WALNUT CREEK — The roughly 150,000 cyclists who climb Mount Diablo’s steep, 4,200-foot peak each year face a major danger: motorists speeding past them on the same narrow, winding roads and blind curves.

Ten years ago, Danville resident Alan Kalin formed a task force of the Mount Diablo Cyclists Club to find a solution that could ease tensions between people riding on both two and four wheels, but more importantly, it also needed to find a safer way to ease traffic congestion and reduce the number of dangerous collisions.

Their first plans for bike pullouts were drafted in 2014. They included a groundbreaking design that allowed cyclists slowing down uphill to move into their own paved lane so vehicles could safely pass — engineered to mimic turning lanes that helped car traffic for years. The roads of Mount Diablo State Park are the only place where bike pullouts have been implemented on a significant scale.

“They don’t exist anywhere else in the world,” Kalin said in an interview. “Drivers love them, cyclists love them – bike lanes keep everyone safe and reduce hostility between both groups. It won’t prevent collisions, but we’ve saved the lives of people we’ll never know.”

Ten years and 1.5 million cyclists later, a total of 67 bike turnoffs – also known as additional bike lanes – are now open throughout Mount Diablo State Park.

At 10 a.m. Saturday, Kalin will join dozens of cyclists, elected officials, park staff and community members at Curry Point – a scenic gathering spot halfway up the mountain on South Gate Road – to celebrate this milestone in her exemplary safety campaign.

“It took me 10 years to do it, but we did it,” Kalin said in an interview, recounting the many hours of research and the vast amount of surveys, public records requests and petitions that drove the project. “I never thought this would happen. I was just trying to save a few lives. The word ‘wow’ almost doesn’t do it justice.”

With construction completed this month, there are now a total of 26 bike stops along South Gate Road, 16 scattered along Summit Road and an additional 25 paved spots on North Gate Road. This represents a 2,133% increase from the original three stops used to launch a pilot program in 2015-16 that also included the installation of new signage and pavement markings.

According to the California State Parks Department, the latest phase of the trail change cost $927,000.

Clint Elsholz, superintendent of the Diablo Range District, praised in a statement how the infrastructure has helped improve accessibility for cyclists and motorists to enjoy some of the East Bay’s most impressive panoramic views and natural wonders.

“We are very pleased to offer these new bike parking spaces. They represent our commitment to improving safety and experience for all who enjoy the beauty of Mount Diablo State Park,” Elsholz said in a statement. “These new parking spaces not only increase safety, but also encourage more people to explore the park by bike.”

State Senator Steve Glazer and Representative Rebecca Bauer-Kahan helped lead a major initiative to expand the pullout network in 2021 by allocating $1.5 million in additional funding in the California budget. The money helped increase the total number of pullouts to 45 by October 2022, a significant increase from the previously existing 17 auxiliary lanes.