8-mile link — the so-called commuter bike path through the heart of Napa along Napa Valley Wine Train tracks — was ceremoniously opened.

Built by the city, the Napa trail is a mini-freeway for two-wheeled, people-powered vehicles and pedestrians running from Redwood Road at Highway 29 to Vallejo Street at Soscol Avenue near downtown.

The idea of converting a portion of the Wine Train right of way to a bike path was first conceived 17 years ago by former Public Works Director Mike O’Bryon. Wine Train’s founder, Vincent DeDomenico, was an early supporter.

O’Bryon realized that a large swath of Wine Train land could be better used, but it took years of planning and fundraising to make it happen, current Public Works Director Jacques LaRochelle said.

The bike path is noteworthy for having its own bridge across the freeway. The span was built as part of the Highway 29/Trancas Street interchange project.

Cyclists have the ability to trigger traffic lights at both Jefferson Street and Lincoln Avenue, enabling them to cross major roadways safely.

At Wednesday’s dedication, cycling advocate Mark Lucas said facilities like the railroad bike path may help to get people out of their cars to do chores close to home.

Including the freeway overcrossing, the 1.8-mile bike path cost $5.4 million, virtually all of it from state grants, officials said.

Ghilotti Construction Co. of Santa Rosa built the final two-thirds of a mile for $1 million, including the traffic signal at Lincoln.

Napa Councilmember Jim Krider remembered operating a bike shop in Napa 30 years ago when a facility like a dedicated bike path would have been considered a “dream.”

“We’re getting to where we wanted to be,” Krider said.

Chuck McMinn, executive director of the Napa Valley Wine Trail Coalition, said Napa was the valley’s leader in bike trails. When a planned trail is built by the flood control project between downtown and Imola Avenue, the city will have seven of the Vine Trail’s nine miles of trail, he said.

“What a great example the city of Napa has set for what we now need to do everywhere in the Napa Valley,” McMinn said.

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In what will be remembered as the first section of trail built with the goal of linking two ends of the Napa Valley, the town of Yountville officially opened an almost mile-long portion of the Napa Valley Vine Trail.

Affectionately known as the “Yountville mile,” the section actually spans 4,500 feet — from California Drive in the south to Madison Street in the north — treating riders to tree tunnels, shaded stretches and views of the valley’s scenic hills.

Graham Wadsworth, Yountville’s public works director, explained that the project cost $1.3 million, with $300,000 coming from the town and $1 million from federal stimulus dollars.

“This project is emblematic of exactly what we wanted the stimulus bill to do,” said Brian Bottari of Rep. Mike Thompson’s office. He said the project not only put people back to work, but provided the town with something beneficial once the job was done.

Wadsworth said 40 area residents — many of whom had gone without a job for six months — were put to work for the four months needed to complete the path.

Yountville Mayor Cynthia Saucerman said that while the majority of people visiting the Napa Valley come for the food and drink, the new trail will provide guests with a special way to enjoy the valley’s scenic landscapes.

“This project gives visitors an opportunity to experience the Napa Valley from a very different perspective,” she said. The trail parallels Highway 29 on the east side.

While various bike trails exist throughout the region, the “Yountville mile” is the first section to be built and “branded” to the specifications that will be used in future sections of the 44-mile Napa Valley Vine Trail, which hopes to link Calistoga to the Vallejo ferry terminal.

“We have a new development,” said Chuck McMinn, executive director of the Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition. “It’s 44 miles of trail and this the model home.”

During Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, more than 50 people gathered at the northern trailhead, many of them patiently straddling bicycles — either their own or  borrowed from the nearby Napa Valley Bike Tours building — waiting to take part in the first official ride of the “Yountville mile.”

“The Town of Yountville undertook a huge task for such a small town,” said Jim Krider, chairman of the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency. “They pulled it off with great style.”

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• Path is open from sunrise to sunset.
• Motor vehicles are not permitted on the path.
• Pick up after yourself and your pet.
• Dogs must be kept on a leash.
• No open alcoholic beverages allowed.
• Stay off trees.
• Respect your neighbors – stay on trail and out of private property

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(Re-printed from a recent article in the North Bay Business Journal)

NAPA – A 44-mile mixed-use path for pedestrians and cyclists that would run the length of the Napa Valley and eventually connect to the ferry terminal in Vallejo is under way, and funding efforts are being ramped up as the proposal aimed at luring tourists and providing alternative transportation routes gains traction.

The Napa Valley Vine Trail not long ago received a key endorsement from the region’s influential agricultural groups, and construction has been completed on several parts of the trail, according to Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition Operations Director Shannon Kuleto.

The Vine Trail coalition, representing about 18 agencies involved in the planning, design and funding, anticipates that the path could generate as much as $75 million per year in ongoing economic impact as well as provide jobs for 60 people per mile throughout construction. It would also potentially replace the need for 150,000 automobile trips while enhancing bicycle safety.

According to the Napa Valley Vine Trail  Case Statement, prepared by the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency and the Vine Trail coalition, Napa Valley “is the second-highest bicycle accident rate per capita of the nine Bay Area counties and a poor environment for non-motorized transportation.” The statement also notes that the county is restricted in building new roads that would alleviate traffic because of it Agricultural Preserve.

The transportation and planning Agency commissioned a $100,000 feasibility study in 2007, and the county Board of Supervisors passed a resolution supporting the trail in May.

Construction of the trail is expected to cost about $44 million over 10 years – or $1 million per mile, Ms. Kuleto said, adding that the scope of the trail, while challenging, has mostly been met with positive reaction and support in all five Napa County cities as well is in Solano County.

Funding will consist of about an 80 percent mix of public money and 20 percent in private funds raised by the Vine Trail coalition. Sections of the trail that were deemed “shovel-ready” by this September were eligible for federal stimulus monies allocated for transit projects that reduce  carbon emissions or provide alternative transportation methods.

Napa Valley Vine Trail runs through Yountville.

The section in Yountville met those requirements and received $1 million in stimulus funds. It will open at the end of September.  St. Helena’s 4-to-5 mile stretch will be shovel-ready by the end of the year. Construction is also under way in the city of Napa, where portions of the trail will overlap with the already-existing Bay Trail.

Public funding for the remainder of the project will likely come from the federal government’s next round of transportation funding, during which billions of dollars will be allocated nationwide. Napa County is optimistic it will receive the financial support needed, said Eliot Hurwitz, a program manager for the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency.

“We’re expecting multi-use trails like this will get a much higher percentage than they normally do,” he said.

Environmental reports may need to be conducted for each city, Mr. Hurwitz said, and will be done so as each phase of construction comes.

Ms. Kuleto said it was too early to determine whether the project would require an environmental impact review but noted the trail is already within transit corridors.

“Because of where most of the route will be following, it’s not going to be in pristine areas of construction that would trigger the most stringent EIRs,” she said.

“We’re putting together this string of pearls, and they’re pretty wide ranging,” she added.

Mr. Hurwitz said as much preliminary planning as possible is being done before a determination is made on the federal dollars.

The Vine Trail coalition has met with Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and other government officials to discuss the federal funding and will continue to do so this week. The coalition is also hoping to raise $20 million in private funding from 2010 through 2013 to match whatever public funding it receives.

In May, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Napa Valley Vintners, Winegrowers of Napa County and the Napa County Farm Bureau all threw their support behind the plan after concerns about the county’s agricultural preserve were allayed by those involved with the planning, said Jennifer Putnam, executive director for the Grapegrowers and a founding member of the Vine Trail coalition.

“We would have a place where visitors could enjoy the valley without a vehicle and also for the locals,” Ms. Putnam said. “Its purpose would make it appealing for tourists and functional for residents.”

The sheer size of the project, involving two counties and five different municipalities, was not lost on proponents, and the seeming sense of consensus is reflected in the number of agencies and groups involved from the very start, Ms. Kuleto said.

Whereas other land-use proposals in Napa County have been contentious, the concerns surrounding the 44-mile path have so far been overcome. Outreach work will continue for those who still express lingering land-use issues.

“If you look at the size of the board … to see them all working together is quite inspiring,” Ms. Kuleto said. “There are a lot of watchdogs that are making sure no one camel gets its nose under the tent. It serves no one’s interest to violate the ag preserve.” Ms. Kuleto also said no vines will be taken out of production for construction on the path.

The Vine Trail coalition has offered to put up half of the money for preliminary design work in St. Helena for its design to reach 35 percent completion, and funding for design in Vallejo will be 100 percent provided by the coalition, Mr. Hurwitz said. The trail in Vallejo will connect to the ferry terminal, providing a crucial link to San Francisco.

Article printed from North Bay Business Journal: http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com

URL to article: http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/24362/44-mile-bike-pedestrian-path-under-way/

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Executive Director Chuck McMinn introduced the Vine Trail’s new Operations Director, Shannon Kuleto, before presenting an informative overview of the Vine Trail’s vision, master plan and pledge to accomplish its goals of open, inclusive and voluntary cooperation; with no vineyard land taken out of production (see the slideshow here).

Chuck’s presentation continued with a detailed update on the status of Vine Trail design, funding and construction. The Yountville mile, which began construction in April, is mere weeks away from completion in September! (see photos of Yountville Vine Trail construction progress here)

EVERYONE CAN HELP

Vine Trail Marketing Chair Gwen McGill then highlighted the many areas where the Vine Trail offers volunteer opportunities, and attendees gathered in smaller groups to offer their help, including (but NOT limited to) Marketing (especially creating business partnerships or training as a speaker to talk up the Vine Trail to clubs and groups), Engineering, Grant Writing, Capital Campaign, Administration/Database assistance, Membership Outreach, or staffing an event table (such as at Farmers Markets, Cheers! St. Helena, etc) to raise awareness and sign people up.

If you were unable to make this rally but would like to join us, please send a note with your name, contacts and possible areas of interest to Shannon Kuleto shannon@vinetrail.org. We are looking for an ace volunteer coordinator, too, by the way!

Most important for an all-volunteer grass roots coalition is simply SPREADING THE WORD. Become a member (donate securely here on the website).  Join our Facebook nonprofit group page “Napa Valley Vine Trail.” Invite us to present to your community or professional group. And ask your friends to do the same! The stronger our network, the greater–and sooner–our success!

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