Chico council directs staff to plan weekend closures in Lower Bidwell Park; trial and design follow-ups ordered

The Chico City Council on Tuesday directed city staff to return with a detailed plan for closing vehicle traffic on sections of Lower Bidwell Park on weekends and national holidays and approved a related follow-up to study access and design alternatives.

By a 6-1 vote, the council approved a motion directing staff to return at the March 18 council meeting with a plan to implement closures of South Park Drive and Peterson Memorial Drive on weekends and holidays until construction on the roads begins; Mayor Reynolds cast the lone dissent. Council members Goldstein, Holly, O’Brien, Van Overbeck, Winslow and Vice Mayor Bennett voted in favor. The motion instructed staff to present how closures would be carried out and how the council would review results after an implementation period.

Separately, the council later voted 5-2 to ask staff to return with options to close South Park Drive to vehicular traffic while preserving access to key parking lots and other access needs; that motion passed with Goldstein, Holly, Van Overbeck, Winslow and Mayor Reynolds voting yes and Councilmember O’Brien and Vice Mayor Bennett voting no.

Background and staff recommendation: Public Works Director Brendan Gustafson reviewed the 2023 Headway Transportation report and Park Commission findings. The commission—after on-site meetings with stakeholders—preferred an attached two-way side path separated from vehicles by a rumble-strip delineation (the report’s “alternative 1”), while also recommending a package of improvements including a side path on South Park Drive, multi-use path connections, additional crosswalks and ADA ramps, and expanded parking at the 1-mile lot. Gustafson told the council that the park’s southern and Peterson pavements require full rehabilitation and that upcoming reconstruction schedules drove the timing of staff’s recommendation.

Gustafson recommended a pragmatic approach: closing South Park Drive from Caper Acres to Manzanita to vehicular traffic, and leaving Peterson Memorial Drive open, but he also recommended a six‑month trial in one of the council motions so the policy could be evaluated after implementation. “We would recommend closing all of South Park Drive from Caper Acres all the way to Manzanita to vehicular traffic 7 days per week but leaving Peterson Drive open to vehicular traffic 7 days per week,” Gustafson said when outlining staff’s analysis; the council modified that recommendation in its motions.

Why it matters: staff and commissioners cited recurring conflicts among pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, an increase in e-bike speeds, and constrained roadway and parking configurations. The Headway report suggested that some closure options could require widening or regrading sections of South Park Drive to add a separated multi-use path; that change would trigger environmental review and design work. Gustafson said South Park’s reconstruction is now scheduled for 2026 because the alternative the commission selected requires environmental review and additional design; Peterson Memorial Drive is scheduled for replacement this summer (2025) and will be closed during construction for safety.

Concerns raised: some council members and speakers warned that a full closure could push parking to adjacent streets, reduce vehicle “eyes and ears” that currently report undesirable activity, or require removal of trees where roadway widening is proposed. Others argued the park should be primarily a pedestrian and bicycle space and supported broad closures to reduce safety risks. Several public speakers urged no widening to avoid additional environmental review and loss of trees.

Next steps: staff will return March 18 with an implementation plan for weekend/holiday closures as directed, and will provide options for preserving parking-lot access and approaches to the South Park Drive design and environmental review. The council’s motions set a six-month review following implementation as part of the record.

Clarifying details: the Park Commission and Headway report presented four alternatives (attached side path with rumble strip; separated side path with a 5-foot buffer; shared street; multi-use path with no vehicles). Staff noted that widening to accommodate the preferred attached side-path alternative would trigger environmental review and that South Park’s reconstruction was moved to 2026 for design and CEQA work; Peterson Memorial Drive is scheduled for full replacement in summer 2025 and will be closed to the public during construction (source: Brendan Gustafson).