Monterey will extend its North Fremont Street bike lanes to reach the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway after the city secured a $2,862,000 grant for the project.

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) awarded the money through its Regional Surface Transportation Program to fund the North Fremont Gap Closure Project, KSBW reported on Sept. 15. The project would close a long-unfinished gap between Casanova Avenue and Canyon Del Rey Boulevard, linking the existing separated bike lanes to the regional FORTAG trail network.

The total project cost is $3,643,000, according to TAMC grant documents. Beyond the TAMC grant, $250,000 has been approved through the city's Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program. Measure X transportation funds will cover the remaining balance, KSBW reported.

Why the gap exists

The city completed the existing Class IV bike lanes in September 2019. The half-mile stretch between Casa Verde Way and Casanova Avenue cost about $8.5 million, funded largely by a $6.48 million federal Caltrans Active Transportation Program grant and a $1.933 million TAMC grant, according to a 2020-2021 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury report.

The block between Casanova and Canyon Del Rey was left unbuilt. The lowest bid for that segment came in at $2.9 million in 2018, driven by the cost of retaining walls near an environmentally sensitive habitat area, according to a city response to the Grand Jury. Available funding at the time fell short.

The dead-end lanes earned the nickname "the bike lane to nowhere," Monterey County NOW reported.

What the grant funds

TAMC grant documents describe the project as a bicycle and pedestrian bridge on North Fremont Street with connections to new Class I ADA-accessible multi-use paths, improved curbs, gutters and ramp transitions, and major stormwater improvements. The stretch sits on the city's High Injury Network.

The project scored 83.50 out of 100 in TAMC's 2026 competitive grant cycle, ranking first among applicants.

Design is roughly 90% complete, according to Monterey County NOW. City officials plan to seek community feedback before finalizing the design, which they hope to complete by mid- to late 2027.

Wendy Brickman, president of the North Fremont Business District Board of Directors, said in a Sept. 15 KSBW report that the grant "will make an important difference in improving safety, accessibility and connectivity along North Fremont."