22 Recently Completed Bike Turnouts On Mt. Diablo Raise Number On Mountain To 67

The California State Parks Foundation is celebrating the completion of 22 new bike turnouts at Mount Diablo State Park.

There are now 67 bike turnouts in the park.

The park foundation said in a statement that bike turnouts allow bicyclists, who move at slower speeds as they pedal uphill, to pull out of the main traffic lane into their own lane so that vehicles can pass safely.

The new turnouts were inspired by the memory of Joe Shami, who was a passionate advocate for increasing safety for bicyclists and cars on Mount Diablo.

Known by locals as “The Legend of Mount Diablo,” Shami’s passion for the mountain and bicycling was exemplified by over a decade of weekly trips up the mountain, even as he was well into his 80s.

“Tragically, Joe was struck and killed by a vehicle while riding his bicycle in Lafayette,” said Randy Widera, director of programs of the California State Parks Foundation. “Although he is not with us today, Joe left a special gift in his will to California State Parks Foundation. This gift helped make these additional bike turnouts on Mount Diablo possible. We know Joe would be pleased that his generous gift is making Mount Diablo safer for bicyclists to enjoy.”

Of the $927,000 raised for the turnouts, $138,089 came from Shami.

California State Parks, the California State Parks Foundation, and the group Mount Diablo Cyclists partnered to build the new bike turnouts.

For many years, bicycling on Mount Diablo has been a popular — but dangerous — activity. From 2010 to 2014, there were an average of 23 car and bike collisions per year.

Park officials said there have also been frequent road rage showdowns between drivers and riders.

After the first turnouts were created, collisions dropped to three in two years, and road rage significantly diminished.

California State Parks allocated the same amount as Shami’s gift from the department’s annual roads allocation funding to this project. Taking that as a challenge, a passionate group of volunteers comprised of Alan Kalin, Mark Dedon and Ted Trambley spent four months doing outreach in the park and at Peet’s Coffee in Danville with locals, bicyclists, and visitors to raise additional funds.

“The new bike turnouts on Mount Diablo are a testament to Joe Shami’s inspirational life,” said Dedon. “The community understands the importance of the new turnouts for the safety of both bicyclists and motorists. People we spoke with were happy to contribute to make these turnouts a reality.”

State park officials said 300 individuals, organizations and companies donated the additional funding needed to make the bike turnouts possible.