A 12-year-old boy’s dream

Lazarri has been riding bikes since he was 2.5 years old. He said he hopes it offers kids an outlet to stay out of trouble and to stop playing video games and give them a reason to go outside.

“The best part about riding my bike is how free I feel,” said Lazarri.

Lazarri and his friends built their own makeshift jumps in the back of Brentwood Park which gave him the idea of building a professional bike pump track in the same location. A bike pump track has berms and banks so bikers can maximize momentum with minimal peddling.

He asked his grandfather, former Mayor John Penna, what steps he should take to present an idea to the city.

“He showed me pictures he took and he said you know we can do it there,” said Penna.

Lazarri and Penna drafted a petition. Lazarri rode around the neighborhood on his bike and collected approximately 60 signatures.

“It goes to show it’s a community effort, what I saw with Jaxon is his friends and all the kids were willing to participate,” said Penna. “This is how dreams are fulfilled, I am just really proud that he was able to do what he set out to do.”

Lazarri then presented the idea to Councilmember Mark Addiego who was the mayor at the time, and Councilmembers James Coleman and Eddie Flores.

It was eye-opening, Addiego said, because he wasn’t aware of this type of biking sport before.

City officials announced earlier this month that the 3-mile span of Centennial Trail in South San Francisco — used daily by joggers, walkers and bikers — will soon feature a number of new amenities including a pump track in a new space stretching from Spruce Avenue to Huntington Way.

“It was certainly exciting to see it come into fruition before he was 20 years old because the government doesn’t always work that fast, so that was nice to see,” said Addiego.

The California Department of Transportation’s Clean California Local Grant Program provided $2.4 million and the city will match an additional 50% through park impact fees. That money goes toward all the improvements.

“It’s inspiring to see young people take charge and lead on the issues they care about,” said Coleman. “The success of his advocacy shows how much impact young people can have on their local community.”

Lazarri said that Addiego would reach back out to him when the time comes for input on the design of the park. He would prefer an asphalt track over dirt but ultimately he is just excited and grateful there will be a track in his neighborhood, he added.

Construction is slated to begin next year and be completed by May 2024.

nick@smdailyjournal.com

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