35th anniversary gala marks new direction for Bay Trail

Save the Bay to lead efforts for completing 500-Mile network

MTC and Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Executive Director Andrew Fremier and other Commission staff last week were among the celebrants at a San Francisco event marking the 35th anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Trail; honoring the years of work done by members of Bay Trail Board of Directors to expand and maintain the 350-mile active transportation network overseen by MTC; and opening a new chapter in Bay Trail history during which Oakland-based nonprofit Save the Bay will work to lead advocacy efforts to complete the remaining 150 miles of the planned 500-mile system.  

Traveled by thousands of hikers, runners, bicyclists, wheelchair users and other outdoor enthusiasts each day, the Bay Trail already is the among the biggest and most well known active transportation facilities in the Bay Area.

"At MTC and ABAG, our mission is unchanged: to sustain and expand the Bay Trail and make it accessible for all our residents in all our communities," said Fremier. "MTC and Save the Bay bring different perspectives to this work, which will prove to be a strength as we combine public agency resources with nonprofit innovation."

Fremier noted that MTC in 2026 plans to invite proposals for projects to be funded through two separate initiatives: the Active Transportation Program, which taps state and federal dollars to make biking and walking more attractive travel options for Bay Area residents; and the Regional Measure 3 Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail program, which distributes voter-approved bridge toll money to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and to enhance the Bay Trail network.