Portion of the San Mateo Bay Trail remains closed

The city closed the trail for work on its North Shoreview Flood Improvement Project in 2020. The work includes improvements to the Coyote Point and Poplar Avenue pump stations and raising the levee segment on the San Mateo and Burlingame border off Airport Boulevard. Construction has been completed, but the city is keeping the area closed so the San Mateo County Parks Department can remove trees that fell during the recent high-wind storms. Azalea Mitch, San Mateo Public Works director, said the closures would remain for safety reasons to ensure tree removal occurs by June 1, when full trail access could be restored.

Carla Schoof, San Mateo County Parks communication manager, said the county is projecting a June 1 reopening. However, it will need to assess mid-May to assess risk and determine if the debris is gone and if it can manage any high-risk zones where more trees can come down. If there is still too much damage or risk, it would have to reassess the issue in early June and delay opening. Schoof said the park is the second most visited in the county system, and the county is working as hard as possible to open it again.

“We would love to open the park, but we have to do it in conditions that are safe,” Schoof said.

Schoof estimates that around 60 to 80 trees have come down since Jan. 1, with the large size of the eucalyptus trees providing difficulties for staff and contractors to clear and remove them. Some trees are so large they can’t be chipped down and require outside resources to haul them away. Eucalyptus trees are considered invasive along the California coast because of their shallow root systems and top-heavy canopies, making them susceptible to falling during storms. The county is also working with an arborist to monitor tree conditions moving forward, as many new trees are at the forefront of wind conditions on the Bay. Schoof said part of the park is designated a red zone area that is still dangerous, with a part of the area on the Bay Trail near the southern end.

“Unfortunately, a portion of the Bay Trail is in a high-risk area, and that area is fenced off as we are trying to keep people out,” Schoof said.

Power outage issues also remain because trees damaged transformer equipment. San Mateo County maintains the transformer and is coordinating with Pacific Gas and Electric to restore the power once the replacement parts are refurbished and installed, which will bring back power to the businesses in Coyote Point. Currently, access to Coyote Point is limited to the park’s western side on weekends. Environmental museum CuriOdyssey was also heavily damaged by the storms and will remain closed until early June.