DEER FLATS, Monterey — October 30, 2026. Long-term plans for safer walking and cycling near Deer Flats extend beyond a single proposed crosswalk. City of Monterey Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program (NCIP) records identify a separate $700,000 design project for a protected bicycle and pedestrian connection along Fairground Road, Mark Thomas Drive and Sloat Avenue that would link the North Fremont bike corridor to Monterey’s coastal Recreation Trail.
The project is designated ncp2404 and is labeled “Mark Thomas Separated Bike/Pedestrian Path” in the city’s project records. It spans several neighborhoods, including Aguajito Oaks, Casanova–Oak Knoll, Deer Flats and Oak Grove. It is not a newly opened bicycle lane or an announcement that the city has broken ground.
What route is being studied?
The public project description proposes a shovel-ready design connecting the North Fremont bicycle facilities toward Fairground Road / Mark Thomas Drive, then Sloat Avenue and Del Monte Avenue, reaching the Recreation Trail. A bidirectional walking/cycling facility could follow part of the Caltrans Highway 1 right-of-way near Mark Thomas Drive, but the exact layout and ownership permissions would require technical review and coordination.
Monterey’s multineighborhood project listing is available in the Monterey Vista Neighborhood Association’s published project archive, where ncp2404 is explicitly identified with its $700,000 design figure and intended route. A prior city NCIP report, dated August 15, 2025, recorded a $462,166.55 remaining balance and a status of design. That is a historic recorded balance, not a verified amount available in October 2026.
How is it different from the Deer Flats sidewalk request?
Deer Flats News has separately reported on project DF-01, a 2026–27 neighborhood nomination seeking a sidewalk and crossing between Santa Catalina and St. John’s Chapel on Mark Thomas Drive. Staff asked for traffic counts and technical review. That project carries a preliminary $1 million estimate in an October 2026 screening packet.
DF-01 is a specific block-level crosswalk and missing-sidewalk proposal, whereas ncp2404 is an older, wider corridor design program. They might affect nearby ground, but the existence of both records does not establish that the city has merged them, funded two overlapping construction contracts or selected a finished crossing design.
What would be different for residents?
If a separated route is built, it could offer an alternative to sharing narrow shoulders with vehicles near highway approaches, improving links between schools, jobs, neighborhoods and the shoreline. However, exactly where the path would run, how intersections would operate, which driveways might be affected and how it would interact with Highway 1 exits remain practical questions rather than verified final engineering decisions.
Residents can request the latest ncp2404 design plans, traffic and safety studies, any agreements with Caltrans, and the current funding and construction timetable from City of Monterey Public Works. Without those records, a historic $700,000 design allocation cannot be described as the cost of constructing the entire route.
Source documents and editorial note
Monterey Vista Neighborhood Association, NCIP project archive, ncp2404; City of Monterey official NCIP meeting and funding records; Transportation Agency for Monterey County, regional transportation planning.
Deer Flats News project analysis, October 30, 2026. Route concepts, historic budget and design-stage status are based on previously published records. A final design, current unspent budget, new construction contract and opening date have not been independently verified.
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