October 31, 2008

Trailblazing in Evergreen

By Vice Mayor Dave Cortese
Special to the Times

Thank you to those who came out to help celebrate the opening of the first segment of the Thompson Creek Trail (see photo above). It was truly a labor of love; and I look forward to seeing it completed.

It all started back in 2002.  There was this wonderful opportunity to create a trail that would directly benefit the neighborhoods in our district and give them opportunities to use a public asset. At the time, there was no official trail system in our area. I wanted to create a convenient safe place where residents could bike to local retail, visit the local library and our beautiful parks and bring our youngsters in direct contact with nature.  I was successful in getting half a million dollars secured to create a masterplan for the trail. Over the course of three years we worked steadily with the neighborhoods along the trail to design the route, the entry and exit points, etc.  In 2005 the masterplan for the trail was adopted by the City Council.   Since that time we’ve been looking for opportunities to open segments of the trail.

On October 18, 2008, we celebrated the opening of the first segment with a ribbon cutting event. We were joined by the City of San Jose’s Parks Department, District 8 Community Round Table, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and members of the community – families with kids in strollers, senior citizens, you name it.  The Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley and EarthCare Recycling were also on hand to provide free electronic waste recycling facilities.

The newly opened segment stretches from Lake Cunningham Park to Aborn Road, and when completed, the trail will continue along San Felipe Road to Heartland Way. In the years to come, I hope I have a chance to see you out on the trail riding your bike with your family or walking your dogs.

In the meantime, happy trails to you and your family.