Vision

The Fort Ord Rec Trail and Greenway (FORTAG) is proposed as a continuous 12-ft wide paved bikeway with an open-space buffer on both sides incorporating habitat, parks, playing fields, developed outdoor recreation sites, associated amenities, unpaved trails, and agriculture. The open-space buffer should extend at least 150-ft on each side of the trail for the majority of its length. The northern loop of FORTAG encircles Marina, following a 13 mile route that includes 3 miles of the existing “Coastal Rec Trail”. The southern loop of FORTAG encircles Seaside and bisects Del Rey Oaks, following a 15 mile route that includes 4 miles of the existing coastal trail system. The Trail includes spurs connecting with existing bike/pedestrian infrastructure and plans. Several sections of the paved trail will be accompanied by nearby unpaved trails running loosely parallel to the main paved trail. Many of these unpaved trails already exist.

FORTAG’s intended purposes include: connecting people to open-space from their homes, workplaces, and hospitality bases; connecting together core habitat areas; facilitating social interaction between Fort Ord, Monterey Peninsula, and the Salinas Valley; and acting as an artery from which to launch numerous other recreational activities. The paved trail is intended to be a pleasant and visually obvious route that invites safe use by families with young children on bikes, and that can be jointly used by walkers, joggers, children in strollers, wheelchairs (in key segments), commuter cyclists, and recreational cyclists (including those with narrow tires). Substantial portions of the greenway are intended to support unpaved paths used by hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and naturalists. FORTAG will involve approximately three underpasses and one overpass for pedestrians and bikes.

The FORTAG vision as conceived today began in early 2013.

Values

FORTAG should: