Mt. Diablo Celebrates 22 New Bike Turnouts

DANVILLE, CA — Mount Diablo State Park celebrated the completion of 22 new bike turnouts on Friday. The park now includes 67 bike turnouts, which allow cyclists to pull out of the main traffic lane so that vehicles can pass safely.

The turnouts were inspired by the memory of Joe Shami, a passionate cyclist known as “The Legend of Mount Diablo” who biked the mountain well into his 80s. He was tragically struck and killed while riding his bicycle. From 2010 to 2014, there were a total of 23 car and bike collisions per year, according to California State Parks.

Related: Legendary Bicyclist Joe Shami Dies After Collision

“Although he is not with us today, Joe left a special gift in his will to California State Parks Foundation,” said California State Parks Foundation Director of Programs Randy Wildera. “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.”

RELATED: $755K Raised For Bike Turnouts In Memory Of Lafayette's Joe Shami

California State Parks, the California State Parks Foundation, and Mount Diablo Cyclists raised a total of $927,000 for the project. California State Parks matched Shami’s gift with funds from its annual roads allocation. A group of volunteers composed of Alan Kalin, Mark Dedon, and Ted Trambley spent four months doing outreach to raise additional funds, and a total of 300 individuals, organizations and companies donated.