The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) was awarded a grant to complete the two mile gap of the Inland Rail Trail in Vista on April 29, 2021. The $12.1 million in Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant funds from the California Transportation Commission (CTC) are for the completion of the seven-mile “San Marcos to Vista” segment of the Inland Rail Trail.
The funds will support the completion of the two-mile gap of the Inland Rail Trail in Vista, between Civic Center Drive and North Drive. When the project is complete, the result will be 14 continuous miles of the Inland Rail Trail between Escondido and eastern Oceanside which will provide an opportunity for people to safely bike and walk, and will advance efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the San Diego region.
“This a momentous day for the City of Vista,” said Vista Mayor Judy Ritter. “The completion of the Inland Rail Trail will provide residents a new, safe, and reliable option to travel to transit stations, school, work, or anywhere in North County while enjoying the outdoors and reducing GHG emissions.”
“Completing this stretch of the Inland Rail Trail is critical for our regional bike network,” said SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear. “This biking and walking path will offer people a healthy, safe, and viable transportation choice away from vehicle traffic, and is a great example of what we can accomplish as a community to reduce our impact on the environment.”
This two-mile phase will be the last of four phases that SANDAG has been designing and building as part of the seven-mile “San Marcos to Vista” segment of the Inland Rail Trail:
Phase 1: A one-mile segment in the City of San Marcos opened in February 2017.
Phase 2: Three miles of the trail that run through unincorporated San Diego County and the City of Vista opened in January 2021.
Phase 3: Construction of a one-mile segment in the City of Vista is expected to begin in 2022.
Phase 4: Construction of a two-mile segment in the City of Vista is anticipated to begin in 2024.
The completion of Phase 4 is estimated to cost $15.8 million, which includes the $12.1 million ATP grant award, a $650,000 match from TransNet, and $3.1 million leveraged from earlier funds spent on design.
To learn more about the Active Transportation Funding program, visit sandag.org/atpfunding.
To learn more about the Inland Rail Trail, visit KeepSanDiegoMoving.com/InlandRailTrail.
Contact: For media inquiries, please contact the SANDAG Public Information Office at 619.699.1950 or pio@sandag.org.
