The Stevens Creek Trail Advances

Editor's Note: Los Altos Patch thanks Gary Hedden for providing the pictures and this short report about the new section of the Stevens Creek trail that includes a freeway bridge. Hedden was out, bright and early at the bridge for the ceremony. Building on the trail from Mountain View, the communities of Los Altos, and Sunnyvale are supposed to be planning the continuation of the trail. Mountain View still leads the pack, dedicating not one, but .

By Gary Hedden

The Stevens Creek Trail now crosses Highway 85. The bridge was opened to foot and bike traffic Saturday morning, June 23.  

Several hundred people showed up for the dedication ceremony and to see the new bridge and the new landscaping along the trail. More than 100 trees and 1,600 shrubs native to the Stevens Creek watershed were planted.  

The bridge connects areas that were divided by Highway 85 and now makes it possible to hike or bike from near the Mountain View/Sunnyvale border all the way to Palo Alto without any contact with automobile traffic.  It makes for a wonderful, safe bike ride. The connection for Los Altos residents is at the end of Sleeper Avenue in Mountain View.

The next steps are for Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Los Altos to work out a plan to get the trail to continue up Stevens Creek.

This is a work in progress, but according to Cathy Lazarus, former Director of Public Works for Mountain View, it can happen and people are working on it. I was there to hear about any future plans, see how many folks would show up,  and be one of the first to cross the bridge on my bike.