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East Palo Alto now has easier access to the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve with the opening of a new neighborhood access gate on Rutgers Street.
The 376-acre Ravenswood Open Space Preserve is a hot spot for birdwatching, walking and cycling with observation decks and access to the Bay Trail, a partially completed 500-mile path that will eventually circle the entire San Francisco Bay.
The entrance was created through a partnership between Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the city of East Palo Alto. The two local agencies held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, April 4, to celebrate the opening of the new access point.
In East Palo Alto’s University Village neighborhood, dead-end streets facing the trail were blocked from accessing it by chain-link fences. To get on the trail, residents had to walk along busy University Avenue or travel more than a mile south to access the bike path.
“It provides safe, convenient access to the Bay Trail and open space, strengthening connections to nature and supporting the health and well-being of local residents,” said Brian Malone, assistant general manager of Midpen in a press release. “We’re proud to collaborate on this project that balances accessibility with environmental care.”
Midpen began construction on the new entrance in January and the gate was completed at the end of March. It features a solar-powered automatic pedestrian gate, security fencing, a sidewalk extension, drainage improvements and signage. The gate is designed to meet the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission requirements to secure the Bay Trail outside of operating hours, which run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
“Access to open space is not a small thing for our community,” said East Palo Alto Mayor Webster Lincoln. “This gate is more than just an entrance, it’s an invitation to walk, breathe, explore and belong in this incredible regional landscape that connects over 80 miles around the Bay.”
The area draws a variety of birds, including sandpipers, great blue herons, pelicans and egrets. The marshland vegetation also serves as habitat for the endangered Ridgway’s rail and salt marsh harvest mouse.
Midpen officials stated that the organization will engage with the community to ensure the new entrance meets the neighborhood’s needs and supports outdoor recreation while protecting the ecologically sensitive area.
Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to state that Midpen had installed the trail gate.
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