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Prop 68 Statewide Park Program - Dirt World Bike Park
The City of Richmond was awarded two California State Parks Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization grants totaling $9.17 million to revitalize Shields-Reid Park and Dirt World Bike Park. The program advances the Newsom Administration’s “Outdoors for All” initiative to enable all Californians, regardless of zip code or income, to access parks and open space.
The competitive grant program received 468 applications totaling $2.42 billion in requests. 112 proposals were awarded funding from the $548.3 million available in the grant cycle, which represents the single-largest investment in state history in expanding access to parks in underserved communities. The selected projects in the City of Richmond are Shields-Reid Park Revitalization and Dirt World Bike Park Renovation.
Dirt World Bike Park Renovation: $1,170,000
The Richmond Greenway is a 3-mile long rails-to-trails project through disadvantaged communities in central Richmond. The community’s vision is to convert the City-owned property along the abandoned railway corridor from neglected urban brownfields into a necklace of clean, green, safe parks.
In 2016, a group of community members claimed a segment of the greenway east of 20th Street as their Adopt-a-Spot with the dream of creating a BMX bike park which would activate a 2-block long section of the greenway, cap the brownfield, reduce crime and encampments, and increase access to active recreation.
In 2018, the all-volunteer Friends group was able to scrape together enough money and donated dirt to shape bike terrain features, and almost immediately, this spot became a wildly popular destination for East Bay families. However, with up to 50 riders a day, the all-dirt terrain has been heavily impacted, site drainage and vandalism are ongoing challenges, and there are no park amenities for visitors.
The Dirt World Bike Park Renovation will establish a new city park by constructing a recreational facility for bikes and accessible park infrastructure for bike programs, improved safety, and enjoyment. The Prop 68 grant scope of work includes: reconstruction and improvement of the BMX tracks and bike terrain features for multiple skill levels; renovation of a 2-block long segment of the multi-use Class I Richmond Greenway Trail; low-maintenance landscaping; murals, signage, fencing, and other park amenities. The $1,170,000 budget for the Dirt World Bike Park Project is coordinated with adjacent urban greening and stormwater projects resulting in over two acres of sustainable green space, improving park access and equity in the City of Richmond.