The City Council approved on Tuesday a $4.3 million construction contract to begin the long-awaited first phase of the Gage Canal recreational trail, advancing plans to transform a roughly two-mile stretch of the historic canal corridor into a walking and biking trail connecting neighborhoods with UC Riverside.
Plans for the trail include a paved bicycle path, a parallel decomposed granite trail for pedestrians and runners, landscaping, irrigation, lighting, interpretive signage and trail amenities, including fitness equipment.
The first phase of the project will extend from Palmyrita Avenue southwest along the edge of the Box Springs Mountain Reserve before crossing Spruce Street and ending at Blaine Street near the UC Riverside campus.
The project has been in the making since 2019, when the City Council authorized applying for a $3.7 million Urban Greening grant to help fund the first phase of the trail. The city secured the grant in 2020 and later hired Alta Planning + Design to complete planning and engineering work.
Progress stalled in 2023 when construction bids exceeded available funding. The City Council rejected all bids and directed staff to rebid the project after Riverside secured an additional $1.4 million in state Recreational Trails Program funding. The city later expanded the design contract to complete additional environmental studies required by the state before receiving the grant agreement in April 2026.
Construction is funded through a combination of state grants, Measure Z funds and Measure A transportation funding. The largest funding sources include a $2.93 million Urban Greening Program grant and a $1.4 million Recreational Trails Program grant awarded by the State of California.
The council awarded the construction bid to Rancho Cucamonga-based H L Hitchcock Construction Inc. for $4.3 million, which the staff report found to be "the lowest responsive and responsible bid." The council also authorized a 10% contingency of up to $430,432.50, bringing the total contract authority to approximately $4.73 million.
Once completed, the trail will create a new recreational and commuter corridor for bicyclists, pedestrians, skaters and scooter riders while improving access to the Box Springs Mountain Reserve and UC Riverside.
The city estimates the completed trail will require approximately $75,000 annually for ongoing maintenance, which will be requested through future city budgets.
City staff has not specified a construction start date or detailed the scope of a potential second phase.
The Gage Canal, built in the late 19th century by citrus pioneer Matthew Gage, remains one of Riverside's defining pieces of infrastructure and has long been envisioned as a continuous recreational corridor. The city has gradually pursued plans to convert portions of the utility corridor into a multi-use trail while preserving canal operations.
