Ceremony set for Mount Diablo bike turnouts

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3321 — The dozens of new bicycle turnouts in Mount Diablo State Park came following calls from local cyclists and groups to improve bicycle safety in the park and reduce fatalities. (Image courtesy of Mount Diablo Cyclists)

Several local elected officials were set to join with local bicycle — and bicycle safety — enthusiasts this weekend to celebrate an ambitious and long-awaited project aimed at increasing the safety of Mount Diablo’s popular roads for cyclists.

State Senator Steve Glazer and Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), along with Mount Diablo Cyclists President Al Kalin and state park officials, were set to take to Curry Point at Mount Diablo State Park this Saturday for a ceremony marking and celebrating the completion of 30 new bicycle turnouts in the park.

Speakers were also set to discuss the history of the much anticipated turnout project, and the push from a wide range of community members, park-goers, and cyclists themselves for increased safety measures aimed at preventing bicycle accidents on the mountain.

“The new bike turnout lanes on Mount Diablo will make it safer for cyclists and motorists to get up and down the mountain, making this precious resource more accessible to the region’s residents and to visitors,” Glazer said in a statement. “I was happy to help the Mount Diablo Cyclists and the Parks Department complete this important project.”

Glazer and Bauer-Kahan were behind efforts at the legislative level to speed up construction of the turnouts, which were initially scheduled to be completed next year. The move came following widespread organization and advocacy efforts from local residents and cyclists, including a letter to Glazer asking him to take further action in the wake of deadly accidents involving cyclists on the mountain.

Previously, Glazer had spearheaded Senate Bill 129, which funded the project.

“Safety on the park roadway is everyone’s responsibility,” said Eddie Guaracha, former superintendent of the Diablo Range of the California State Park system. “Whether you are a frequent visitor or a first-time visitor, please take your time on the mountain road and enjoy the scenery.”

More information on the celebration and project as a whole are available at mountdiablocyclists.org.