Project to open by this summer to benefit residents of Orange Park, Lindenville
South San Francisco — Caltrans broke ground today on a $2.4 million Clean California project that will create a four-acre Centennial Way Park South with upgraded trails, landscaping, new communal and fitness spaces, as well as an outdoor educational center.
The project was made possible through Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.2 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs, and engage communities to transform public areas into spaces of pride for all Californians.
“This project illustrates the goal of Clean California: to improve all our lives by beautifying the state,” said Tony Tavares, Caltrans Director. “These enhancements will give the community a beautiful new space to create memories for generations to come and teach the benefits of being good stewards of California.”
The project site is located along the South San Francisco Centennial recreation trail in the Orange Park neighborhood and City of Lindenville between South Spruce Avenue and West Orange Avenue. The site is easily accessed by foot, bike and the city’s multimodal transportation network. Once completed by this summer, it will directly benefit area residents and be a resource for students at South San Francisco High School and Los Cerritos Elementary, and the nearby Boys & Girls Club of North San Mateo County.
The beautifications and enhancements include a trail widening with new energy-efficient lights to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists, picnic tables, shade structures, trash receptacles, bike racks, a bike repair station, a skate park, fitness station, outdoor classroom seating, two pet waste stations and educational signs to promote proper waste disposal and environmental stewardship.
Landscaping additions will include 130 new trees, drought-tolerant shrubs and other plantings.
“This project is designed to beautify and revitalize an undeveloped but highly visible area along the existing Centennial Bay Trail to create a great new hub for local gatherings and recreation,” said Dina El-Tawansy, Bay Area Caltrans District Director. “Every community is worthy of beautification, and this proves what can be accomplished through strong local partnerships.”
Fifth Street Tree Nursery Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (youtube.com)
Clean California has funded 319 projects statewide to revitalize and beautify underserved communities, some of which are already complete and now sources of community pride. Projects are improving public spaces, tribal lands, parks, neighborhoods, transit centers, walking paths, streets, roadsides, recreation fields, community gathering spots, and places of cultural importance or historical interest in underserved communities.
Since launching Clean California in July 2021, Caltrans has removed nearly 2.2 million cubic yards of litter from state highways – or enough to fill 670 Olympic-size swimming pools.
The program has also created more than 15,000 jobs that have helped Californians overcome barriers to employment and drawn more than 10,000 volunteers to events ranging from community cleanups to large debris collections for appliances, tires, and mattresses.
For more information, visit CleanCA.com.
