I have no facts to contest Mr. Sales’ historical information regarding the right-of-way purchasing complications associated with the 8th Street East Bike Path proposed by County Parks, but it is very disappointing to hear his opposition and degradation of this potential and valuable 4-mile, off-road, safe Bike Path known as the Sonoma-Schellville Trial.
The Sonoma-Schellville Trail will begin in the north near Sebastiani Winery, link 7th St. East to 8th St. East along an easement behind Sonoma’s Best Café, and then run along the easterly side of 8th St. East all the way to Hwy. 121. This Trail will also effectively link to the very popular City of Sonoma Bike Path that runs through Depot Park all the way to Hwy. 12 near Maxwell Park.
Mr. Sales says pejoratively that “it’s a bike path to nowhere”. The Sonoma Valley Sun saw it fit to repeat this misleading moniker on the frontpage photo of its October 2025 edition. The fact is this 4-mile, off-road, safe Bike Path will offer numerous connections for local and recreational bicyclists along its entire path. Mr. Sales is so seemingly fixated on completion of the San Francisco Bay Trail (a laudable goal) that he apparently fails to appreciate the value of local pathways connecting our community. The Sonoma-Schellville Trail is a very doable project, notwithstanding the right-of-way purchasing complications, and I as a recreational bicyclist in Sonoma Valley value any and all additions of safe, off-road Bike Path facilities.
Dan Bell, Sonoma
I’ve been thinking about the decision to go ahead with the bike trail from  Shellville to Sonoma along the railroad right-of-way; glad to find out it doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition. The right-of-way is at least 20 feet wide (I just paced it off) and surely can accommodate the train and the trail. Win-win.
“Many successful rails-with-trails across the country stand as a testament to the ability of trains and trails to coexist.”
https://www.railstotrails.org/trail-building-toolbox/rail-with-trail/
Wireless Street Railway Systems – TIG/m, LLC
https://tig-m.com/
The site of the Sebastiani winery is in jeopardy of being re-developed in a way that won’t further affordable housing. It COULD be a residential/commercial (and transit!*) hub with affordable housing.
My idea:
*The train right-of-way from Schellville goes right to the Sebastiani facility. The potential SMART TRAIN EXTENTION TO Schellville* could offer a connection straight into a transit-oriented development with housing and commercial spaces.
* In a report, Caltrans officials propose an extension they call the “Novato-Solano Hub,” a 25-mile set of track that weaves east along Highway 37 from Novato, north through Schellville and then east again toward Vallejo/Solano County.
https://www.sonomanews.com/article/opinion/editorial-east-west-connector-is-a-smart-idea/
* California’s billionaire-funded city in Solano County could expand the state’s rail plans:
“We are building a rail-ready community,” said Gabe Metcalf, head of planning for California Forever. “It would make all the sense in the world to connect the new city by rail to Sacramento and the Bay Area.”
https://www.fastcompany.com/91038367/californias-billionaire-funded-city-is-now-going-to-include-a-billionaire-funded-train/
*and the final piece in true area-wide high speed passenger rail:
The Carquinez high bridge study will explore building the crossing either near the current location or farther west, closer to where Interstate 80 crosses the straights.
https://sf.streetsblog.org/2021/06/16/new-bridge-proposed-to-eliminate-rail-choke-point
New state funds for intercity rail projects means it’s an opportune time to study these options.
In response to Dan Bell’s letter regarding the County’s proposal to acquire the abandoned railroad right of way along 8th Street, I absolutely agree with the writer that we need safer bike and pedestrian routes to connect our community. However, the Sonoma- Schellville Trail south of Denmark Street does not serve residents because it dead ends in the light industrial and warehouse area where there will be conflicts with large semi trucks exiting across the proposed path.
The County’s proposed route from the map provided, eventually will connect to Burndale Road along SR 121. However, what the County is proposing to purchase does little to accomplish this goal. The almost $2.7 million will only purchase 1.8 miles of right of way. The County carefully states it is buying 20+/- acres of “Union Pacific’s property interests”. This is a “Trojan Horse”, because wrapped up in the package is 8.7 acres of 8th Street East. Do taxpayers think that the County should use your sales tax dollars from Ag+Open Space and Measure M “Parks for All” to buy an existing County road that has been used for over 100 years? The County staff have refused to share the appraisal. They claim that the acquisition is in negotiations. However, they signed a Sales Agreement in March 2023. The County tries to justify this by citing a Government Code that does not “require” the County to make the appraisal public but does not say it “cannot” be made public.
But to the merits of the County’s proposed acquisition. It ends almost a quarter of a mile north of SR 121 and the Schellville Depot. Not a foot of bike path will be built after the expenditure of these funds.
Even if the County acquires the abandoned railroad right of way (and the existing 8th Street!) This project still needs to connect to Burndale Road parallel to SR 121. This will require the acquisition of 1.2 miles of additional right of way from private property owners and negotiating a license with SMART, permitting through Caltrans, Public Utilities Commission upgrades for up to three railroad crossings, USF&WS and California Department of Fish and Game and the US Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Board to construct in sensitive wetland areas. All of this is likely to be expensive and time consuming. Based on comparative projects, the cost could exceed $10 million in addition to the $2.7 million for this initial phase of purchase.
The alternative proposal would improve a well-used existing route on low traffic volume (and less stressful) roads to connect to Burndale. It would improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians by adding two signalized crossings at major roads (Napa Road and SR 121) at a fraction of the costof the County acquisition. The alternative would actually serve the rural residential areas and businesses east of 8th Street. It is an alternative which can be constructed and implemented with funds the County already has and can be accomplished within our lifetimes.
The Trump administration’s gutting of federal green infrastructure funding makes it vitally important that we use local and state funding more wisely.
And for me, relinquishing the eighth Street railroad right away is a colossal mistake. If it can be reclaimed, big things can happen. and really, the cost of the Eighth Street bicycle proposal when viewed alongside other expenses incurred in the name of the public in the Sonoma Valley is worth noting:
Sonoma Valley school district signs off on artificial turf soccer field at Altimira Middle School. School district eyes $1.6 million soccer field. Sonoma Valley High School fields set for $9.5 million upgrade
“Survey after survey has found that the number one reason people do not ride bicycles is because they are afraid to be in the roadway on a bicycle. They are generally not afraid of other cyclists, or pedestrians, or of injuring themselves in a bicycle-only crash – they are afraid of being struck by someone driving an automobile.”
https://www.bikesonoma.org/our-work/advocacy/priorities/