EBRPD Board Meeting on December 16, 2025

We’re asking you to FULL SEND a public comment email to the EBRPD Board asking them to approve their 2026 budget with re-allocations to fully support their Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).  Your comment can be as simple as “I support the budget proposal to re-allocate Measure WW funds to CIP projects and ask you to support the staff budget proposal including the re-allocations”.  Feel free to go further and personalize your message, call out specific projects, or make any other comment you’d like.  Let’s all show up and FULL SEND on this advocacy issue.  We’re all advocates — please do what you can.

Email template

Send your email to: publiccomment@ebparks.org

Subject Line: Public Comment for EBRPD Board Meeting 12/16/2025 — 2026 Budget

Bare bones message:

Directors and staff,

I support the budget proposal to re-allocate Measure WW funds to CIP projects and ask you to support the staff budget proposal including the re-allocations.

Respectfully,

Fill in your name and city (optional but useful)

The clerk of the board distributes the public comments to the directors and staff, so make sure your email arrives before 3:00 PM the day before the board meeting.  You can address directors and staff directly if you like to have more confidence it will reach them.  Those email addresses can be found at the very bottom of this article.

LEVEL UP and make a live public comment

If you want to flex your advocacy muscles further, connect via Zoom to the board meeting on Tuesday, December 16, and make a live public comment.  Your public comment can be as simple as “I support the budget proposal to re-allocate Measure WW funds to CIP projects and ask you to support the staff budget proposal including the re-allocations”, but feel free to put your public speaking skills to work and deliver a mind-blowingly persuasive message if you like.  Making your story personal can have a huge impact.

The board meeting starts with a closed session at 10:00 AM followed by an open session on Zoom that should start at 1:00 PM unless they are running late. Public comment will be taken on this item when the board gets to this item in the agenda, and it’s likely that comments may not happen before 1:30 PM or later. The relevant item in the agenda is:

VIII. BUSINESS BEFORE THE BOARD

B. PUBLIC HEARING

1. Adoption of the 2026 Proposed Operating Project & Program Budget & Approval of the 2026 Article XIIIB California Appropriation Limit (Gann Limit)

Open the link to that agenda item to get the full details on the proposed reallocation from Measure WW funds from acquisition to development in order to support the following seven development projects:

• Improve Keller Beach at Miller/Knox
• Roberts Pool Sewer Connection
• Las Trampas: Renovate Water System
• Pleasanton Ridge: Construct Pleasanton Ridge Trails at Garms
• San Francisco Bay Trail: Develop Martinez Bay Trail
• Oyster Bay Bike Skills Area
• McCosker Creek Trail Construction

We’d like to get at least 100 emails sent and 100 live comments.  An email is easy and that target should get blown up. 

Why are we asking you to do this?

A show of public support appears needed to get the board to support the budget proposal that will keep capital projects moving forward including new bike accessible trails at Pleasanton Ridge and the Oyster Bay Bike Skills Area.  Both of these projects have been stuck in planning for over a decade while the mountain bike community continues to wait for new trails, facilities and access.  Both of these projects will be underfunded and likely have further delays or reduced scope if the transfer of Measure WW funds from acquisition to development in the budget is not approved.  Public comment gives the board the opinion of constituents to point to when making decisions.  It’s part of the process.

Background

Measure WW was passed in 2008 by voters to allow the district to raise $500 million “to continue restoring urban creeks, protect wildlife, purchase/save open space, wetlands/shoreline, acquire/develop/improve local and regional parks, trails and recreational facilities”. It was a renewal of Measure AA passed in 1988 and raised the amount of funding.  $125 million was required to go to the local grants program which funds projects in cities and local park and recreation districts.  The local grants program is essentially spent.  The remaining $375 million is directed to funding a list of projects developed in 2008.  The measure gives the board of directories authority to update the list.  The original project list allocated 71% of the funds ($268M) to acquisition and 29% to development ($108M).   So far, 46% of the acquisition funds ($84M) have been spent, and 81% of development funds ($89M) have been spent. Remaining funds are allocated $20M to development and $183M to acquisition.  Staff propose $42M in acquisition and $9M in development to go towards the total Capital Improvement Budget of $84M.

Concerns

Timing of acquisition of new properties is hard to predict. Funds need to be available when a property becomes available: if funds are not available, then another buyer may purchase the property and it may be developed in some other way and never become park land.  It is important to maintain this capability.  Some acquisitions are funded primarily by Measure WW funds, but others have other sources of funding and some properties are gifted or transferred in some other way. Some directors and stakeholders are concerned that voters may not pass a future bond measure if funds are re-allocated from the original designation even though they have the authority to re-allocate funding.  

It is unlikely the district would go to the voters for another funding measure or renewal until the current WW bonds are close to being spent.  Without reallocation from acquisition to development, Capital Improvement Projects would be significantly limited.  It has taken 17 years to spend $84M on acquisition and it will likely take much more than a decade to spend the remaining $183M allocated to acquisition.

The district has acquired over 29,000 acres since 2008 when Measure WW was passed.  It currently holds over 30,000 acres in land bank status which the public does not have access to.  Timelines to go through the planning, permitting, and capital project steps to open a park have been taking 10 – 15 years.  Without development funds these timelines would be expected to get even longer.   Mountain bikers and other trails users have been waiting impatiently for these parks to open.  Typically when they open the trail systems are predominantly ranch or fire roads with a small amount of singletrack.  Increased allocations of funding are needed to address the long delays in opening properties to the public and providing more of the trail experiences users have been requesting for decades.  

Staff have estimated ~$65M of acquisition opportunities in the next 5 years.  The proposed reallocation of $42M of acquisition funds to development would leave $141M of funds remaining and would not put the next 5 years of anticipated acquisitions at risk.  While there is the risk that some voters would not be happy with reallocation there are also many voters that are not happy with the pace of park development, access, trails, or maintenance projects and would not be eager to pass the next funding measure.  They would probably be less likely to pass a measure if the schedule on park openings is delayed even further.  The park district has a strong story to tell on acquisition with the 29,000 acres acquired since 2008.  

In response to concerns raised by the board of directors, staff have provided a revised budget proposal that would reduce Measure WW reallocation by $17M.  Two projects in particular would have funding reduced.   Scope and/or schedule on these projects would be impacted until other funding is found:

• Construct Pleasanton Trails Project WW funding would be reduced from $2M to zero.
• Oyster Bay Bike Skills Area WW funding would be reduced from $1.6M to $0.6M.

Directors Deschambault and Waepsi both asked about moving the $1M of funding scheduled for the Wildcat Flow Trail to other projects.  The $1M for Wildcat is in 2027 and is not part of this budget decision. 

Several of the directors talk about “Promises Made and Promises Kept”.   The district has done a very good job on acquiring properties and has kept that promise.  It is important to acquire these properties.  The public also expected those properties to be opened much more quickly.  They have also promised trails and mountain bike access would come with new projects and when new parks opened. Many of us have shown up to planning and other public meetings and participated in the process. The slow pace of park openings and very limited construction of singletrack are not meeting that promise.  Some of us will probably not live to see these things happen.  Your kids or grandkids may not see it happen in their childhood.

The mountain bike community and general public need to act

Long story long … this is why we ask you to send an email supporting development funding in the 2026 budget.  A live comment on top of that would have further impact.  It’s important that we speak up at this opportunity.   Public comment thus far has been heavily against reallocating.  We need your voice.  Please do what you can and at least send an email before the board meeting occurs on Tuesday, December 16.

Here are various email addressess if you’d like to email directors or the General Manager directly (or just for future reference):

• Ward 1: Elizabeth Echols, eechols@ebparks.org
• Ward 2: Lynda Deschambault, ldeschambault@ebparks.org
• Ward 3: Dennis Waespi, dwaespi@ebparks.org
• Ward 4: Luana Espana, lespana@ebparks.org
• Ward 5: Olivia Sanwong, osanwong@ebparks.org
• Ward 6: John Mercurio, jmercurio@ebparks.org
• Ward 7: Colin Coffey, ccoffey@ebparks.org
• Acting General Manager: Max Korten, mkorten@ebparks.org

Don’t know what ward you live in? Here’s the map.

Scott Bartlebaugh, Advocacy Director

UPDATE: MTB Community Turns Out for Public Comment on EBRPD 2026 Budget

Thanks to all who turned out for the trail work day at Crockett Hills on Saturday, 11/8. Nearly 60 volunteers worked alongside EBRPD park staff to rebuild trail tread and improve drainage on Soaring Eagle trail.

EBRPD park staff brought their Toro Dingo, and this was a productive mix of machine work alongside hand work by volunteers, which could be a good model for future trail work collaborations with EBRPD.

Most areas seemed to have decent moisture thanks to our recent rains, although a couple looked like they were still pretty hard and tough to work. We’ll try to keep those spots in mind and avoid them under similar conditions.

Thanks to everyone who stepped in to pick up tasks like cleaning and separating tools, putting tools away in our storage box, coordinating parking, getting vests on volunteers, and helping out whenever you saw something to be done. We got a lot of work done with a big crew and consider that to be a huge success.

This event was one of several events that were part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail’s Day of Service. That association and its different channels for advertising and outreach reached some different pools of volunteers, and we look forward to more future collaborations.

Scott Bartlebaugh, Advocacy Director

Photos by Rebecca Lewington.

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) held a public meeting in Berkeley on November 19, 2025, to present a preliminary design for improvements to the North Basin Strip portion of the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park located south of the Gilman Sports Fields. BTCEB board members KC Chaudhry, Tom Gandesbury, David Wilcox and Brian Glueck attended the meeting along with NICA student athletes and coaches and representatives of Bay Area Mountain Biking (BAMBI).

The meeting focused on balancing habitat restoration with public access and recreation for the 20-acre shoreline area in Berkeley (across from Caesar Chavez park). EBRPD, along with its consultants, presented a preferred conceptual design that integrates both recreational amenities and environmental enhancements. Key features presented in the preliminary design include:

• Shoreline Restoration: The project is explicitly framed as balancing recreation and ecological restoration, including enhancing the intertidal shoreline and uplands to create climate-resilient habitats.
• Public Access: The design encompasses approximately 2,800  linear feet of shoreline and includes features like a waterfront promenade and a perched pebble beach with stepped access to the Bay.
• Amenities: Plans include the potential for new restrooms, interpretive signage, and limited concessions.
• Funding and Timeline: The planning, environmental study (CEQA analysis), and preliminary design are funded, but the estimated $25 million for actual construction has not yet been secured. The project needs board direction, permits, and full funding before construction can begin.

Implications for Biking and Mountain Biking

The planning project includes specific provisions that are highly relevant to the cycling community, reflecting input received from cycling advocacy groups such as BTCEB at two prior public meetings:

• Bay Trail Extension: The plan includes an extended Bay Trail route that would prioritize habitat restoration where possible. This ensures the continuation and enhancement of the regional shared-use pathway along the waterfront, improving connectivity for commuting and recreational riders.
• Mountain Biking Skills Area: The most significant implication for cyclists is the proposed inclusion of a small mountain-bike skills area near the Tom Bates Regional Sports Complex. This is an explicit recreational feature carved out in the preliminary design.

The inclusion of a bike-specific area suggests the EBRPD and the consultants listened to the bicycling community (who had strong turnout at public meetings) and view bike-specific features as compatible with the overall park vision.

In summary, the preliminary design resulting from the North Basin public meeting is highly positive for cyclists, as it not only incorporates the important Bay Trail extension but also features dedicated space for mountain biking skills development.

KC Chaudhry, Secretary

Photos by Brian Glueck.

BTCEB in partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) will be hosting four trail stewardship days in the months from January to April 2026.  This winter schedule is as follows:

• Saturday, January 10
• Saturday, February 7
• Saturday, March 7 (changed from Saturday, March 14)
• Sunday, April 12

Hold these dates on your calendar and follow BTCEB on meetup.com/bicycletrailscouncil/ for registration information for these trail stewardship days.  We invite you to come out and give back a little to the trails while having some fun and learning about trail maintenance.  Volunteer days like these and people like yourself carving out some of your valuable time are key to maintaining the trails and making them better for all trail users.

Scott Bartlebaugh, Advocacy Director

2026 BTCEB Board of Director Elections

Are you passionate about mountain biking?  Would you like to be part of advocacy, trail work, and expanding access for mountain bikers in the East Bay? Well then, come join our Board of Directors!

The Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay (BTCEB) will be holding elections for several Board of Director positions at our February 2026 meeting.  We encourage all interested members to consider applying for one of our openings. We are specifically recruiting for Communications Director, Membership Director, Advocacy Director and Secretary along with openings for Board Members at Large.

We are looking for self-motivated, creative individuals who have fresh ideas about what mountain biking in the East Bay could be. Interested? Fill out this form. Interested in more than one position?  No problem — you can apply for more than one! Want more information about a position?  Shoot us an email at nominations@btceb.org.

BTCEB is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1987 by a dedicated group of volunteers who successfully fought the planned closure of almost all bike trails in the East Bay! We are the oldest mountain bike advocacy group in the United States and one of the founding clubs of IMBA. Our mission is to educate cyclists in responsible mountain biking, to advocate for appropriate access and to promote community among trail users so all may fully enjoy and preserve the natural spaces of the East Bay.

Applicants for board positions must be current dues paying BTCEB members (you may join now if your membership is not current). Terms of office will be two years and BOD members should be available to attend our monthly board meetings currently held via Google Meet on the first Wednesday of each month. There will also be opportunities to contribute to our monthly social rides, advocate for increased access to trails, and develop and maintain trails in East Bay parks through our board committees. 

If you would like to be a part of the movement to free the singletrack, please let us know of your interest by completing our Google Form by February 1, 2026. You’ll be invited to attend our BOD meeting by Google hangout on Wednesday, February 4 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM to meet us, introduce yourself and talk about why you’d like to participate in the Bicycle Trails Council Board of Directors.