Like Berkeley, the Kensington community just to the north has a set of walking paths, created when the area was subdivided in 1910. But while Berkeley’s paths are owned by the city, due to an historic anomaly Kensington’s are not officially publicly owned.
The original purpose of the paths was to make it easier to get to streetcar stops for rail transportation of the Key System. When the trains were replaced by buses, the paths continued to be used for travel on foot to the business districts on Arlington Avenue and at Colusa Circle. They’re still enjoyed by many as a safe and charming way to get around on foot.
The lack of public ownership, however, has led to maintenance issues with the 115-year-old paths. In two cases, paths have been blocked by adjoining property owners, and there has been no public entity to object. There are groups who sweep and weed along the paths but, without public ownership, they assume liability and are at risk of being sued if any path user is injured.
The Kensington Pathkeepers has been advocating for this to change and working with Contra Costa County and the Kensington Police Protection and Community Services District (KPPCSD) to achieve public ownership. The County was offered the paths along with the sidewalks and streets in 1910. Though they declined to take ownership of the paths then, it is believed they could still do so today.
The Pathkeepers have been working with County Supervisor John Gioia on this. There is a plan for the County to acquire the Ardmore, Beloit, and Coventry Paths and immediately turn them over to KPPCSD, which also administers the Kensington Park and has the necessary insurance to handle liability. Gioia and the Pathkeepers presented at a March KPPCSD meeting, and there was a 5-0 vote to take steps toward an agreement with the County for ownership of these paths.
Doing so is seen as a beginning phase in an effort that leads to official ownership of all 11 Kensington Paths. Both the County and KPPCSD are expected to allocate money for improvements to and maintenance of the paths. But, like BPWA, the Pathkeepers will solicit additional donations and organize maintenance work parties.
The Pathkeepers are grateful for the ongoing support and advice of BPWA. In particular, Charlie Bowen and Janet Byron have attended our meetings and been very helpful sources of information. Though the paths in the two communities fall under different jurisdictions, for those who enjoy exploring our area on foot, they can be thought of as part of a single network. Our hope is that both will enjoy the benefits of public ownership very soon!