Councilmember Tom van Overbeek: “I realized I had this wrong.” Photo courtesy of Karen Laslo.
The Chico City Council voted 5-2 to reverse its decision to close the entire stretch of South Park Drive that runs parallel to Woodland Avenue to vehicular traffic.
In June, the Council had passed a plan to make this stretch in Lower Bidwell Park vehicle free. But car owners, residents and biking advocates all pushed back. Concerns included worsening traffic in the area, inconvenience for disabled people, and the loss of parking spaces on South Park Drive.
Ann Bykerk-Kauffman, a planning commissioner and founding member of Chico Safe Streets Coalition, said the potential loss of right-of-way for cyclists and pedestrians and the installation of maze gates were the biggest problems with the plan.read more
by Ann Bykerk-Kauffman, guest writer | Posted July 24, 2025
A driver on South Park Drive where cars would not be allowed. Photo by Yucheng Tang.
Opposition to the recent Chico City Council decision for South Park Drive near One Mile Recreation Area has been immediate and fierce, mostly focused on the plan to extend the car-free portion to the entrance gate.
On June 17 the Council approved the following proposal for that portion of South Park Drive:
Repave it, maintaining its current width
Extend the motor vehicle-free portion westward to the Bidwell Park entrance gate at Cypress Street
Repave the driveway to the Sycamore Pool parking lot and build two new driveways to the Sycamore Field and Caper Acres parking lots
Pave the parking lots with permeable pavement
Abandon and re-vegetate the parking areas along the north side of South Park Drive and the egress driveway located just east of Caper Acres.
But the Chico Safe Streets Coalition, an active transportation advocacy group, opposes the plan, too. Why? Although, on the face of it, the closure of South Park Drive seems to facilitate bicycle and pedestrian transportation, the current implementation plan does the opposite – the devil is in the details.
During the June 17 meeting, Brendan Ottoboni, director of Public Works – Engineering, revealed that he planned to install “bike path gates” (a.k.a. “maze gates”) on either side of each of the three driveways that would cross South Park Drive; he also implied that cyclists and pedestrians on South Park Drive would lose the right of way they have enjoyed for decades and would instead have to stop and yield to motorists at every crossing driveway. read more
Vehicles still to be allowed in some parts of Lower Park on weekdays
by Yucheng Tang | Posted June 19, 2025
A man runs today on South Park Drive in Lower Bidwell Park. Photo by Yucheng Tang.
The City Council voted 4-3 to approve closure of parts of Lower Bidwell Park to vehicles at the June 17 meeting. Mayor Kasey Reynolds, Vice Mayor Dale Bennett and Councilmember Michael O’Brien voted in opposition.
Many of the 17 speakers during the public comment session opposed the plan to close the entire stretch of South Park Drive—running parallel to Woodland Avenue—to vehicular traffic. Under the plan, the parking lot at the One Mile Recreation Area will only be accessed via Woodland Avenue, and the plan will be implemented in the summer of 2026.
“There has been no proof, no evidence that any of these improvements are needed, except for the resurfacing of the pathway, the roadway in the park,” said Elizabeth Griffin, who, like most speakers, supported pavement rehabilitation without any other changes. read more
