Bicyclists Celebrate Completion of River Trail

Holly and Mark Jansen didn’t know the trail that joined “the mountains with the sea” was having a grand opening on Saturday when they started pedaling their bikes down Sanjon Road in the early morning.

But they were swept into the gala when they stumbled across 250 other biking aficionados at West Park gearing up to ride the new six-mile stretch of the Ventura River Trail.

Each year nearly 300,000 walkers, joggers, bicyclists and equestrians use the Ojai Valley Trail, a nine-mile path into the Ojai mountains. Now they and others will be able to extend their trip to the coastline using the Ventura River Trail, said Andy Oshita, county parks manager.

Saturday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the trail head at Foster Park, off Highway 33, included a railroad spike being pounded into the ground, speeches by community leaders and refreshments. The trail opening was the finale to a six-year, $4.5-million project.

“This is just wonderful,” said county Supervisor Susan Lacey. “People will use the trail for recreation and to commute to work. There are kids, adults, senior citizens--it really benefits everybody.”

The long-awaited trail forms the last link in a bike route that runs from the Ojai mountains to the mouth of the Ventura River near the Pacific Ocean.

The stretch of asphalt, that has portions of hard-packed dirt for joggers, connects the Ojai Valley Trail with the coastal Omer Rains Trail, and runs mostly along a Southern Pacific railroad bed.

In combination with state and federal funds, Ventura spent $1 million on the trail’s construction, said Albert Carbon, the project engineer. The trail includes signs, drinking fountains, mile markers and imaginative modern art that created a buzz Saturday.

One artwork features tantalizing oranges bolted to the ground. But they appear so real, that some people stopped their bikes to try and pick them up, Carbon said.

“The train used to bring agriculture to the city and as the train would turn, oranges would roll off,” Carbon said. “So it looks like some oranges were just dumped on the ground.”

Lacey and another county supervisor, Kathy Long, spoke at the opening and took turns pounding a gold-plated spike--saved from the 100-year-old railroad--into the ground.

Jon Avery, owner of Open Air Bicycles in Ventura, said some of his customers had been eager for the new trail to open.

“People have been waiting for this because riding on [Ventura Avenue] isn’t the safest at rush hour,” he said. “This way you can get to the beach without having to drive or ride that busy road.”

A main concern of Ventura bikers is safety, Avery said.

“When bikers are asked what they want the most, they say, ‘To find a comfortable place to ride,’ ” he said. “This trail takes the anxiety out of riding a distance.”

Ventura Mayor Jim Friedman rode on the back of Avery’s tandem bicycle from West Park to Foster Park. “I thought the pedals were independent, but I learned I had to keep up with him,” Friedman said with a laugh.

“He did just fine,” Avery responded.