MTC-Funded Bike Path and Park Wins Statewide Award

The League of California Cities has selected the city of South San Francisco as a 2010 Helen Putnam Award winner for its Centennial Way bike/park project. The 2010 award winners were honored at the League’s annual conference at the San Diego Convention Center held on September 15-17, 2010.

South San Francisco won the award in the Planning & Environmental Quality category for the Centennial Way project, which transformed a once “unbuildable” swath of land above the Colma-to-Millbrae BART extension into an amenity-rich, Class 1 bikeway and linear park. Running through the heart of South San Francisco, this three-mile long corridor along the BART right of way provides key connections to BART stations, schools, services, jobs and housing while augmenting nonmotorized transportation options on the Peninsula. Since its dedication in 2008, Centennial Way has become one of the most heavily used park spaces in the city. “It has become a point of pride for the community and adds to their recreational, visual and overall quality of life,” according to a League press release.

MTC’s Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC) Program covered 70 percent of the project’s $6.7 million in planning and construction costs, with the rest covered by various grants through the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and developer fees.

In the realm of safety, sponsors beefed up lighting and provided safe crossings at intersections. Other project amenities include benches, trash receptacles, plazas, interpretive and directional signage, dog waste dispensers, kiosks with trail maps and space for community information, and trail and mileage markers. A 1.7-acre dog park, featuring a large piece of public art, has become a meeting place with a “town square” atmosphere. Local schools utilize the trail for cross-county running. Parks and Recreation programs, including a walking group, a summer camp, and after school child care, incorporate the trail into their activities. Sustainable practices include natural drought-tolerant plantings, bioswales and limited use of turf at entry nodes; 288 trees were planted.

“The Helen Putnam Award is a very competitive and prestigious statewide award that was given to only 14 of the 450 cities in California this round,” said Sharon Ranals, director of Parks and Recreation for the city of South San Francisco. The October issue of the League’s Western Citymagazine will include an article on the project.

This brings the total number of awards received for Centennial Way to six:

• California Parks and Recreation Society Achievement Award, Park Design, presented at the annual California Parks and Recreation Society Conference, March, 2010;
• Crown Communities Award from American City and County, 2009;
• California Trails and Greenways Merit Award, 2009;
• Public Spaces & Linkages Award of Excellence, California Redevelopment Association, 2009;
• California Parks and Recreation Society District IV Award of Excellence Phase I, 2007 and Phase 2/3, 2009;
• Helen Putnam Award, Planning and Environmental Quality, League of California Cities, September, 2010.

Established in 1982, the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence recognizes outstanding cities that deliver the highest quality and level of service in the most effective manner possible. Established in 1898, the League of California Cities is a member organization that represents California’s incorporated cities.