Local advocacy group launches fundraiser to complete Bob Jones Trail
The organization aims to raise $1 million by Jan. 30
– The Friends of the Bob Jones Trail, a local advocacy group, has launched a community-based fundraising campaign to secure $5.5 million needed to complete the final, “City to the Sea” segment of the Bob Jones Trail.
The planned four-mile segment will connect San Luis Obispo to Avila Beach and Pismo Beach, creating a continuous, safe, and sustainable multi-use path for commuters, residents, and visitors. The organization aims to raise $1 million by Jan. 30 to meet funding requirements set by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) and plans to reach the full $5.5 million goal by fiscal year 2026-27.
Eighty percent of the project funding has already been secured, including $18 million from the CTC, $8 million from the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, and $6 million from Caltrans. However, community contributions are needed to close the funding gap.
“Finishing this project is incredibly important for our community, not only for visitors and residents of the adjacent towns of SLO, Avila, and Pismo Beach but because of what it means for the entire county,” said Jesse Dundon, a member of the Friends of the Bob Jones Trail. “Once we finish this final segment, there’s no end to the safe, sustainable commuting and recreational trail network we can build. But without community support to make the City-to-the-Sea connection happen, that dream could die on the vine.”
What’s at stake
The group warns that without additional local funding, the project risks losing $18 million in state grants, which could jeopardize years of planning and effort. Additionally, a failure to complete the project could make it more difficult to secure future funding for other trail initiatives in the county.
The final segment will connect the existing 2.5-mile trail from Avila Beach to Highway 101 with the 1-mile section from Prado Road to Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo. Once complete, the trail will form a continuous path from the Octagon Barn in San Luis Obispo to the Avila Beach trailhead on Ontario Drive, linking to the Shell Beach path in Pismo Beach.
District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg emphasized the project’s importance, stating, “People care deeply about it and are concerned it may not be built. I believe the community deserves to have a safe route between the city and the sea, and I am excited that a public-private partnership has formed to help raise money to address the funding gap.”
How to support
The Friends of the Bob Jones Trail encourage community members to contribute to the effort, ensuring the project remains on track and state funding is retained.
For more information or to donate, visit thebobjonestrail.com or contact the organization at thebobjonestrail@gmail.com.
