A long-planned addition to Folsom’s growing trail system took a step forward this week as the Folsom City Council approved an agreement advancing a new bike and pedestrian route along East Bidwell Street.
The council authorized the city manager to execute a Program Supplement Agreement with Caltrans, a required step that allows the city to move into final design for a 1.25-mile Class I trail segment designed for both cyclists and pedestrians.
The new trail will extend from the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail area between Creekside Drive and Oak Avenue Parkway east to Iron Point Road, creating a continuous, separated path that connects existing infrastructure while running parallel to East Bidwell Street along the Southern Pacific Placerville Branch right-of-way.
City staff indicated the agreement is necessary to access state and federal reimbursement funding and to proceed into the Plans, Specifications and Estimates phase, which represents the final design stage of the project.
The trail segment has been in development for more than a decade. Initial funding was secured in 2015 when the Sacramento Area Council of Governments approved more than $1 million in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funding for the project. Additional funding followed in 2023, when the city received $1.7 million through the Active Transportation Program to support final design and construction.
With required local matching funds included, total project funding now exceeds $3.18 million, supporting both design and construction phases.
The project has already completed environmental review and preliminary design, including compliance with state and federal requirements. According to the staff report, the environmental phase concluded in January 2026 when Caltrans approved the project under a categorical exclusion, allowing it to advance to final design.
With the latest approval, city staff will move forward with selecting a consultant to complete the final engineering work. A contract for those services is expected to return to the City Council for consideration at a future meeting.
The project is included in the city’s Fiscal Year 2025-26 Capital Improvement Plan with a total budget of approximately $3.3 million. Local matching funds are being provided through the Transportation System Management Fund, Transportation Tax Fund and Measure A Fund.
City officials noted that approval of the agreement itself does not create a new direct financial impact but allows the city to access reimbursement for eligible design costs tied to previously awarded grants.
A separate agreement with Caltrans will be required before the project can move into construction.
Once completed, the new segment will expand Folsom’s network of off-street trails, providing a dedicated route for walking and cycling while improving connectivity between neighborhoods and existing regional pathways.
Copyright © 2025, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
