Phase two of the Union Pacific Trail officially opened on Saturday, marking a milestone in an over-20-year process for the project.
Residents gathered at the Independence Park parking lot to be among the first to visit the new trail, running parallel to Fullerton’s Union Pacific train tracks.
The trail connects two south Fullerton parks: Independence Park and Union Pacific Park. Union Pacific Park connects to the Fullerton transit station via another trail that was completed in 2006. Marking the first phase of the project, this included a pedestrian and bike path, and one-acre park.
The ribbon cutting was attended by city officials, including Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, Councilmember Ahmad Zahra and Mayor Pro Tem Shana Charles, who spoke on the benefits of green spaces in communities.
The project includes the introduction of a bike and pedestrian trail, lighting and 176 trees.
“Increasing mental health, increasing physical health — what can we do up here as a city to make that happen? And this project checks so many boxes for that,” Charles said. “It’s a free space, you don’t have to pay to be in this space, so it’s accessible to everybody.”
The city’s south side, bordering Anaheim and Buena Park, is historically more densely populated and has fewer green spaces, according to Zahra.
“We know that there’s equity issues when it comes to park space in most cities, including Fullerton, so for the residents to come together, to demand that council take the state funds that could have been lost if they had not moved forward, is a victory,” Quirk-Silva said.
The Union Pacific Right-of-Way Trail and Park project, which the trail is part of, has faced many setbacks since being introduced to city council in 1999, when the city initially applied for funding for the project.
In 2021, the city received nearly $2 million in state grants to continue with the project, and the city contributed $330,000 to cover total costs. In May 2025, city council allocated an additional $150,000 to the project, despite the city’s then-deficit of $3.9 million.
However, in 2023, Fullerton City Council attempted to reallocate state funds from the trail, which led to public outcry to save the project.
The trail has been a site for public activism, with organizations attending various city meetings, including City Council and Parks and Recreation, to voice their support for the project, despite council’s wavering support.
Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Healthy Neighborhoods, an organization that “cultivates community, student, and faculty collaborations to drive systemic change,” according to their website, was one of those organizations.
“Sometimes there were 70, 80, over 100 people, and the meeting was long, until one or two in the morning, and we were talking and advocating,” said Egleth Nuncci, CSUF Center for Healthy Neighborhoods employee. “That was what made the difference.”
The third phase of the project will include the addition of trash cans and benches along the trail, though there is no set date for completion, according to Charles.
“As a city council member, my job is to help build the city that we want to live in, in the future, and to see people come and say, ‘this is what we want and we’re here to celebrate it’ is just such a beautiful thing,” Charles said.