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Foster City Bay Trail/Pedway Bike Ride, 9/11/15 by Ronald Horii
Foster City is a planned community of 30,000 that was built in the 1960's on hayfield's on what was called Brewer's Island. It was incorporated in 1971. Here's the history of the city: https://www.fostercity.org/community/page/history-foster-city. In 2015, I went for a bike ride around Foster City but never made an album from it. While I did post some pictures from it, I thought I should make an album to show the whole route. (I'm creating this album in 2023.) These pictures have historical value to show what the trail looked like before the levee reconstruction project that started in 2021, which will change the look of the trail dramatically. Part of the route that I took follows the San Francisco Bay Trail around the perimeter of Foster City. Part of it follows the Foster City Pedway along Marina Lagoon. Part of it goes along city streets. There are recent maps at the end to show the route. I first made a webpage with a virtual tour of the Foster City trails for the Bay Trail Project many years ago. It is no longer on the Bay Trail website, but it is available on this Internet archive: "The Foster City Pedway/Bikeway next to Belmont Slough (12/5/99)": https://web.archive.org/web/20100119171752/http://www.abag.ca.gov:80/bayarea/baytrail/vtour/map2/access/BTFoster/BTFoster.htm. At that time, I measured the mileage of the loop. It was 11.1 miles (not including a side trip to Parkside Aquatic Park.) This album I made in 2006 shows part of the route:
"Foster City to San Mateo on the Bay Trail, 6/24/06": https://tinyurl.com/ysma5djw.
Here are my pictures of the Bay Trail: http://www.rhorii.com/index.html#baytrail. Here's a map and description of this part of the Bay Trail: https://mtc.ca.gov/operations/regional-trails-parks/san-francisco-bay-trail/map-numbers/map-4-burlingame-redwood-shores. I started my bike ride in Redwood Shores next to Oracle. The Bay Trail in Redwood Shores connects to Foster City. Here's a webpage I made about that part of the trail: http://www.rhorii.com/RedwoodShores/RedwoodShores.html.
Starting in February of 2021, the levee trail along the east side of Foster City has been closed because of construction work to raise the levee: https://www.fostercity.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/public_works/project/17831/constructionalertdetourjan2021_final1621.pdf. This is why they are doing it: "Although the levee has so far withstood storm/tide surge challenges, it is in need of critical upgrades and safety improvements. In 2014, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determined that Foster City’s levee system does not meet minimum requirements for flood protection. Further, in order to obtain the necessary permits to implement needed improvements, regional regulations say that construction must meet year 2050 sea level rise protection requirements.
If no action is taken, the community would be at heightened flood risk and be designated as a flood zone. FEMA designation as a flood zone would require property owners with federally-insured mortgages to pay an estimated $2,000-$3,000 in mandatory, annual flood insurance. Rents could increase if those flood insurance costs are passed along to those renting properties." This is what the project will do: "The project will increase the height and width of the levee to improve protection against storm/tide surges, meet sea level rise projections through the year 2050, and make the levee more resistant to earthquakes. Depending on specific location, these improvements will be implemented with conventional sea wall, earthen levee, or hybrid sheet pile wall. Additionally, the project’s associated redevelopment and widening of the Levee/Bay Trail will provide the community with an enhanced, more inviting recreation destination." Here are the latest updates: https://fostercitylevee.org/. Parts of the trail have been reopened, with more scheduled later this month. The whole trail should be open again by October 2023. The project is projected to be completed by January of 2024.
Foster City is a planned community of 30,000 that was built in the 1960's on hayfield's on what was called Brewer's Island. It was incorporated in 1971. Here's the history of the city: https://www.fostercity.org/community/page/history-foster-city. In 2015, I went for a bike ride around Foster City but never made an album from it. While I did post some pictures from it, I thought I should make an album to show the whole route. (I'm creating this album in 2023.) These pictures have historical value to show what the trail looked like before the levee reconstruction project that started in 2021, which will change the look of the trail dramatically. Part of the route that I took follows the San Francisco Bay Trail around the perimeter of Foster City. Part of it follows the Foster City Pedway along Marina Lagoon. Part of it goes along city streets. There are recent maps at the end to show the route. I first made a webpage with a virtual tour of the Foster City trails for the Bay Trail Project many years ago. It is no longer on the Bay Trail website, but it is available on this Internet archive: "The Foster City Pedway/Bikeway next to Belmont Slough (12/5/99)": https://web.archive.org/web/20100119171752/http://www.abag.ca.gov:80/bayarea/baytrail/vtour/map2/access/BTFoster/BTFoster.htm. At that time, I measured the mileage of the loop. It was 11.1 miles (not including a side trip to Parkside Aquatic Park.) This album I made in 2006 shows part of the route:
"Foster City to San Mateo on the Bay Trail, 6/24/06": https://tinyurl.com/ysma5djw.
Here are my pictures of the Bay Trail: http://www.rhorii.com/index.html#baytrail. Here's a map and description of this part of the Bay Trail: https://mtc.ca.gov/operations/regional-trails-parks/san-francisco-bay-trail/map-numbers/map-4-burlingame-redwood-shores. I started my bike ride in Redwood Shores next to Oracle. The Bay Trail in Redwood Shores connects to Foster City. Here's a webpage I made about that part of the trail: http://www.rhorii.com/RedwoodShores/RedwoodShores.html.
Starting in February of 2021, the levee trail along the east side of Foster City has been closed because of construction work to raise the levee: https://www.fostercity.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/public_works/project/17831/constructionalertdetourjan2021_final1621.pdf. This is why they are doing it: "Although the levee has so far withstood storm/tide surge challenges, it is in need of critical upgrades and safety improvements. In 2014, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determined that Foster City’s levee system does not meet minimum requirements for flood protection. Further, in order to obtain the necessary permits to implement needed improvements, regional regulations say that construction must meet year 2050 sea level rise protection requirements.
If no action is taken, the community would be at heightened flood risk and be designated as a flood zone. FEMA designation as a flood zone would require property owners with federally-insured mortgages to pay an estimated $2,000-$3,000 in mandatory, annual flood insurance. Rents could increase if those flood insurance costs are passed along to those renting properties." This is what the project will do: "The project will increase the height and width of the levee to improve protection against storm/tide surges, meet sea level rise projections through the year 2050, and make the levee more resistant to earthquakes. Depending on specific location, these improvements will be implemented with conventional sea wall, earthen levee, or hybrid sheet pile wall. Additionally, the project’s associated redevelopment and widening of the Levee/Bay Trail will provide the community with an enhanced, more inviting recreation destination." Here are the latest updates: https://fostercitylevee.org/. Parts of the trail have been reopened, with more scheduled later this month. The whole trail should be open again by October 2023. The project is projected to be completed by January of 2024.
