San Luis Obispo recently secured a state grant that will help fund the construction of its Anholm Neighborhood Greenway—a hotly-contested bike project that will establish a protected bike lane down Chorro and Broad streets, connecting downtown SLO with Foothill Boulevard.

The $1.7 million grant covers about 70 percent of the project cost, according to the city. The local bikeway was one of 25 projects selected across the state for a grant last month from the California Natural Resources Agency, as part of its $28 million Urban Greening Program.

“The competition for these state funds is extremely competitive with over 75 projects submitted for grant consideration,” SLO City Manager Derek Johnson said. “We are grateful to receive this grant.”

According to a city press release, the 1.7-mile greenway, which will break ground in early 2022, will involve the construction of protected bikeways, accessible curb ramp upgrades, pedestrian crossing enhancements, new street trees, stormwater management features, as well as safety lighting and public art at the Highway 101 undercrossing on Chorro Street.

The bikeway will run north on Chorro Street (from the direction of downtown) to Mission Street, where it will relocate to Broad Street, and continue on to Foothill Boulevard.

Because of the bikeway, 56 on-street parking spaces will be removed in the neighborhood—a major point of contention among residents and property owners who lobbied against the project until its approval in 2018.

“[The Anholm Neighborhood Greenway] is intended to create a safer connection between neighborhood destinations, schools, parks, open space, and the city's downtown center,” the city press release read. “The project represents one of the highest priorities in the city's recently adopted Active Transportation Plan and will help make progress towards the community’s goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2035.” ∆