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The Trestle Restoration Project
Since 2002, Chris Stevick has spearheaded Petaluma's movement to preserve the historic railroad trestle that faces the turning basin of the Petaluma River between B and D Streets, not used by locomotives since 1994. Unmaintained for decades, the top layers of the wooden structure rotting and unsafe, it has been fenced off from pedestrian use.
Chris was instrumental in obtaining a $500,000 grant in 2010 from the California Coastal Commission for an engineering study of the trestle to determine the true condition of the existing structure and determine what would be required to transform it from a hazardous eyesore into a safe, permanent Promenade for walking along the river. In the process of studying the origin, legal issues and ownership of the trestle Chris has acquired a history of the trains and trolleys that once used the trestle, the rival companies that owned them and the battles they fought for riders and freight. He often shares these stories with the community as he makes the case for trestle preservation, its potential use and enjoyment by future generations.
